Santa María Petapa is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico.

[1] After Espiritu Santu (now Coatzacoalcos) it is the oldest Spanish town in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

Wild fauna include Toucan, boar, deer, tepeizcuinte, coyote, raccoon, armadillo and skunk.

The main economic activity is agriculture, with crops of corn, beans, coffee and vegetables.

Animal husbandry is also important, including cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, horses and poultry.