HUATULCO
Bahías de Huatulco is a 100,000-acre development created by the government agency FONATUR. 70% of the land is to be set aside for ecological preserves.
Work on the development got underway in 1983 following the completion of la Carretera Costera (Hwy 200) from Puerto Escondido to Salina Cruz. At this time, the area was sparsely populated with Santa Cruz the principal town in the area. Fishing and farming were the main occupations. The town of La Crucecita was created to provide services to the development. The atmosphere here is more Mexican with the Huatulco resorts having a more international flavor.
Development will be completed in the year 2020.
The Bays:
Bahía de San Augustín is the westernmost bay and is remote to the main development area. The town of San Augustín is located here. It can be accessed by a dirt road which exits the Carretera Costera (Hwy 200) near the Huatulco International Airport.
Bahía Chachacual is three miles east of San Augustín.
Bahías Cacaluta, Oregano, and Maguey are small bays located 2-3 miles west of Santa Cruz.
Bahía de Santa Cruz is a small bay on which the original town of Santa Cruz is located. Playa Chahue and Playa La Entrega are in this bay.
Bahía Chahue is a larger bay immediately to the east of Santa Cruz and close to La Crucecita.
Bahía Tangolunda, east of Chahue, is where the more upscale resort hotels are located.
Bahía Conejos is just to the east of Tangolunda.
Playa La Entrega (the surrender) • This beach is where the Italian sailor Francisco Picaluga betrayed General Vicente Guerrero. The 600' beach is the southernmost of the Santa Cruz beaches and is good for swimming and diving. Wave action varies from calm to moderate at different places along the beach. Accessible by land and boat.
Playa Yerbabuena (mint) • This small, quiet beach is located on the western shore of Bahía de Santa Cruz, north of Playa La Entrega. Accessible by boat. Moderate waves.
Playa Santa Cruz (cross) • Located in Santa Cruz, this 800' long beach features calm waters, coral, sea shells, and lots of fish life. A good place to snorkel or scuba, but watch out for sea urchins and moray eels. Small underwater cave. Restaurants, equipment rental, and boat rides available.
Playa Chahue • 2000' long, sloping beach with moderate waves located east of Santa Cruz. For experienced swimmers.
Playa Esperanza (hope) • 400' long, strong waves, east of Playa Chahue. Not recommended for inexperienced swimmers.
Playa El Tejón (badger) • 400' long with moderate waves, located east of Playa Esperanza.
| (958) 70945 (958) 71240 fax 01 800 710 7889 reservations email: posadachahue@huatulco.net.mx |
Mixie y Mixteco, Bahía
de Chahué C.P. 70989, Bahías de Huatulco Oaxaca, México GPS: 15°45.80'N 96°07.68'W |
Calle Zapotecos 84, Apt. 1
Manzana 3A, Bahía Chahue
Bahías de Huatulco, Oaxaca
High Season:
January 15 - April* & Thanksgiving week
$100/day
$700/week
$2100/month
Off Season:
April* - December 18 (except Thanksgiving week)
$100/day
$600/week
$1800/month
Holiday Season:
December 19 - January 15 & Easter week
$100/day
Dec. 30, 1999 to January 8, 2000 is not available.
Playa Consuelo (consolation)
• A small, 250' beach with moderate waves west of Bahía
Tangolunda. Accessed by boat.
Playa El Arrocito • A small, 300' beach with small
waves and shallow depth located just west of Bahía Tangolunda.
Accessed by boat.
Playa Ventura, Playa Manzanillo (apple), & Playa Tornillo
(bolt) • These three beaches are located together on the
western shore of Bahía Tangolunda at the Club Med. They total
about 600' in length with calm waves. Good for swimming,
snorkeling and all aquatic sports.
Playa Tangolunda • The Sheraton, the Maeva, and the
golf course are located on this 1/2-mile long beach. The beach
may also be accessed through Tangolunda Park, west of the hotels.
Moderate waves. Swimming, diving, and all watersports available.
Playa Rincón Sabroso (pleasant corner) • Located
west of Tangolunda, 800' long, moderate waves. Swimming
snorkeling and all aquatic sports.
Playa La Mixteca (name of an indian tribe) • Small
beach near the mouth (east side) of Tangolunda Bay.
Conejos Bay is located east of Tangolunda Bay.
Playa Tejoncito (badger) •
Located at the western edge of Conejos Bay, 300' gently
sloping beach, calm waves, shallow depth. For swimming,
snorkeling, diving, and fishing. Accessible by boat. Seafood and
sodas available during the busy season.
