Huatulco is Mexico´s southernmost beach destination, located on the Pacific coast, in the State of Oaxaca, at the feet of the imposing Sierra Madre del Sur. The 9 bays with 36 beaches stretch out along 35 km of winding coastline.

Given the geographical location of the Bays of Huatulco, its spectacular topography includes high mountains, gentle slopes and hidden valleys, irrigated by the Coyula, San Agustin and Copalita rivers, which results in spectacular shades of emerald landscapes and nine azure bays and golden beaches.

The sub-tropical climate allows us to enjoy an average of 326 sunny days and only 40 days with rain per year, with an annual average temperature of 28º C, and average extreme temperatures of 18ºC in winter and 38ºC at the end of spring and in summer.

Huatulco is the 5th integrated resort developed by FONATUR and consists of a territory of 21,000 hectares, a strip of shoreline 35km long and 7 km wide.

Now you can rediscover in Huatulco all this and much more:

- The best restaurants with a gastronomy that pleases every taste and satisfies every craving.
- Fabulous hotels where you can chose from a comfortable family guest house in the center of La Crucecita, others of a unique Mexican colonial style in Santa Cruz or Chahué, to the internationally recognized first class and luxury establishments in Tangolunda.

Once upon a time there was a pirate who, with a passion, returned again and again to the Bays of Huatulco, taking away with him every time the most valuable things he could find. This pirate, Thomas Cavendish, left a fascinating legend, and of course he could never steal the Bays of Huatulco's beauty. The splendor of the Pacific ocean intertwines with the 36 beautiful beaches in nine bays of crystalline waters and caressing waves, where nature and man live together in harmony.

Coffee growing between mountains, orchids with the spray of a waterfall and melodies of exotic birds…. up there, where the paths are traversed with passion and eternal hope for a good harvest. Mountain paths which invite to a magic tour of coffee plantations, where a culturally mixed table overflowing with flavors and colors awaits its welcome guests.

After a day full of adventure, where the sun and the sea were the only clothes, to submerge into tranquility, comfort and ready smiles will be the best preparation to recover energy for a new adventure in one of the many Gardens of Eden which are waiting impatiently to be discovered. Strolling through the quaint village of La Crucecita, you admire the colorful Oaxacan handicrafts and enjoy the exotic local specialties, and don't forget to taste a cup of the famous Pluma coffee at the Café Santa Cruz, located at the Santa Cruz park's band stand.

History

Archeological research of the region tells us that when the Mexicas (or Aztecs) came to this place, they called it "Cuauhtolco", which means "place where the wood/timber is venerated", and over time that converted to "Huatulco".

At the beginning of the Spanish colonization, Huatulco was an important commercial port, which provoked some pirates, in particular Sir Francis Drake (in 1578) and Sir Thomas Cavendish (in 1587) to raid Huatulco in various occasions. During the era of the Mexican independence, this was where Vicente Guerrero, previously president of Mexico, was betrayed. The beach where he was handed over to the colonial army belongs to Santa Cruz bay and is called "La Entrega" ("the Betrayal").

In 1850, Benito Juárez, then Governor of Oaxaca and later the first (and so far only) Indian president of Mexico, visited the coast of Oaxaca and founded the town "Villa de Crespo" where Huatulco lies today.

In 1969, the Mexican government decided to give a strong impulse to tourism, specially to beach destinations. Extensive searches were realized throughout the country, looking for ideal locations for the development of integrated tourism resorts. While flying along the Pacific coast, the marvelous and fascinating Bays of Huatulco were discovered - their characteristics were ideal and it was decided that Huatulco should form part of the project. What called most of the attention were its charming and calm beaches of fine white sand, softly bathed by the gentle waves of the Pacific sea.

In 1983, after construction of the highways that connect Puerto Escondido to Salina Cruz and Oaxaca to Pochutla was completed, FONATUR, the government office responsible for the development of integrated vacation resorts, began its work on this tourism complex, which is comprised of nine natural bays. In those days, Santa Cruz was the principal populated area, where its habitants lived mostly off fishing and small agriculture.

To date, development has advanced considerably and has so reached a certain national as well as international fame. It boasts and excellent tourism infrastructure, specially with regards to hotels, restaurants, night clubs, discos and its 18-hole golf course, distributed mainly in the bays of Santa Cruz, Chahué and Tangolunda, and the newly created town of La Crucecita.

Thanks to the aforementioned highways and a modern international airport, located only 19 km from the hotel areas, Huatulco has sufficient ways of communication for its flow of tourism.

With all the previously commented attributes, the Bays of Huatulco have converted themselves into a truly magic paradise, where visitors may enjoy their numerous natural wonders.