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Bahías de Huatulco

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.

The softly, softly approach means that Huatulco appeals to a broad cross-section of travelers who come here to appreciate what has always been the region's raison d’être: world-class beaches nestled in sheltered coves backed by broccoli-colored forest.

Explore Bahías de Huatulco

P
Playa Salchi
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
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…
H
Hagia Sofia
One of Huatulco’s loveliest and most interesting day trips, this ‘agro-ecotourism’ operation includes a large organic fruit orchard and a gorgeous 500m…
B
Bahía Conejos
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…
B
Bahía Cacaluta
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…
B
Bahía Chachacual
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…
B
Bahía Maguey
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…
Playa La Entrega
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…
P
Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita
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…

P
Playa Salchi
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
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…
H
Hagia Sofia
One of Huatulco’s loveliest and most interesting day trips, this ‘agro-ecotourism’ operation includes a large organic fruit orchard and a gorgeous 500m…
B
Bahía Conejos
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…
B
Bahía Cacaluta
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…
B
Bahía Chachacual
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…
B
Bahía Maguey
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…
Playa La Entrega
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…
P
Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita
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…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Bahías de Huatulco.

See
Playa Salchi
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…
See
Bahía San Agustín
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…
See
Hagia Sofia
One of Huatulco’s loveliest and most interesting day trips, this ‘agro-ecotourism’ operation includes a large organic fruit orchard and a gorgeous 500m…
See
Bahía Conejos
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…
See
Bahía Cacaluta
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…
See
Bahía Chachacual
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…
See
Bahía Maguey
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…
See
Playa La Entrega
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…
See
Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita
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…

Guidebooks

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