Cacaluta beach in Huatulko, Oaxaca, Mexico.

© javarman3/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Bahía Cacaluta

Bahías de Huatulco


Cacaluta is a 1km-long slice of paradise that's protected by an island, backed by dunes and usually deliciously deserted. The Mexican road-trip movie Y Tú Mamá También was famously filmed there. Swimming is possible, although there can be undertow. Snorkeling is best around the island. There are no services at the beach, so bring plenty of water. A paved road off Hwy 200 leads to a 2.5km trail to the beach.

Alternatively, you can reach the beach by motorboat (M$2000 per boat) departing from Santa Cruz harbor.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Bahías de Huatulco attractions

1. Bahía Maguey

0.92 MILES

Three kilometers west of Santa Cruz and easily walkable along a roadside pavement, Maguey’s fine 400m beach curves around a calm bay between forested…

2. Bahía El Órgano

1.47 MILES

Just east of Bahía Maguey, this lush 250m beach has calm waters good for snorkeling, and no crowds because there's no vehicle access and no restaurants…

3. Bahía Chachacual

2.49 MILES

Inaccessible by land, Chachacual has two beaches: the easterly Playa La India is one of Huatulco’s most beautiful scimitars of sand and one of the area’s…

4. Playa La Entrega

2.6 MILES

La Entrega lies toward the outer edge of Bahía de Santa Cruz, a five-minute motorboat trip or 2.5km walk/drive along a bendy road from Santa Cruz. This…

5. Playa Santa Cruz

2.85 MILES

Santa Cruz Huatulco's small beach is easily accessible but often crowded, and its looks are marred by the cruise-ship pier – especially when one of the…

6. Corredor Turístico

3.06 MILES

One of Huatulco's more recent developments is a wide terraced walkway that leads from Crucecita to the Santa Cruz harbor. The path then carries on west…

8. Bahía Chahué

3.6 MILES

The beach here, 1km east of Santa Cruz Huatulco, is wide with soft sand, but offers little in the way of shade, plus the surf can be surprisingly strong…