Playa Arena (sand) • Located east of Playa Tejoncito,
300' long, sloping beach with strong waves. For swimming,
snorkeling, diving, and fishing. Accessible by boat. Seafood and
sodas available during the busy season.
Playa Punta Arena (sandy point) • East of and
adjacent to Playa Arena and centrally located in Conejos Bay.
About 1/2-mile long, sloping beach with strong waves, not
recommended for inexperienced swimmers. Accessible by boat.
Seafood and sodas available during the busy season.
Playa Conejos (rabbits) • At the eastern end of
Conejos Bay, 1/4-mile long, fine white sand, shallow out to 50'
from shore, then having rocky formations.
Playa Tejoncito is located at the western edge of Bahía Conejos. It has a 300' gently sloping beach, calm waves, and shallow depth. Good for swimming, snorkeling, diving, and fishing. Accessible by boat. Seafood and sodas are available during the busy season.
Playas Cuatonalco, Boca Vieja,
Ixtapa, Coyote •
These beaches all have similar characteristics. They are more
than 10 miles from Santa Cruz by boat. To reach Cuatonalco and
Boca Vieja (old river mouth) by land, follow the dirt road that
intersects the coastal highway (200) at the Rio Coyula bridge 4
miles west of the Huatulco airport. To reach Ixtapa and Coyote,
take the dirt road that intersects the coastal highway at the
same point as the road to Santa María Huatulco which is just
west of the airport. The beaches face directly on the ocean. Each
beach is about a mile in length with sloping fine white sand, and
strong waves. Not recommended for inexperienced swimmers.
Playa San Agustín •
About 1-mile long, calm waves, gentle slope, shallow depth,
much coral, restaurants serving fresh seafood. Excellent for
snorkeling and diving. Accessible by land by taking the dirt road
that intersects the coastal highway at the same point as the road
to Santa María Huatulco which is just west of the airport, or by
boat from Santa Cruz.
Playa Cacalutilla •
Located in San Agustín Bay northeast of Playa San Agustín, 700'
long, gently sloping, shallow depth. Excellent for snorkeling.
Accessible by land by taking the dirt road that intersects the
coastal highway at the same point as the road to Santa María
Huatulco which is just west of the airport, or by boat from Santa
Cruz. Swimming, snorkeling, diving, fishing, water skiing.
Playa Chachacual •
3/4-mile long, sloping beach, moderate waves, accessible by
boat. Not recommended for inexperienced swimmers. Swimming,
snorkeling, diving, fishing.
Playa La India •
Located in Cchachacual Bay, 1/4-mile long, fine white sand,
accessible by boat. Swimming, snorkeling, diving, fishing.
Playa Jicaral (cuplike) •
Located west of Chachacual Bay, 150' long, moderate waves,
fine white sand moderately sloping with small rocky formations.
Swimming, snorkeling, diving, fishing.
Playa Riscalillo •
Fine white sand, gentle waves, shallow depth. Swimming,
snorkeling, diving, fishing. Access by boat, located 30 minutes
southwest of Santa Cruz.
Playa Cacaluta •
About 1/2-mile long, coarse white sand, strong waves,
accessible by boat. Swimming, snorkeling, diving, fishing. 300'
offshore is Cacaluta Island, a small rocky island, around
which divers can explore coral reefs at depths to 80'.
Playa Maguey •
1/4-mile long, accessible by boat, land access difficult,
calm waves on the east end, moderate on the west end. Good
swimming and snorkeling. Further out, Punta Maguey is good for
scuba diving with walls and caves.
Playa Organo (organ cactus) •
800' long, moderate waves, accessible by boat, land access is
difficult. Swimming, snorkeling, diving. Seafood and sodas
available during the busy season.
The high season is December 21 through April 15, with rates 20% higher.
Trailer Park los Mangos (958) 10313, (958) 10033 Not a hotel, but a trailer park. On carretera Santa Crúz - Bahía Tangolunda 1km.
Golf
The 18-hole course plays about 6800 yards through the beautiful Tangolunda development. Obstacles include fairway trees and water, making the course fairly challenging. Rates vary--approximately $80 for 18 holes.
The resort hotels have their own dive facilities; but some of the divemasters are not PADI or NAUI certified.
