Puerto Escondido and Huatulco Travel

PUERTO ESCONDIDO AND HUATULCO: OAXACA PACIFIC COAST BEACHES

As much as we love living in Oaxaca City, the exciting and beautiful colonial city and capital of the state of Oaxaca, we often feel the draw of the wonderful Pacific coast beaches of Puerto Escondido and Bahias de Huatulco which are also located in the state of Oaxaca. As native born and life long residents of Southern California, it is difficult, if not completely impossible, to get the Pacific salt water out of our veins. The sand and sea of the long Pacific coastline of Mexico is one of the great attractions of living in Oaxaca.

Puerto Escondido and Bahias de Huatulco (generally called simply Huatulco) are both beautiful and wonderful beach areas and resorts. And yet they are very different from each other in style which is part of their great appeal. Puerto Escondido is pretty laid-back and funky while Huatulco is more sophisticated and polished. We enjoy spending time in both locales as it gives us a variety of beach experiences with the convenience of them being less than two hours driving time apart from each other.

PUERTO ESCONDIDO has long been prime territory for international surfers. Although it considers itself a resort, Puerto Escondido is still a fishing village. Its pedestrian walkways, crowded with open-air seafood restaurants, shops, and cafes is lively, but also incredibly relaxed. Puerto Escondido is divided into three sections, each attracting a different clientele. El Adoquin is the area that runs right through the center of the town. This area is most popular with Mexican families. You will find plenty of inexpensive shops, restaurants, and hotels along its four block. Calle Morro is the domain of foreign “young things” as this road parallels Playa Zicatela, the principal surfing beach which is internationally known for its two surfing championships in August and November. A lot of surf-side-shacks sell cold beer and casual food while there is wide variety of accommodations available right apposite the long beach.

Northwest of El Adoquin (“the downtown area”) overlooking the sea are the Carrizalillo, La Rinconada, and Bacocho neighborhoods. These are the least developed of the tourist areas and primarily residential, but with great access to gorgeous beaches, a few lovely hotels, and some of the best restaurants in the entire area. THIS IS OUR FAVORITE AREA WHEN VISITING PUERTO ESCONDIDO! Our favorite beaches in this area include: Playa Bacocho (home of Coco’s Beach Club which we really enjoy!), Playa Carrizalillo (great for swimming and surfing, but with 167 steep steps down and another 167 steps back up!), and Playa Manzanilla and Playa Puerto Angelito (both with swimming, snorkeling and thatch roofed beach- side restaurants). At the end of the post you will find good LINKS for finding listings of hotels, restaurants, activities, etc., etc. for Puerto Escondido

BAHIAS DE HUATULCO (HUATULCO) is very different from Puerto Escondido in its origin, development, and ambience but equally special and wonderful in its own unique way. With no roads to the outside world, the Bahias (Bays) of Huatulco remained virtually uninhabited and undeveloped until 1982 about the time the coastal Highway 200 was pushed through. Fonatur, Mexico’s government tourist development agency, then started the construction of the master planned resort and residential area of Huatulco. Great efforts have been taken to insure the development of the area in an ecologically sound and sensitive manner. In 2000, Huatulco became the first tourist community in the Americas and the third in the world to receive the “Green Globe International Certification” by The Green Globe 21 certification program. This program acknowledges the commitment of Huatulco to the highest environmental standards.

Tourist activities are concentrated in three areas: Santa Cruz, La Crucecita, and Tangolunda... The resort area comprises nine bays in all with 36 beaches and also several ecological preserves where you can find a variety of birds and reptiles. Not all of the bays have been developed and some are reachable only by boat. The following is a brief description of principal bays and their amenities:

BAHIA DE SANTA CRUZ: This bay is the most developed and easily accessible of the bays. It is also the cruise ship destination of the area. It has a lovely beach with many tourist attractions such wind surfing, jet skiing, and snorkeling. From this bay is possibly to take daily boat tours to other less developed bays. On the beach there are beach tents and specialty restaurants. Several deluxe hotels and travel-oriented businesses are located near this beach harbor.

BAHIA DE TANGOLUNDA: This bay with its five beautiful beaches is the area of luxury hotels (5 stars), upscale shopping areas, and a professional 18-hole golf course. There are also some residential areas.

BAHIA DE CHAHUE: The beautiful beaches of this bay are the location of tourist’s service including four-star hotels and restaurants serving Oaxacan, Mexican and international food. Its beaches offer an amazing tropical collage of vegetation and interesting rock formations. This bay has been the venue for several important rock concerts in order to support the preservation of the environment.

BAHIA DE ORGANO AND MAGUEY: These bays are side by side. Both beaches have fine white sand and are recommended for water sports, tranquility, and people watching.

BAHIA DE SAN AGUSTIN: This is the last of the nine bays and is located on the far west side. It is accessible only by dirt road or by boat from Santa Cruz Beach (which is preferable unless you have a sturdy four-wheel vehicle). Good snorkeling and funky beach seafood restaurants. One of Mother Laura’s favorites!

