Puerto Escondido is a small city on the Pacific coast in the state of Oaxaca. Located almost due south of Oaxaca City, tourism is a major part of the city's economy. You will not, however, find high-rise hotels and floods of tourists in Puerto Escondido. The atmosphere is relaxed and the tourists, though present, are few in number. Interestingly, Puerto Escondido has some of the best surfing in the world. It also provides tourists with unique wildlife eco-tours.

In the course we examine the impact of tourism on Puerto Escondido, especially the pressures to convert tourism to a corporate model like that in Cancún, Acapulco, and elsewhere on the Mexican coast.