Scuba Diving
Periodic strong wave action on the Pacific coast limits the development of large coral reefs. Typically, there is a period of high seas that occurs for a period of 2 to 3 days and begins about 3 to 4 days following a full moon. Another period of lesser intensity may begin 2 or 3 days after a new moon. This phenomena is known as Rebalses. These periods tend to be stronger and occur more frequently in April, May, and June. They seldom occur in the months of November, December, and January. Weather conditions will also sometimes cause periods of high seas affecting all water sports. During periods of rough seas you may not be able to enter the water for either swimming or boating.
The rugged terrain continues into the sea with rocky outcroppings jutting from the sandy bottom. The rocks support coral growth but not the large reefs that you find in places like Cozumel. Visibility is typically 50' but varies with wave action, wet season runoff, and by location. Sea life is abundant.
For information on scuba diving in Huatulco,.Oaxaca, you can call Hector Lara, who owns the dive shop Buceo Sotavento or "Leeward Diver", located at the Hotel Club Plaza Huatulco across the street from the Sheraton. The phone number is 958-10051.
Action Sports Marina is the dive shop at the Sheraton Huatulco can be reached at 958-10055, ask for extension 842, 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM CST. Or you can email Carlos Ramos charlie_diver@hotmail.com. Carlos offers underwater photography and video services.
There is no longer a dive shop in Puerto Angel, Oaxaca. The diving in Puerto Angel is better than in Puerto Escondido. Compared to Huatulco, the water tends to be warmer but there is not quite as much coral. Fish life is still abundant.
So what's the diving like? What we have is a myriad of high-profile rock reefs, usually well-decorated with hard and soft corals, gorgonians, and fans. Unlike Puerto Angel, most of the decorations here are intact. In Puerto Angel, the poor hookah fisherman strip a lot of soft coral as well as giant starfish to dry and sell to the brujos (medicine men) from the Valley of Mexico. The brujos powder the fauna to make folk medicines. Here in Huatulco, the fisherman quickly learn that tourists pay more to see the life than brujos pay to consume it. Our fish life is miraculous. This coast serves as a nursery for most of
the tropical waters in the Eastern Pacific. On a typical dive, you'll see four or five different species of puffer. King Angels are plentiful and the Cortez Angel is present. Jewel fish and goat fish abound. On night dives, I have seen nine different species of moray eel, including a snake eel no bigger around than your little finger but up to three meters long! For the shell collectors, there are several species of conch, including the spiny tiger conch, as well as several cone shells and turbans. Most of the really big stuff stays at the outer limits of sport diving, but we are often surprised by pelagics coming in for a visit.
Now this is the open Pacific. You really can't expect a regular diet of Caribbean-clear water. The Middle Trench is only a few miles offshore, so we have a goodly amount of upwelling, bringing nutrients up for the filter-feeders. While we do have days of 30 meter/hundred foot visibility, twenty meters is closer to the norm. Even during the rainy season, twelve to fifteen meters of visibility is available. It's often a matter of how far you want to go from the hotel. Some areas will have more blue-faced damsels than dusky damsels; you'll find beaugregories at nearly any site.
Popular Huatulco Dive Sites
La Entrega - This is a national park with extremely shallow coral formations. It is very aquarium-like, with semi-tame fish. Unfortunately, the shallow nature of the bay means that a lot of the coral has been broken by the hoards of snorkelers standing on the formations. If there are any resort-course level divers in the group, this is where you will go. However, if your group consists entirely of experienced divers, tell the operator "Thanks, but no thanks." If you're looking for a place to do a tune-up, you can get here by taxi for a shore dive.
La Montosa - The operators really like to use this spot since it's at the mouth of Bahía Tangolunda, where your five-star hotel is located. This gas-saving option for the operator has mixed implications for the diver. On the plus side, the pelagics can be found as readily on the open-ocean side of this island as they can at any other site in the area. Big black and white Pacific Eagle Rays are common here. There's at least two big green morays for your entertainment. For the shallow portion of your dive, there's quite a bit of coral, especially on the side facing Balcones de Tangolunda. The opposite side has several neat swim-throughs. Really, there are several dive sites on this island.
On the down side, This island is awfully close to Bahia Conejos and the river mouth. If the winds are wrong, visibility will be bad.
Club Med Rocks - This is actually one of the best sites around the bays, but you'll not get a chance to dive it except possibly at night. There's just too much boat traffic during the day. This one has lots of pelagics as well as tropicals. But be real careful around the rocks, especially with the surge. More about that in the next section...
