Meagan Drillinger
The Mexican state of Oaxaca, and Huatulco in particular, is poised to become the next popular sunny destination with U.S. visitors.
The Pacific beaches of Oaxaca are considered to be some of the best in the country and are already very popular with Mexican travelers. But they tend to be overlooked by U.S. tourists in favor of places like Cancun and Puerto Vallarta.
Huatulco, about 300 miles down the coast from Acapulco, consists of 36 beaches spread across nine bays; only two of the beaches are developed.
“Huatulco has around 3,000 hotel rooms, and there are interesting projects to expand [that count],” said Rodrigo Esponda, the Mexico Tourism Board’s regional director for North America. “The bays of Huatulco are perfectly preserved and probably the best in terms of natural preservation. It has been granted Green Globe certification, as well.”
In the 1980s, the Mexican government started developing the area’s main resort, and in 1988 the Bahias de Huatulco (the bays) were declared a national park and protected reserve. Today there is a solid tourism infrastructure with hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, golf courses and a small urban zone called La Crucecita.
“Huatulco is on the rise,” said Apple Vacations president Tim Mullen. “There already exists a new Secrets resort and a renovated Dreams resort there. We are seeing and hearing that other hotel chains are looking to develop, as well.”
Among those chains is Karisma Hotels & Resorts, which announced in December that it would be opening an all-inclusive property in Huatulco in 2017.
“The infrastructure is there, and it’s all ready to go,” Mullen said. “There are strong tailwinds for hotel developments, and after that airlines will follow and apply the necessary lift.”
A trip around Huatulco’s nine bays by motorboat is a must-do activity. The trip takes around three hours and provides a perfect snapshot of everything the area has to offer. The bays are calm and perfect for swimming, snorkeling, Jet-Skiing, windsurfing and sailing. Divers and snorkelers will also appreciate the clarity of the waters there.
For the best watersports activities, consider Santa Cruz and Tangolunda bays. Santa Cruz has a popular square lined with stalls, a handicrafts market, restaurants, bars and discos. Tangolunda is the main hotel zone.
For some solitude, try Conejos Bay, one of the least developed parts of Huatulco and the best place for undisturbed sunbathing and horseback riding on the beach.
A trip to Maguey Bay will reveal wonderful gastronomic delights, including seafood, Oaxacan cheese, tasajo (beef), tlayuda (a baked tortilla covered with toppings), fried grasshoppers, mole and, of course, mezcal. Enjoy all of these from the various beachside palapas that dot the shore.
Getting there: Huatulco is a 50-minute flight from Mexico City into the Bahias de Huatulco Airport. It is also possible to drive the 140 miles from the city of Oaxaca, but that route involves traversing a winding mountain round.