Going to Huatulco

[Newf]

Headed to Huatulco for a week in the sun. First time in this area.... a brief search tells me lots of folks on here have been there...

So what should we have on our MUST SEE/DO list?

Not much really planned so far... I want to check out a coffee farm, wife wants to go see waterfalls. Might be able to do that on one excursion actually. I’m planning on hiring a guide/driver for a day to just take us around and show us a few sites.... but other that that it’s pretty open.


Any suggestions?

[Jays toyz]

[QUOTE=Newf;3906392]Headed to Huatulco for a week in the sun. First time in this area.... a brief search tells me lots of folks on here have been there...

So what should we have on our MUST SEE/DO list?

Not much really planned so far... I want to check out a coffee farm, wife wants to go see waterfalls. Might be able to do that on one excursion actually. I’m planning on hiring a guide/driver for a day to just take us around and show us a few sites.... but other that that it’s pretty open.

We just got back yesterday from 2 weeks there. We did the Pacifico coffee tour, waterfall and 7 Bay tours. All worthy trips. I think I enjoyed wandering in town (La Crucecita) most with 98% local people. Beautiful locally made textiles (you can hear the looms clacking like trotting horses). The cruise port is a short walk but is only good for hiring fishing guides or overpriced souvenirs. Take a cab to the church and walk and walk. I felt more safe on the back streets of La Crucecita than I do in GP.
Drive times to tour destinations are all long and understated.

When I go back it will be a rental not a resort.

[HunterDave]

We went to Las Brisas a few years ago and what I liked most about Huatulco was that it wasn't all commercialized like in Cancun. Our resort was in a bay that was somewhat protected by large waves and was great for snorkeling. We didn't go on any of the usual tourist excursions (heard that the drive to/from the coffee plantation was long, hot and dusty) but we did find some "outside of the box" things to do off the resort.

- Taking a walk around the middle of town is worthwhile as previously mentioned. The people are very friendly and the shop owners aren't pushy to make sales.

- Our resort organized a morning bird/critter watching tour at a local reserve that was interesting. It was pretty cool seeing all of the exotic animals in the wild.

- We manged to watch a couple of whales about 5 kms out while relaxing on our balcony.

- There's a pizza joint in the area run by a Canadian expat that might be worth a supper off the resort. We planned on going but never made it. Very affordable, good food and interesting atmosphere.

- One afternoon we went to a public beach where you could sit in a cantina (Los Gueros?) and watch the surfers. There are a couple of ladies who will walk you about a km up the beach where a river enters the ocean. There they coat your body with river mud and you allow it to dry. Later I body floated the current of the river into the ocean to wash off. There was a kayak excursion down the river through an ecological park that looked/sounded interesting.

Huatulco is much more laid back and relaxing than the bustle of Cancun. Even at our resort the nightlife was more subdued and people tended to have early nights. Enjoy!

[Grizzly Adams]

Had some friends there a couple of weeks ago, they loved it., first time I ever heard of the place. Gather it's not nearly as commercial as other resorts and not if you're into shopping, but lots of adventure tourism, remote bays and a mixture of jungle and desert. I'm looking for a place to go, but they have a Cruise ship dock, strikes it off my list. :D

Grizz

[ColdFlame]

The pizza joint previously mentioned is likely "La Crema Bar" - highly recommend. It fronts onto the main square of town and is a wonderful place to chill out, people watch, and enjoy some unique/great pizza. I felt very safe in the town, even with my two young children and wife. My sister worked at the Barcelo resort for a year long period, and though she had some issues with getting paid, she never experienced issues with safety.

Interestingly, we were told that La Crucecita is a town that was entirely manufactured. That is to say, it was constructed to have its old world charm, despite being quite modern/recent. Its primary purpose was to service the cruise ships and local resorts at the time.

Depending on the number in your party, you can hire a private boat to do the bays tour(s) and lump in some fishing if you wanted. It is likely much more economical and you can find locals on the beach who will arrange this. Prices vary greatly, so ask around before committing to anyone.

[bluetick]

longer trip from the airport but worth the bus ride to get away from the Hussle of areas like Cancun and the Mayan.
the pizza shop only opens a few hours in the evening so you need to be there in a line up to get a seat .
wasn't the highlight for me as a pizza is a pizza , food took forever if you ask me .
Take the sea doo tour , a guide takes you into open ocean around a couple bays and into a little beach town for a few beer and a snack, and some snorkeling . better than a bus tour into a mountain to see coffee , the river tour in the zodiacs through the jungle quite good as well.

[Grizzly Adams]

Must be a very quiet place if the pizza joint is the biggest show in town. :lol:

Grizz

[NW Tradegunner]

We spent 2 weeks in Huatulco, the 1st week in Las Brisas and second in Barcelo. We took in most of the stuff that people mentioned in previous posts. All were very good. One of the other things we did was snorkel right out in front of Las Brisas, right in the reef, tons of fish! Sheltered in the bay. The other was asking for a taxi driver with good english speaking and understanding skills at the Las Brisas front door. We got this guy to take us to a town (which I can't remember the name of) to it's weekly market. WOW! He took us there; toured with us all through the market and explained everything that was vague to us. We do that a lot whenever we go somewhere foreign. What a cultural awakening that is!

[Jays toyz]

Nw tradegunner - that market is an eye opener. Baby Jesus's in plastic bags, piles of shrimp in the sun, 500 stalls of stuff the locals buy. Bikes, flashlights and almost nobody with any English at all.

Grizz - I wondered about the cruise port thing but only the Panama canal cruises stop there and only 2 in 2 weeks. (There were 3 times more earthquakes in that period than ships) and we went into la crucita one day with a 2000 passenger ship in port and saw almost no tourists. They must not leave Santa Cruz (the port) which is a few km away and over a big hill.

[sirmike68]

I've been to Huatulco 3 times and stayed at the Barcelo and Las Brisas. Both were good. The best thing about the area is the weather. Every trip has been between 32 - 38 in Jan and Feb. If laying on the beach under a palapa sipping on a drink and enjoying the heat is what you like this is the area for you.

[sns2]

Sounds like paradise right now!

[the.tru.albertan]

I've been to Las Brisas. Great place. Also, the town is pretty neat. I remember doing a tequila testing there. Walked around the town, the town square is neat. There's an old church there that's pretty cool.

Best part about it was finding a van with Alberta license plates parked in the square. These two people had driven all the way down there.

[FCLightning]

I've been to Las Brisas. Great place. Also, the town is pretty neat. I remember doing a tequila testing there.

Where did you get tequila? The only thing they offered us was Mezcal tastings.

[the.tru.albertan]

Where did you get tequila? The only thing they offered us was Mezcal tastings.

There was a place in the town that made tequila. Near the town square. It wasn't an excursion or anything. We left the resort via taxi and just wandered around town and found this place. There was a small group of other tourists there as well. We went in to this place just looking to buy some booze but the owners told us we could do a tour and tasting.

[SLH]

Rent a car. There are a lot of little beaches off the main hwy 200. It is safe the people are quite friendly and there are a lot of little palapa type places just waiting to sell you a cold beer and a couple tacos. Puerto Angel and Mazunte are full of expats and cool little places. The road is a twisty mess off of 200 but it is a little more established. If you want some "big" waves Puerto Escondido is the place the town is more a working town but the beach is cool. Barra de la Cruz (South East) is a cool little place on the way to a great beach as well. Even a quick hike south east along the beach is worth it along some of those little beaches. there are boats that will take you to a lot of the beaches as well but they always put you on time table. Get a translator for your phone there are places where they won't speak much English.