Santa María Tonameca
Tonameca | |
|---|---|
Town & Municipality | |
| Santa María Tonameca | |
Municipal Palace | |
| Coordinates: 15°44′45″N 96°32′50″W / 15.74583°N 96.54722°W | |
| Country | Mexico |
| State | Oaxaca |
| Government | |
| • Municipal President | Fernando Mendoza Reyes (2014-2016) |
| Area | |
• Municipality | 454.2 km2 (175.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation (of seat) | 40 m (130 ft) |
| Population (2005) Municipality | |
• Municipality | 21,223 |
| • Seat | 1,631 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (US Central)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (Central) |
| Postal code (of seat) | 70946 |
Santa María Tonameca is a town and municipality located on the southern coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, about 268 km from the capital city of Oaxaca. It is part of the Pochutla District in the east of the Costa Region. It is a very rural area, which is best known for the beach communities of Mazunte, San Agustinillo and La Ventanilla. The National Turtle Center, a research center and aquarium is located in Mazunte, along with conservation centers for butterflies and iguanas. The town itself is the site of the largest annual festival in the area, celebrating the rescue of a cedar image of the Virgin Mary from the rubble of the town church after an earthquake on 11 May 1870.