From Wikitravel

Huatulco is a region of bays in Oaxaca. Huatulco is 6 hours from Mexico City.

Huatulco (proncounced 'Wha-Tool-Koh' is a resort area also known as the "Bahías de Huatulco" (the Bays of Huatulco), centered around the town of La Crucecita and the resort area of Santa Cruz.

It is a Fonatur designated('Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo'the same group who designed Cancun and Ixtapa, among others)tourist destination in Mexico. It is located on the Pacific coast of the far southern state of Oaxaca.

Huatulco's tourism industry is centered around its nine bays. Huatulco has a wide variety of accommodations to suit just about all budgets. From rooms for rent, small economy hotels, vacation condominiums and villas, along with several luxury (All Inclusive) resorts standing on the shores of Tangolunda Bay. The Las Brisas, the Gala,the Barceló and the Crown Pacific are examples of the most popular larger resorts in the area.

Huatulco has nine bays with thirty-six beaches, many of which are pristine, undeveloped, and accessible only by boat. With the help of local guides and businesses, one can explore the beaches and bays in relative privacy, or dive (talk to Roberto at local dive shop located in Santa Cruz, Hurricane Divers)or snorkel to see tropical fish and coral.

In addition to the beaches, one can explore and shop in the small communities of the Huatulco area, such as Santa Cruz, La Crucecita, or old Santa Maria Huatulco (the district's municipality and origninal namesake).

When doing so, one can travel between the communities by bus or taxi. The entire area has a "small town" feel about it and is rarely crowded with tourists with the exception of the Christmas and Semana Santa (Easter)holiday periods.

About 80% of all tourism in Huatulco is domestic in nature. Only about 20% of Huatulco's tourism is foreign, mainly because international air access is limited to occasional flights from Mexico City, Chicago or Houston. Huatulco has a small but very attractive international airport just 20 minutes from the main resorts in Tangolunda Bay. The peak season for foreign tourism is typically from December to April.

Since May 2006, British tourists have started traveling to Huatulco on direct flights from Manchester Airport operated by First Choice Airways There are also direct charter flights available from Chicago and Denver in certain months of the year, and from the cities of Vancouver, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Toronto in Canada, during the winter months.

Huatulco, Santa Cruz, and La Crucecita, are located in an "ecological zone"; much of the area is protected from future development, and the area is serviced by modern water and sewage systems so that no waste goes into its pristine bays. Huatulco has been awarded the Green Globe certification, the only resort in Mexico to receive this prestigious award (Green Globe is the worldwide benchmarking and certification system for the travel and tourism industry across the triple bottom line of economic, social and environmental management).

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HUX airport has connections from Mexico City and Oaxaca (turboprop). There is also a daily flight on Aeortucan from Huatulco to Puerto Escondido. Also there are numerous charter flights in the winter months from major cities in the US and Canada, and the number of charter flights is growing every year as Huatulco grows in popularity.

Buses from Oaxaca run daily and overnight and take around 8 hours.

The airpport is small but very pretty, with large, open air palapa buildings. It is approximately a 25 minute drive to the areas of Tangolunda, Santa Cruz and La Crucecita, where the majority of the hotels are located.

If you have a air/hotel package, your bus transfer may be included; if not, you can either take a cab from the airport or purchase a ticket (one way or return) on a shuttle at a stand in the airport arrivals area, or prearraged shuttle transport. Taxis from the airport are priced higher than other taxis in the area, so be prepared-or you can walk a short way out to the main road and catch a non-airport taxi, or even a local bus (but the latter will not have room for your baggage, so that is best if you are traveling light).

If you have a farther distance to travel (Puerto Escondido, Puerto Angel, San Augustinillo, etc.) then you may want to take a taxi to the bus station in La Crucecita and take a first class bus from there.

When exiting the airport, and in certain places around town, as in most Mexican resort destinations- watch for the timeshare sharks! If someone is excitedly trying to attract your attention, there is a good possibility they are trying to snare you into a timeshare sales pitch.

A polite but firm "No, gracias." said with a smile should suffice; of course if you are interested in purchasing a timeshare, chat away! There are far fewer of these in the Huatulco area compared to other places, though.

You could also arrive by cruise ship, as Santa Cruz Bay has a dock for cruise ships, and you may spot one in port some days.

[edit] Get around

The area is extremely easy to get around. 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. If you do prefer to rent a car, Budget, Avis, and Advantage are companies located there, among others. It is best to reserve a car in advance to get the best rates. It is best to agree on a price before getting into a taxi. Locals do not tip taxi drivers, although tourists may be expected to. There are some signs around which have posted prices to certain beaches or towns. Another option is to rent a driver for the day if you want to go farther afield, to Puerto Escondido for example.

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Activities, Restaurants, news and eventsHuatulco Hotels Hotels in Huatulco

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