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Tourist development in Mexico
Photo: Kognos, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Bahías de Huatulco (pronounced Wha-TOOL-Co), is a destination resort area on Mexico's Pacific Coast in its most southern state of Oaxaca. More commonly known to outsiders as just Huatulco, the area is locally referred to as "Bahias" to distinguish it from the original, further-inland town of Santa María Huatulco. Huatulco's tourism industry is centered around its nine bays, four of which have been designated as ecological preserves where no development is permitted. The bays of Huatulco and adjacent dry tropical forest are a designated UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Because of the sheltered nature of Huatulco's bays, its white sand beaches are a great place for wading or swimming in calm waters, and it's also the main place along the Oaxaca coast for snorkeling, though most of the coral died in the marine heat wave of 2023.
Casual palapa-style restaurant serving Mexican seafood. Lots of shrimp and fish options as well as octopus and shellfish. Beverages limited to beer and soda. Diners who want a cocktail should find different restaurants.
Popular buffet restaurant serving breakfast every day and dinner on Sundays only. The food is traditional Mexican cuisine with some splashes of regional Oaxacan flavor. A variety of fresh squeezed juices is available. Great value for the price.
Clean, classy, comfortable restaurant serving Italian and regional Mexican dishes. Ample portions and friendly service. Full bar with large cocktails.
Casual beachside seafood restaurant, next to the cruise ship pier. Fish and chips is the most popular dish, made from locally caught mahi-mahi.
Eclectic Asian cafe serving curries, grilled octopus and Thai inspired entrees. Outdoor sidewalk dining available.
Inviting beachside restaurant serving grilled seafood and steaks. Good ambiance with strolling musicians. Close to cruise ship pier.
By far the cheapest place for a solo traveler to stay, with a nine-bed shared dorm, kitchen, and rooftop with hammocks. The dorm is air conditioned at night when at least half occupied. The hostel can get too hot to hang out at during the day, but that doesn't matter if you're at the beach all day anyway. Fairly basic as backpacker hostels go, but clean and well-maintained. Located near the Crucecita town center and next to the tourist path to Santa Cruz (25-minute walk).
It offers 29 air-conditioned rooms, all of which have cable television, Internet connection, mini-bar, and electronic locks and safe. Some of its amenities include Chahué Beach Club, swimming pool, fitness gym, and free airport transfer via bus.
Flamboyant Hotel is in front of a park in La Crucecita, Huatulco. It is 5 minutes from the beach, 20 minutes from Huatulco Airport, and a few blocks from the ADO bus terminal and Columbus. The rooms are adorned with traditional Mexican motifs and boast cozy beddings. They are equipped with air-conditioning, a private toilet and bath, cable television, and telephone. You can also lounge at own balcony/ deck, and breathe in the air coming from the bays of Huatulco.
Luxurious ocean-front villa with exclusive beach, 4 suites + 5 baths (sleeps 2-10). At 930 m2 (10,000 square feet) Quinta Alegria will easily accommodate up to ten adults very comfortably. Included in the rate is a continental breakfast and daily maid service. Laundry service is also available. Quinta Alegria has consistently been selected as the premiere location for destination weddings in Huatulco. (No smoking is permitted in the enclosed areas of this villa. Smoking is however permitted outdoors.)
Vacation rental option with the zocalo of La Crucecita and the playa of Chahue not far away.
An oceanview Bed and Breakfast exclusively for adults. It is a 3-minute drive from the 5-star hotel zone and 8-10 minutes from Chahue, Santa Cruz and la Crucecita where there are several excellent restaurants. The villa is a 3-minute walk to a sheltered sandy cove which is perfect for swimming and a 10-minute walk to another long, virgin beach. The villa was designed as a B&B with six guestrooms cascading down the side of a hill. Each room has a queen size bed with a top quality mattress, private bathroom, A/C and fan, and spacious ocean view terraza. The two-tiered pool is set in a lush tropical garden. Canadian hosts live on site year round and are available to recommend beaches, tours and restaurants. The entire villa is non-smoking and a continental breakfast is included. Reservations required.
By air
The Huatulco International Airport is small but very pretty with its large open air palapa buildings.
By bus
Buses from Oaxaca City have historically run daily and overnight and taken around 8 hours. This may have changed since the opening of the new Oaxaca-Puerto Escondido freeway in February 2024.
By colectivo
There are at least three shared van services traveling from Oaxaca city to either Huatulco or Pochutla, not far west of Huatulco (from which you can get other transport to your destination).
By boat
You could also visit by cruise ship, as Santa Cruz Bay has a pier for cruise ships. Cruises marketed as Mexican Riviera and Panama Canal often include Huatulco as a port of call.
By taxi
Taxis are the most transport method for visitors, and the area is extremely easy to get around if you can afford paying M$35-100 for a ride (depending on how far you're going).
By local bus
Huatulco has a system of local public buses (called "camiones", not "autobuses") painted blue and white.
By boat
Small boats ("lanchas") and catamarans are available for hire to take you just about anywhere in the area, generally for prices in the thousands of pesos for a whole boat.
By rental car
Renting a car is not necessary as cabs are plentiful and fairly cheap, and where the shopping, restaurants, hotels and many beaches are concentrated is not a huge area.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Huatulco · International · HUX
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