Introduction

The Mixteca word “huatulco,” or “quauhtolco,” means “place where wood is worshipped.” However, today it is the restful life that is worshipped here. A destination with great potential, Huatulco is the fifth resort area nationwide to be actively promoted by Mexico’s tourism development agency, Fonatur; its predecessors are Cancun, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Los Cabos and Loreto. The resort currently has more than 3,000 hotel rooms, an international airport, and is a popular port of call for cruise ships.

Located at the very southern tip of the country’s Pacific coast, 290 km/180 mi south of the city of Oaxaca, Huatulco covers a 35-kilometer/22-mile stretch of coastline carved into nine beautiful bays. The Sierra Madre Mountains provide a verdant backdrop to some 36 crescent-shaped beaches lapped by crystalline blue-green waters.

Huatulco is warm and semi-humid, with an average annual temperature of 28°C/82°F, a stable rainy season between June and October, and a great diversity of flora and fauna.