Experiences and local guides in Huatulco

Nature

Huatulco gathers nine bays and 36 beaches protected by a national park on the Oaxaca coast, between the Sierra Madre del Sur and the Pacific. Coral reefs at La Entrega, San Agustín and Cacaluta, dry forest with deer and iguanas, the Copalita river coming down from the sierra with rapids and waterfalls, and high-altitude coffee farms at Pluma Hidalgo, an hour from the beaches.

Activities

• Boat trips around the bays with fishermen from the Santa Cruz cooperatives: snorkelling, pristine beaches and dolphins
• Diving and snorkelling at La Entrega, San Agustín and the Cacaluta reef, with local shops
• Rafting and kayaking on the Copalita river (class II and III), Copalita waterfalls and swimming holes
• Coffee farms at Pluma Hidalgo, the Copalitilla magic waterfalls, hiking in the national park
• Turtle releases, humpback whales from December to March, market and mezcal in La Crucecita

When to go

November to April is dry and sunny, with calm seas for snorkelling and whales in winter. May to October brings afternoon rain, a higher Copalita for rafting and fewer people; August and September are the wettest.

How to get there

Huatulco airport (HUX) is 20 minutes away, with flights from Mexico City (1 h 30), Monterrey, the USA and Canada. From Oaxaca, 6 hours by van over the sierra; from Puerto Escondido, 2 hours along the coast road. Boats to the bays leave from the Santa Cruz pier; La Crucecita is the base town with buses and taxis to every beach.