Huatulco

Overview

The designated tourist area of Huatulco, Mexico, is made up of several small towns on the Pacific coast—this might be part of the reason the resort destination maintains a small-town feel. The area's beaches and bays are also favoured by locals rather than the large groups of foreign tourists found in resort towns like Cancun.

Portions of Huatulco sit within an ecological preserve that received the Green Globe award for social and environmental management. Seasoned travellers will be surprised to be able to drink the tap water in the area. Visitors can relax and take in the splendid natural scenery without the feel of being overdeveloped. Naturally occurring swimming holes have been carved out by cascading waterfalls over long periods of time.

The area's lush jungle, numerous bays and proximity to the ocean makes a great location for outdoor activities and adventure tourism. Deep-sea sports fishing in the Pacific Ocean can be arranged, as well as fresh-water river rafting. Coral reefs and tropical fish are easily visible to scuba divers and snorkellers. Boats can also be hired to visit secluded beaches. Depending on the time of year and the weather, surfers are also able to catch Pacific waves.

The Huatulco region is easy to get around with chivalrous cab drivers happy to take visitors from town to town for a reasonable price (it is recommended to agree on the price before departure). Each of the small towns that make up the region have their own personality and charm. Drivers are also available for hire for a day to get out and see areas farther out including the coffee plantations that were the area's economic drivers before tourism picked up.

In contrast to the original beach-side huts of the original inhabitants of Huatulco, guests have a wide range of vacation properties spread out between the several small towns including La Crucecita, Santa Cruz, Chahue and Tangolunda. The spectrum begins with comfortable beach-side residences and reaches to large-scale all-inclusive resorts with sprawling amenities.

Huatulco's 36 beaches and nine bays spread across 22 miles of beach sitting at the base of the Sierra Madre Mountains and within walking distance of tropical jungles is generally enough draw to attract visitors from far and not so far. The favourite of Mexcian vacationers can now be your favourite, too, with seasonal service from WestJet.