Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Huatulco is a string of nine sheltered bays on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, backed by tropical dry forest and the Sierra Madre del Sur. Calm water, white sand and a relaxed pace make it a favourite with Mexican families, while foreign visitors come mostly in the dry winter months.
Santa Cruz Bay
Playa La Entrega
Bahía Maguey
Bahía Órgano and Cacaluta
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Huatulco was planned as a resort area, and it shows in a good way. Large parts of the coast are protected, so beaches sit beside forest instead of high-rise blocks.
It is also a very easy place to relax. The water in most bays is calm, boat trips are simple to arrange, and the town of La Crucecita feels like a real Mexican community rather than a resort enclave.
The most central bay holds the marina, the cruise pier, a small beach and the departure point for most boat tours.
Santa Cruz Bay is the main hub for boat trips and the cruise pier. Photo: Arturo Alcalá Hernández, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
This small beach is one of the most popular spots for swimming and snorkelling, with beach palapas serving fresh seafood. It can be reached by road or boat.
Playa La Entrega is a sheltered beach reached by road and by boat. Photo: ProtoplasmaKid, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Maguey is a gentle, curved bay inside the national park that is accessible by car, making it an easy family beach. Restaurants line the sand, and the water is usually calm.
Bahía Maguey is a calm bay inside Huatulco National Park that can be reached by car. Photo: Wavehunter, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
These quiet bays are reached by boat or hiking trail and have almost no buildings. Bahía Órgano is named after the organ pipe cacti growing nearby, and Cacaluta has no human construction at all.
Bahía Órgano is a small bay named after the organ pipe cacti that grow there. Photo: Danielllerandi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The westernmost and largest bay has a long beach, small islets and a laid-back village feel. You can arrive by boat or take the road from the junction near the airport.
San Agustín is the westernmost and largest of the Huatulco bays. Photo: Yuratan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Shared boats leave Santa Cruz for day trips that stop at several bays, giving you time to swim and snorkel. Wildlife such as dolphins and turtles is sometimes seen, though sightings are never guaranteed.
The main town centres on a shady zócalo ringed by restaurants, bars and souvenir shops. In the evening families gather, and the atmosphere becomes lively.
La Crucecita is the main town centre of the Huatulco resort area. Photo: Wavehunter, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
This is the main resort area, with the larger hotels and several quiet beaches such as Manzanillo and Rincón Sabroso.
Tangolunda Bay is the area where most large resorts are found. Photo: Gzzz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
East of Santa Cruz, Chahué has a marina and wide beaches with moderate surf, so they are less crowded than the central bays. It makes a good quiet alternative on busy holiday weekends.
About ten kilometres from the bays, this 2,500-year-old archaeological site stands near the border of old Zapotec and Mixtec lands.
Before the resorts arrived, Huatulco was known mostly as a coffee-growing area. Several fincas in the foothills still offer tours, including Finca La Gloria, which has a butterfly sanctuary and a waterfall, and Finca El Pacífico, known for organic Pluma Hidalgo coffee.
The original inland town is the municipal seat and feels far from the beach scene. It is a calm place to see everyday life and have a simple meal before returning to the coast.
Huatulco combines Pacific seafood with the classic dishes of Oaxaca. Try a tlayuda, a large crisp tortilla layered with beans, cheese and toppings, or order mole negro, the dark, complex sauce that is the state's most famous dish.
For seafood, head to the beach palapas at La Entrega and Maguey, where fish, shrimp and octopus come straight from the grill. In La Crucecita, the streets around the zócalo have many restaurants, and local coffee is worth buying to take home.
Popular dishes to try in Huatulco
La Crucecita suits independent travellers who want restaurants, shops and a real town atmosphere.
Santa Cruz suits first-time visitors who want a short walk to the marina, the beach and boat tours.
Tangolunda suits families and couples who prefer larger resorts with direct beach access and a quieter, planned setting. Most all-inclusive properties are found here.
Chahué suits travellers who want a relaxed middle ground, with a marina, wider beaches and easy access to both the town and the resort bays.
Where to stay in Huatulco
The dry season runs from December to May, with sunshine on most days and an average temperature near 28 degrees Celsius. December to April is the peak season for foreign visitors, and prices and crowds rise around Christmas and Semana Santa, the Easter holiday week.
From June to November the rains turn the forest brilliantly green and the beaches are quiet, though showers are common and boat conditions can change.
Bahías de Huatulco International Airport is small and open-air, roughly 10 to 20 minutes from La Crucecita and the resort areas. It receives flights from Mexico City and Oaxaca, and seasonal charter flights arrive from the United States and Canada in winter.
Once you arrive, a car is not essential. Taxis are plentiful and color-coded by home base, blue and white local buses connect La Crucecita with Santa Cruz and Santa María Huatulco, and shared taxis run on set routes. Boats take you to remote beaches.
Settle into La Crucecita, walk through the zócalo and then take the short trip to Santa Cruz Bay for sunset by the marina and dinner on the waterfront.
Join a shared boat trip through the national park, with stops at several bays for swimming and snorkelling.
Visit the Copalita archaeological site in the morning, then travel inland to a coffee finca.
Keep the last day for Maguey or San Agustín, or take a bus east along the coast to Mazunte and Zipolite if you want more of the coast.
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