Sights in Oaxaca Coast
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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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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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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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Playa Zicatella
Long, straight Zicatela is Puerto's happening beach, with enticing cafés, restaurants and accommodations as well as the waves of the legendary 'Mexican Pipeline,' which test the mettle of experienced surfers from far and wide. Nonsurfers beware: the Zicatela waters have a lethal undertow and are definitely not safe for the boardless. Lifeguards rescue several careless people most months (their base, the Cuartel Salvavidas, is in front of Restaurante El Jardín).
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Bahía Principal
The central beach is long enough to accommodate restaurants at its west end, a fishing fleet in its center (Playa Principal), and sun worshipers and young body-boarders at its east end (called Playa Marinero). Pelicans wing in inches above the waves, boats bob on the swell, and a few hawkers wander up and down. The smelly water sometimes entering the bay from inaptly named Laguna Agua Dulce will put you off dipping away from Playa Marinero.
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Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga
The much-visited Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga is a turtle aquarium and research center containing specimens of all seven of Mexico’s marine turtle species. They’re on view in fairly large tanks – it’s enthralling to get a close-up view of these creatures, some of which are BIG! Visits are guided (in Spanish) and start every 10 to 15 minutes, although the management is considering introducing nonguided tours.
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Bahía Puerto Angelito
The sheltered bay of Bahía Puerto Angelito, about 1km west of Bahía Principal (a 20- to 30-minute walk from El Adoquín), has two smallish beaches. The western one, Playa Angelito, has lots of comedores and is very busy with Mexican families at weekends and holidays. Playa Manzanillo, the eastern one, is inaccessible to vehicles but can still get crowded at weekends.
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Playa Estacahuite
About 500m up the road from Playa del Panteón toward Pochutla, a sign points along a path to Playa Estacahuite, 700m away. The three tiny, sandy bays here are good for snorkeling, but watch out for jellyfish. A couple of shack restaurants serve reasonably priced seafood and pasta, and rent snorkels.
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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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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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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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Playa Carrizalillo
Small Playa Carrizalillo is in a rocky cove reached by a stairway of about 170 steps. It's OK for swimming, snorkeling, body-boarding and surfing, and has a bar with a few palapas (thatched-roof shelters).
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Parque Ecológico Rufino Tamayo
The Parque Ecológico Rufino Tamayo on the edge of La Crucecita is a still rather wild city park, composed mainly of natural vegetation, with some paved paths and tile-roofed shelters with benches.
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Playa Santa Cruz
The small, accessible Playa Santa Cruz at Santa Cruz Huatulco is often crowded and its looks are somewhat marred by the cruise-ship pier. It has several beach restaurants.
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Playa Punta Arena
Three kilometers further east of Bahía Tangolunda is the long sweep of Playa Punta Arena, on Bahía Conejos, an almost virgin beach with sometimes strong surf.
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Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
La Crucecita’s modern church, the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, has an impressively large image of the Virgin painted on its ceiling.
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Playa del Panteón
Playa del Panteón, on the west side of the bay, is a small, shallow and calm beach, and its waters are cleaner than those near the pier across the bay.
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Playa La India
The easterly Playa La India is one of Huatulco's most beautiful beaches and one of the area's best places for snorkeling. No comedores here.
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Bahía Tangolunda
Bahía Tangolunda is the site of the major top-end hotel developments. The sea is sometimes rough here: heed the colored-flag safety system.
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Playa Conejos
Around a headland at the east end of Bahía Conejos is the more sheltered Playa Conejos, whose land access is only by a steep path.
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Bahía Chachacual
Bahía Chachacual, inaccessible by land, has a headland at each end and two beaches.
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