Yes PVR is WAY overcrowded.
Yet the spot mentioned is very, very far from Puerto Vallarta, on narrow winding roads, so could not handle the traffic for there and points north. They must be planning on a lot more development in the southern half of Jalisco. Maybe it will be a long time in the future?

So now is the time for deserted beaches there. Punta Perula is gorgeous. Not enough to do to keep the young ones happy, though.

Oh, I thought it was Escondido, which seemed weird. Well, there must be lots of growth on the Jalisco Coast to build and another airport. Have not been to the airport in P. V. for 20 years, so sounds like they might need another one.

When I was in Puerto Escondido, Huatulco airport had not yet been built.

No, the airport I heard about is supposed to be in Jalisco, at the coast, about two thirds of the way down, near Careyes. Seemed strange, but this guy lives here and said that. They were widening the road substantially at that spot. It is extremely beautiful around there, lots of private mansions. Nothing like that horrid (to me) area north of Puerto Vallarta.

Oh, I read something too about an airport (Int'l) near Pto Escondido. There goes the neighborhood!!

I remember when the road behind the Bahia Principal in Puerto Escondido was still sand!

What? It isn't sand anymore?

Travelling down the Pacific coast there are still some small places with nice beaches. Stopped for a snack at a nice place, but you need to be prepared to do not much of anything if you stay there. But now my airbnb owner says they are building an airport near there.....

LW: Sorry, i used the term “entitled “ loosely and also in a facetious intention.
Re military post, no we were not stopped as it sat on an embankment in front of a large indigenous structure which i believe was a hotel with a Nahuat inscription on the facade.
Two years ago, the presence of mostly Municipal police was not obvious and I don’t remember seeing policemen near the treasury offices or the two atm’s nearby.
Te travel agency, it is still there as you mentioned.
Despite the increased police presence, we felt safe and continued our extensive walks in town.
Today The voladores performed twice.Brave and committed souls.

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Before re-entering the safety discussion, I have some different questions / comments for you:

I may have overlooked your mention of it, but where did this current visit to Mexico begin? From where and how did you get to Cuetzalan? Mexico City, Puebla, Veracruz? Which was your lodging choice?

You mentioned earlier, up-thread, you’d planned a visit to Yohualichan, one of my favorite ruins sites in Mexico. Did you go, and if so what’s your opinion? You found the collectivo ok?

Now, for the security issue:

Yesterday we walked to the outskirts of town in search of ecological bamboo houses for sale and overshot to come across a sandbagged military post; a little disarming as it was very foggy.Two years ago it wasn’t there.

What’s an “ecological bamboo house” that would be for sale?

As for the out-of-town sandbagged checkpoint, was it manned? If so, were you stopped or otherwise did you have contact with whomever was manning it? Many such temporary observation posts are found throughout Mexico usually in areas where narcos have been active or other contraband has passed through. It would be a guess as to why that particular post was there.

Different world from our comforts and entitlements.

Mexico has been at war with narco terrorists for decades and the military is in the forefront of the battle.

I remember vacationing in San Juan, Puerto Rico the mid-1970s.. at the Americana Hotel. We were on the beach, which was patrolled by many police on horseback toting automatic rifles. And, yes ... it caught our attention.

I was in Acapulco for a week recently. Military patrols throughout the city are commonplace (though they seem to have lessened in frequency). It was the Pacific Coast Naval headquarters for decades, so Marine and other Naval presence was commonplace. Infrequent or first-time visitors, though, might at first be nervous.

I don’t understand why you think - as a Canadian - you have some sort of entitlement.

Also, we came across many Policia Municipal and a few Estatas. Befriended one (local) near the ATMs around the catedral. I guess they want to keep delinquent gangs and cartels from entrenching themselves in the pueblo thereby jeopardizing their “magico” status.

If you travel in Mexico you’ll witness the obvious presence of police, probably more noticeable than you witness at home. You were in the town’s plaza principal on which is the town / municipal offices (including the treasury). No matter where you travel in Mexico you’ll witness anywhere between 3 or 4 up to 10 or more police milling about such plaza’s. What you witnessed is typical; normal ... and it’s been this way for the 50+ years I’d been traveling in Mexico; long before the arrival of the narco cartels. “Delinquent gangs”? Where did you come up with that one?

I suspect you’d be terrified to visit Mexico City. The police and / or military presence can seem overwhelming... to the unfamiliar. At night it seems as if the city is ablaze with flashing police car rooftop lights; everywhere. Take the Metro and there are a half-dozen or more armed police at each station. Ride the Metro Bus and there’s a policeman at each small stop and two or more in the busy route stops. Most every office building and every bank branch has an armed policeman at the door (some with automatic rifles). City parks have fixed police patrols. There are armed police patrols at most major street intersections for probably 12 hours daily. First time visitors can easily think they’ve entered an armed camp. The first time I visited, in 1993, I was taken aback by it.

The theme is repeated throughout much of the nation.

LW

The first of my visits to both Zipolite and PE was about 27 years ago. The Playa Principal area in PE was pretty well developed then, for tourism purposes, Many foreigner-snowbirds who thought Acapulco had gotten too expensive had moved south and began wintering there - and others who enjoyed the perceived and relative isolation (as compared to Cancun, Acapulco, etc.). The water at Playa Principal was dirty then, too. At that point in time tourism development was beginning to focus on Zicatela.

Zipolite has been a well known destination for decades. Yes, beginning primarily with truly independent and mostly foreign travelers (“Hippie” types) in search of drugs, cheap lodging and meals. There was, then, a noticeable contingent of lesbians (unusual for most any destination at that point in time it seemed to me) that I think has continued for many years. I said it before: there’s not a lot to attract truly large numbers of foreign tourists. It’s not easy to get there.

LW

There are still empty places on Bacocho and Zicatela in Puerto Escondido where you can do what you want.