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. This municipality has a total population of 38,798 of which 12,117 live in the city proper. The most important communities other than the seat include Puerto Angel and Zipolite, both of which are oceanside communities. Zipolite is a popular tourist attraction and Puerto Angel was a coffee export port whose economy now is based on tourism and fishing. Other beaches include La Mina, where waves crash noisily against rocks and Zapotengo with has miles of coconut groves next to the sand. There is also a fresh water spring in San José Chacalapa. The municipality borders Candelaria Loxicha, Pluma Hidalgo, Santa María Huatulco, Cozoaltepec and Santo Domingo with the Pacific Ocean to the south. The climate here is hot and humid due to its proximity to the ocean with a rainy season in the summer. Average temperatures vary between 30 and 38C. The south of the municipality is oceanfront and the north is formed by mountains of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca. Various rivers pass through here on their way to the Pacific Ocean even more arroyos filling during the summer rainy season. Most of the rain falls in the mountains areas of the municipality rather than on the coast. Principal elevations include Vigia and Espino from which the main river flows. Despite the drainage of the principal lake, malaria is still a concern here. Vegetation is of the tropical and sub-tropical types and include a number of valuable tropical wood trees such as huanacastle, mahogany, cedar and Guaiacum coulteri, which are primarily used to make furniture. Common wildlife includes iguanas, deer, wild boar, armadillos, rabbits, raccoons and numerous birds native to the area. Coastal species include black coral, turtles sea bass, sharks and crabs,