La Ventanilla is an Oaxacan hidden gem, located on the Costa Chica section of Oaxaca, just west of Mazunte. The area consists of beach and lagoon and is protected by about twenty five Zapotec families who are dedicated to preserving the ecology and wildlife. It is here you can see numerous crocodiles, iguanas, birds and more.

La Ventanilla is a non-profit organisation and I felt incredibly warmed by the work they are doing here. So today I’m going to share with you our experience here and some more details about the incredible work happening in this little village!

Where does the name La Ventanilla come from?

If you’ve brushed up on your Spanish you may already know that the name “La Ventanilla” literally translates to “little window”. This is because at the far east end of the beach is a high rocky peak, which has a small opening and it’s this that gives the area its name.

The Crocodiles!

The main attraction at La Ventanilla is, of course, the crocodiles. There are around 300 crocodiles that live in the lagoon, which is actually the estuary of the Tonameca River. The lagoon is cut off from the sea by the beach for much of the year and is full of mangroves; the perfect hiding place for crocs! During the rainy season, which usually runs from the end of May to August, the lagoon meets the sea and prompts sea life such as sea turtles, dolphins and fish to enter to feed on the crustaceans.

We started our tour of La Ventanilla by taking a boat across the lagoon. Due to conservation efforts, the village does not allow motorised vehicles on the beach or within 100 yards of the lagoon sanctuary, so all of the boats are paddled manually. Here we saw a number of crocodiles both in and out of the water. It is thought around 300 crocodiles live in this lagoon so there is a good chance of spotting some if you visit!

Sadly, crocodiles are still poached for their skin so conservation efforts such as this are key to protecting them and maintaining their populations across Mexico.

Across the lagoon we headed onto dry land to learn more about the conservation efforts and meet some of the other animals La Ventanilla is home to!

Iguanas

There were loads of iguanas dotted around the park. They are really friendly and will come up close to you, especially if offered food!

Deer

There are a number of deers in La Ventanilla. They release a few into the wild each year to help with local conservation. The deer here are really friendly; you can feed them some luscious green leaves and give them a little pet!

Rescue Efforts

Here at La Ventanilla, there are also a number of rescue efforts as well as conservation policies. We met this beautiful spider monkey who had been recused from a tiny cage from an irresponsible owner. The team at La Ventanilla will always release animals back into the wild where possible. Unfortunately, for some animals, like this beautiful monkey life in the wild isn’t always possible. If their trauma or health means they will struggle with life in the wild, they are kept at the conservation park. But don’t worry, they have a beautiful life here!

Our guide explained to us they don’t like to keep animals in any kind of captivity here. Any animals currently in caged spaces are rescues awaiting release or aren’t able to be currently released due to their health.

If you’d like to know more about the work being undertaken at La Ventanilla, or if you’d like to book your own tour, you can reach out to them directly via Instagram or via their Website.

You might also enjoy …