Things to do in Bahías De Huatulco
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Beaches
Huatulco's beaches are sandy with clear waters (though boats and jet skis leave an oily film here and there). Like the rest of Mexico, all beaches are under federal control, and anyone can use them - even when hotels appear to treat them as private property. Some have coral offshore and excellent snorkeling, though visibility can be poor in the rainy season.
Lanchas will whisk you out to most of the beaches from Santa Cruz Huatulco harbor any time between 08:00 and 17:00, and they'll return to collect you by dusk. Taxis can get you to most beaches for less money, but a boat ride is more fun. Round-trip lancha rates for up to 10 people from Santa Cruz: Playa La Entrega aro…
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Parque Nacional Huatulco
The Parque Nacional Huatulco protects 119 sq km of land, sea and shoreline west of Santa Cruz Huatulco, including some of Huatulco's most important coral reefs, which in the past have suffered some damage from fishing and touristic activities. Few visitors enter the national park except on guided or escorted trips, and the fee for entry to the land zone is normally taken care of by your tour operator: otherwise you can pay it from 09:00 to noon, Monday to Saturday, at the national park office.
The fee for the marine zone is collected at Santa Cruz harbor, along with another fee to enter the harbor itself. Use of non-biodegradable suntan lotions or sunscreen is prohibited …
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Playa La Entrega
Playa La Entrega lies toward the outer edge of Bahía de Santa Cruz, a five-minute lancha trip or 2.5km by paved road from Santa Cruz. This 300m beach, backed by a line of seafood palapas, can get crowded, but it has calm water and good snorkeling on a coral plate from which boats are cordoned off - although the coral is in danger of being smothered in silt churned up by the cruise ships entering the bay.
'La Entrega' means 'The Delivery': here in 1831, Mexican independence hero Vicente Guerrero was handed over to his enemies by a Genoese sea captain. Guerrero was taken to Cuilapan near Oaxaca and shot.
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Hurricane Divers
The very professional international crew at Hurricane Divers speak English, Spanish, Dutch and German, and offer a variety of courses and dives. This is one of Mexico’s few PADI 5-Star Dive Resorts. Options include two-tank dives (M$1235), night dives (M$910) and the Introduction to Scuba Diving (M$1755 for about six hours over two days). But Hurricane’s most popular outing is a full-day excursion for M$1560 per person (minimum two people) with snorkeling and a picnic lunch. Prices above are based on two-person outings, though larger groups have discounted rates.
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Bahía Maguey
Some of the western bays are accessible by road; at times groups of young men congregate in the bays' parking lots, offering to 'watch your car' and touting for the beach restaurants. A 1.5km paved road diverges to Bahía Maguey from the road to La Entrega, about half a kilometer out of Santa Cruz. Maguey's fine 400m beach curves around a calm bay between forested headlands. It has a line of seafood palapas. There's good snorkeling around the rocks at the left (east) side of the bay.
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Bahía San Agustín
If you head 1.7km west of the airport to a crossroads on Hwy 200, then 13km south down a dirt road, fording a river after 9km, you'll reach Bahía San Agustín. The beach is long and sandy, with a long line of palapa comedores, some with hammocks for rent overnight. It's popular with Mexicans on weekends and holidays, but quiet at other times. Usually the waters are calm and the snorkeling is particularly good here (some of the comedores rent out equipment).
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Rancho Tangolunda
The well-established Rancho Tangolunda not only takes you rafting on the Copalita but also offers river and sea kayaking, horseback riding, climbing, rappelling, a 300m zip-line, walking and biking tours, canyoneering and bird-watching. Most activities cost M$250 to M$500 per person, though the more challenging rafting and kayaking options are M$600 to M$700. The rancho is about 1km inland near the Río Copalita at the east end of the Bahías de Huatulco area.
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National Park Office
Few visitors enter Parque Nacional Huatulco except on guided or escorted trips, and the paying of the $20 fee for entry to the land zone is normally taken care of by your tour operator: otherwise you can pay it from 09:00 to noon, Monday to Saturday, at the national park office. The $21 fee for the marine zone is collected at Santa Cruz harbor, along with a $5 fee to enter the harbor itself. Use of non-biodegradable suntan lotions or sunscreen is prohibited within the national park.
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Bahía Cacaluta
Bahía Cacaluta is about 1km long and protected by an island, though there can be undertow. Snorkeling is best around the island. Behind the beach is a lagoon with bird life. The road to Cacaluta (which branches off just above the parking lot for Maguey) is paved except for the last 1.5km, but it can be a long, hot walk from the pavement's end, and there are no services at the beach itself. A lancha from Santa Cruz Huatulco is a much more pleasant way to get there.