For a change of pace, an alternative to staying at one of the developed bay areas is to stay in LA CRUCECITA. La Crucecita (the cross) is the place in Huatulco which most closely resembles a real Mexican town. Its central plaza has a church whose interior is covered with naïve frescos and with a wonderful ceiling mural of Mexico’s patron, the Virgin of Guadalupe. The plaza is surrounded by open-air restaurants, cafes, and tourist shops. Nearby is the local Municipal Mercado which is great for a filling Mexican breakfast and for purchasing tourist trinkets such as T-shirts. Just behind the Mercado is a local mini-convenience market and behind it, a number of wonderful fruit stores with a wide selection of fresh produce There is even an enclosed and air-conditioned “mini-mall” with a movie cine complex. Taxis and collectivos (shared taxis) are abundant and reasonably priced for runs to the beaches and bays which are only about an eight minute drive away.

LA CRUCECITA is Mother Laura’s FAVORITE PLACE TO STAY IN HUATULCO for the following reason. After living for thirteen years in Mexico and other Latin countries, my husband and I prefer living a simpler, more Mexican way of life. The amenities of La Crucecita are terrific and the selection of hotels and food establishments satisfy our tastes completely. Huatulco is a wonderful and beautiful place to visit for anyone who loves gorgeous beaches and bays, nature, and the warm and welcoming personality of the Mexican people. And it has something or someplace for everyone!

The following are my favorite LINKS and PLACES for Puerto Escondido and Bahias de Huatulco. I hope you can visit either or both areas soon. I am sure you will have a wonderful experience. Please do not hesitate to leave any comments or questions you might have in the comments section under this blog. Nos vemos pronto! See you soon!

The greatest link for The Pacific Coast of Mexico including Puerto Escondido and Bahias de Huatulco is ‘TOMZAP” WHICH HAS IT ALL!

www.tomzap.com

www.tomzap.com/escondido

www.tomzap.com/huatulco

A local Oaxacan publication and website: www.oaxaca-mio.com

Mexconnect.com is a great site with expats writing about life in Mexico. This is the link to an article on Puerto Escondido by a fellow expat living in Oaxaca City:

http://www.mexconnect.com/en/articles/2852-puerto-escondido-mexico-s-hidden-oaxacan-beach

Another site for Puerto Escondido: http://www.puertoescondidoinfo.com/pebeaches.html

This site gives you a good idea of the accommodations available in any given place. Log on and enter either Puerto Escondido or Bahias de Huatulco in Mexico:

www.tripadviser.com

This site gives you bus information, routes, schedules, prices, and the ability to book, pay, and print out tickets for Mexico south of Mexico City (which includes Oaxaca and the beach areas). It’s what we use when we want to hit the road! TRAVEL BY FIRST CLASS BUS IF AT ALL POSSIBLE!

www.ticketbus.com.mx

We enjoy staying at one of the following hotels when we are in La Crucecita:

Hotel Flamboyant: www.flamboyanthotelhuatulco.com

Hotel Mision Arcos de Iris Hotel: www.misiondelosarcos.com

RESTAURANTS OF PUERTO ESCONDIDO (see tomzap.com above for details and locations):

La Galeria, Hotel Arco de Iris at Zicaleta Beach – ocean view and extensive menu

Restaurant Santa Fe (in Hotel Santa Fe) at Playa Marinero - excellent, reservations recommended. Highly recommended!

Las Tugas (formerly Seis Palmas) at Villas Carrizalillo, above Playa Carrizalillo - great food and sunsets. Highly recommended!

Sabor al Mar - Playa Marinero (in front of Hotel Santa Fe) – beachside seafood with nice service

Coco’s Beach Club at Playa Bococho (affiliated with Hotel Posada Real) – OUR FAVORITE BEACHSIDE VENUE – entrance fee includes palapas, huge pool, and a beach that goes on for ever! Food and drinks are extra.

Split Coconut at Hotel Jardin Real in Bococho – BBQ ribs, etc. at poolside.

Carmen’s Cafecito – Zicaleta Beach and also La Rinconada – great breakfasts, bakery, lunch, and dinner. Casual

RESTAURANTS IN HUATULCO: We eat predominantly in La Crucecita because we enjoy the casual ambience of the local restaurants and getting to meet and talk to the local owners. I regret that I don’t have the names and exact locations of all of our favorite, but that will be rectified the next time we head to the beach!

Restaurant at Mission de los Arcos Hotel – very friendly American owners, well prepared food, and pleasant service. My husband LOVES their hamburgers! I love their soaps and salads.

Sabor de Oaxaca – across from the Plaza – Learn the ABC's of Oaxacan cooking by trying one of the massive sampler plates! Yum!

Taqueria Bety - Great taco stand with delicious tacos al pastor (spicy pork, shaved off a spit – similar to the gyros in the Greek Islands!). There is also a sit-down Tacos al Pastor joint one-half block (on left side of street) off the SE corner of the plaza (can’t remember the name L)

There are many local family run comedors (casual restaurants) with great food and very reasonable prices. Just sit down and ask for the daily or nightly special and enjoy! I will be updating this list when we return from the beach. Until then…..

Buen provecho and enjoy your stay! Mother Laura