If the day is hot and humid when you arrive on this west side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, you may wonder why you've ventured this far south into Mexico. The towns and villages seem lackluster, though civilization is reaching them fast. The countryside is tropical, but not dramatic or luxuriant with plant growth as in other tropical areas.
You soon become accustomed to a lack of comforts and conveniences, and after 2 or 3 days you
discover that its main attractions are the Tehuana women and the Pacific beaches.
The women, tall and graceful, are dark skinned with smooth features. They wear multicolored costumes which are even more resplendent on Sundays and at the many fiestas and dances. You'll notice them especially at Juchitan, a nearby town about the same size as Tehuantepec with adequate tourist accommodations. In Tehuantepec the women run the marketplace and the men stay home and in the fields. In fact, in this matriarchal society, the women are conspicuously the most active members of the community, even in local governmental affairs.