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Centro de Buceo Sotavento
La Crucecita ( [tel] 587-21-66; Local 18, Plaza Oaxaca Mall, Plaza Principal; [hrs] 9am-9pm); Tangolunda ( [tel] 581-00-51; Local 6, Plaza Las Conchas; [hrs] 10am-5pm Mon-Sat) is a friendly local company offering a range of options from a four-hour introduction (M$975) to full certification (five days; M$3850) to specialty night dives (M$4550). One-/two-tank dives are M$715/975. Sotavento also does four-hour snorkeling trips for M$260 per person (minimum two people).
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Diving
The Huatulco bays have 13 main dive areas, with a good variety of fish and corals, as well as dolphins and sea turtles. This is a good place to learn to dive, with warm waters, fascinating marine scenery, no serious currents and calm conditions almost year-round. There's a decompression chamber in the local navy hospital. Two companies will take you diving and offer instruction.
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La Bohème
La Bohème has some of the highest prices in Huatulco but also some of the best food. The French owner-chef prepares almost exclusively French fare, from snails, mussels or duck foie gras to the rich coq au vin and yummy crepes and profiteroles. Add the elegant setting, friendly welcome and good service, and you'll be glad you found its slightly out-of-the-way location.
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Snorkeling
You can rent snorkeling gear, including a life jacket, at Santa Cruz harbor. The best snorkeling is generally on the coral plates at Playa La Entrega and Bahías Cacaluta and San Agustín. You can either hire a lancha to take you to snorkel sites or take a tour with outfits such as those listed below.
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Restaurante Onix
Definitely the finest eating in La Crucecita, this airy upstairs eatery overlooking the Plaza Principal offers very well prepared Mexican and European dishes. Try the mussels with ham and cheese or the sopa de tortilla, followed by steak or tuna al chipotle (in a fermented-chili sauce).
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Bahía El Órgano
Bahía El Órgano, just east of Maguey, has a 250m beach. You can reach it by a narrow 10-minute footpath that heads into the trees halfway along the Santa Cruz−Maguey road. El Órgano has calm waters that are good for snorkeling, but it lacks comedores.
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Terra-Cotta
Popular, American-run Terra-Cotta has sidewalk tables as well as a soothing air-con interior. Good service complements the excellent food: breakfasts, shrimp, steaks, antojitos, waffles, baguettes and ice cream all go down easy. Breakfast coffee comes with free refills.
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L’échalote
The French-Swiss chef prepares very tasty French, Southeast Asian, Oaxacan and other dishes. The Thai salad with prawns and bean sprouts is delicious. Main dishes include fish, steaks and the house-specialty fondues, and the desserts aren’t too shabby either.
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Restaurant La Crucecita
This inexpensive open-air spot, a block from the Plaza Principal, is dependable for fish, chicken and Oaxacan dishes. There’s an economical M$40 menú del día. Early in the day, watch the chef prepare serious quantities of salsa roja.
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La Crema
Spacious but dark, this quirky, rock-themed den boasts loud tunes, the best cocktail list in town and delicious wood-oven pizza. The hard-partying university students knock ’em back while eyeing the action from a perch overlooking the Plaza Principal.
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La Bocana
Two to 3km east of Playa Conejos, the road runs down to the coast again at La Bocana, at the mouth of the Río Copalita, where you'll find surfable waves and a couple of seafood comedores. Another long beach stretches to the east.
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El Patio
An appealing garden patio with tables out the back. The breakfasts are good deals; the rest of the day you’re offered the usual range of seafood, chicken dishes and Oaxacan specialties, as well as a full selection of alcoholic drinks.
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Iguana Bar
Beneath the classy Restaurante Onix, Iguana is a sound bet for reasonably priced breakfasts and tacos and other Mexican standards. On weekends and during high season, it’s also a good place to catch guitar-strummin’ troubadors.
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Centro de Buceo Sotavento, Tangolunda
This friendly local company offers a range of options from a four-hour introduction to full certification (five days) or specialty night dives (around $750). Sotavento also does four-hour snorkeling trips (minimum two people).
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Bahía Chahué
A paved road runs to the eastern bays from La Crucecita and Santa Cruz, continuing eventually to Hwy 200. Bahía Chahué has a good beach (though the surf can be surprisingly strong) and a marina at its east end.
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Rancho Caballo de Mar
Rancho Caballo de Mar, based at Playa Punta Arena, conducts 3½-hour beach and forest rides for around M$350 (reservations are advisable; riding experience isn’t necessary). English and French are spoken.
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