Tuesday, November 22, 2005--The Bays and Beaches of Huatulco

Like many Oaxacans, ex-pats, and visitors, we decided this was a good time to go to the beach. Last year this time we went to Puerto Escondido. This year we thought we'd scout out the Bahias de Huatulco, also on Oaxaca's Pacific coast.

A view along the Huatulco coast

Huatulco is an area of great natural beauty--more than twenty miles of tropical coast, close to the mountains, with nine bays and thirty-six beaches. The region has only recently been developed as a tourist destination. It seems to be far better planned than similar areas we've seen. The big luxury hotels are clustered togetherin one area above Tangolunda Bay. The rest of the region remains far less developed. Visitors can find a place to sleep in anything from luxury resorts to a hammock on the beach.

We decided to stay in a smaller and less expensive hotel, Mission de los Arcos, in the town of La Crucecita. The hotel was comfortable, the staff friendly and helpful, and La Crucecita turned out to be a very pleasant place. It's built around a sizeable central plaza with a lovely church on one side, shops and restaurants on the others. The church has a striking image of the Virgin stretched across the entire ceiling of the church. It reminded me of images of the sky-goddess Nut that the ancient Egyptians painted on the ceilings of tombs.

We spent one day just hanging out by the water, and a second on a festive beach-and-snorkling boat tour. Huatulco is  definitely a slice of paradise, with broad white sand beaches, clear blue water that was just the right temperature, palapas for shade, and beautiful views.

Sand, sea and a palapa for shade in Huatulco

Friends had told us not to miss the Central Aquarium of the Mexican Tourist Center in Mazunte. Huatulco seems to be a major ecological success story. Much of the economy used to be based on the over-exploitation of the sea turtles that come to the beaches of Mazunte to lay their eggs. Today the economy thrives on the eco-tourists who come to enjoy the region's natural beauty and the now-protected turtles.  As of 2005, Huatulco became the first touristic community in the Americas to win certification by Green Globe 21as a community devoted to protecting its environment. The aquarium is a center for the study and protection of the region's environment and wildlife, including many species of land and sea turtles.

We were guided through the aquarium by an engaging young biologist who could not have been more excited by her work studying and protecting the turtles. And the turtles themselves were fascinating.

A sea turtle glides by

Huatulco offers many attractions that we didn't have time to try--more beaches (including Zipolite, a nudist beach), windsurfing, sport fishing, rock climbing, horseback riding, and tours inland to cascades and coffee farms. Even so, our brief dip into Huatulco was well worth the winding, seven-hour bus trip from Oaxaca.

Click here to order your copy of Viva Oaxaca.

Click here to return to What's happening in and around Oaxaca

Click here to return to Contents.

Click here to return to Viva Oaxaca home page.