Bahías de Huatulco

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Overview

Huatulco is an interesting experiment in resort development. Until the mid-1980s, this thickly forested slice of Pacific coast hosted nothing more than a few hard-to-reach fishing villages. Then along came government-funded tourist agency, Fonatur, with a mandate to develop the region’s nine ruggedly handsome bays for tourism. But Cancún this isn’t. Huatulco’s development has followed a more ecological bent. Big hotels are spread-out, low-rise and relatively low-key; tracts of virgin forest have been protected in a national park; and the area’s unobtrusive infrastructure doesn’t really feel like a resort at all. Indeed, the main settlement Crucecita (which houses the coast’s original inhabitants) could pass off as any authentic Mexican town with its church, park and street stalls.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Playa Salchi

Bahías de Huatulco

Halfway between the western edge of Parque Nacional Huatulco and Puerto Ángel awaits some of the most precious coastline in Oaxaca. The water can be…

Bahía San Agustín

Bahías de Huatulco

This long, sandy beach, 14km west of Santa Cruz Huatulco, is backed by a fishing village, and in contrast to Huatulco's other settlements, there's…

Playa La Entrega

Bahías de Huatulco

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…

Aerial view of Conejo Bay at Santa Maria Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico.

Bahía Conejos

Bahías de Huatulco

The oddly named 'rabbit bay,' 3km east of Tangolunda, has a long main beach divided by a small rocky outcrop into the western Playa Arenas and the eastern…

Cacaluta beach in Huatulko, Oaxaca, Mexico.

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…

Playa El Maguey, Santa Maria Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico.

Bahía Maguey

Bahías de Huatulco

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…

Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita

Bahías de Huatulco

Granted, it's no Monte Albán, but this pre-Hispanic site 600m north of La Bocana village is your only true glimpse of history in made-in-the-1980s…

Hagia Sofia

Bahías de Huatulco

One of Huatulco’s loveliest and most interesting day trips, this ‘agro-ecotourism’ operation includes a large organic fruit orchard and a gorgeous 500m…

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