San Pedro Pochutla

The Pochutla area was settled by Zapotec tribes from Amatlán, Miahuatlán and Coatlan in the 8th century. The settlement now known as Pochutla was founded around the same time as nearby Loxicha, Cozoaltepec and others. The area was part of the dominion of Tututepec. At the time of the Spanish conquest, the Spanish town of Pochutla was founded by Pedro Molina, Isidro Salinas, Julio Diaz and others, initially with the name of Huehuetan. The locals were converted to Christianity and the first church was founded just south of the modern town and called San Pedro Huehuetán Laguna. Much of the modern city is built on what was a lakebed. Because of illnesses such as malaria and yellow fever, this lake was drained. Later in the colonial period, the name was changed to Pochutla due to the number of kapok trees in the area. Other recent strikes include those by taxi drivers and others in transportation who have blocked roads resulting in monetary losses for the municipality. The dispute centered on concessions for passenger transportation between Pochutla and beach communities such as Zipolite. Actions by strikers have included the blockage of roads including coastal Highway 200. ==The city==

The city is the commercial, transportation and administrative center for the area. It contains banks, supermarkets and specialty stores that serve the coastal and isolated mountain communities of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca which generally lack these things. It is a transportation hub filled with buses, taxis and dust. Taxis called "colectivos" (collectives) go to the area's beaches as well as pickup trucks fitted to carry passengers. There are two bus stations with first and second class buses to Oaxaca city, Mexico City and Huatulco. It is not a tourist attraction but it serves tourists as a place for banking services and supplies not available in the beach communities as well as a transfer point for buses. In the evening, the main road through town has a variety of street food. The parish church was begun in 1840 but was not finished until 1957. The municipal palace was built in 1873. The center, especially the main plaza and the municipal palace, has recently been renovated and a new amphitheatre has been built to host cultural and sporting events. The patron saint's day is 29 June in which people celebrate with masks, and fireworks, some set in frames called "castles." Pochutla gained the title of city in March 2003. It is the seat of the Pochutla District, and is also the head of the Parish of Pochutla which oversees 39 other communities. ==The municipality==

As municipal seat, the city of San Pedro Pochutla is the governing authority over 238 other named communities, with a total area of 421km2. A dance called the “Kirio” is performed at weddings. ==References==