Risco La Blanca - These rocks are in front of the point separating La Entrega and Bahía Santa Cruz. This may be the best site in the bays area for seeing an assortment of sea critters. Lobsters, angel sharks, huge triggerfish, and a wide variety of cone shells abound. Be very careful, though, when you're away from the area where the boats park. The surge through the rocks can flush you right to the surface if you're diving shallow. If you're above 20-30 feet, don't get yourself high in the water column. And if you do get too buoyant and find yourself suddenly on the surface, for God's sake don't do what a couple of unfortunates in one of my groups did and climb up on the rocks. If you do, you'll spend the rest of your vacation plucking sea urchin spines out of your aching body! This bit of advice regarding a low position in the water column is applicable to all of the rocks in the area. I bring it up because I've seen more people screw up in this area than anywhere else. If you're on the surface, swim to the open water and signal the boat. If you don't have at least a whistle and preferably a dive alert on your BC, get one before you go. There is a nice one from IST that even works underwater...
El Naufragio, the shipwreck below the lighthouse, is probably my favorite dive. This 50+ year old wreck is really just a big debris field, with only the boiler, anchor and chain, and deck cargo of small tracked vehicles remaining to show that it once was a ship. There are always some brilliant blue and yellow sweepers and Moorish idols inside the boiler. Down on the flats, you'll probably see some monstrously large rays. It's easy to follow the chain up the slope from the anchor and imagine the long-gone captain trying to save his ship during an intense storm... There are a number of superb dive sites near the mouths of Bahías El Organo and El Maguey. These are farther from the hotels yet not far enough to justify the extra fees that are charged to go to Bahías Cacaluta, Chachacual, or San Augustín, so dive operators may try to avoid taking people to them.
Isla Cacaluta, at the mouth of Bahía Cacaluta, is a site well worth arranging a half or full-day charter. The shallow side is great for snorkeling; the open-ocean side is fantastic for pelagics; and the side opposite the shallows combine the two! Do a deep dive on the open-ocean side; take your surface interval on gorgeous Playa del Rey, spend some time snorkeling on the shallow side of the island; and then finish off with an intermediate depth dive on the west side of the island, finishing up near the small blow-holes. Remember, the farther you get from the Río Copalita river mouth at Bahia El Conejo, the better the visibility. And this is far enough to have consistently great viz!
Chachacual is the bay housing Playa El Indio. This spot has the best snorkeling over shallow coral in clear water that you'll find in the area.\
San Augustín is the westernmost of the nine bays in the Fonatur development zone. It's the only one with a still functioning native fishing village. The visibility is usually the best, especially around the island. There's a wrecked shrimp boat that's fairly intact. You'll have to pay extra to get here, but you won't need to pack a lunch. The food at the palapas is excellent!
In the meantime, I'll settle for plugging my ex-boss, Hector Lara O. His operation is called Buceo Sotavento (Leeward Diving) and is located in the Hotel Club Plaza Huatulco, which is right across the street from the entrances to the Sheraton and Royal Maeva hotels. He will work hard to accommodate you. The small hotel he's in, the Club Plaza Huatulco, is easily the best bargain in Tangolunda. You can get a suite with kitchenette cheaper than a bare room at the other hotels. The service and the product will not disappoint you. [Buceo Sotavento, Hotel Club Plaza Huatulco, Lote 23, Interior Local 8, Av Benito Juarez, CP 70989, Bahías de Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico. Phone and fax: 958-10051]
Scuba Diving Sites -
near Huatulco, Oaxaca
Ventures Huatulco S.A. de C.V.
Santa Cruz Marina
Bahías de Huatulco, Oaxaca
Telephone: 011-52-958-71788 voice/fax
Ventures Huatulco operates a professional sport-fishing business in Bahías de Huatulco. We are presently operating a diesel-powered, 26-foot Striker with tower]. The boat has a small cabin with bathroom facilities and the crew is bilingual. The equipment is all new Penn International with the option of light tackle. Those wishing to fly fish should bring their own equipment. Most of our fishing is done within 10 miles of shore to provide our clients with more fishing time and less transit time. As with all regions, our fishing varies with changing current and water temperatures.
Our normal season runs as follows:
| April through July | Black Marlin, Blue Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, Yellow Fin Tuna |
| July through September | Sailfish, Dorado, Wahoo, Rooster |
| September/October | Closed for maintenance and hurricane season |
| November through March | Occasional Sailfish, Large Tuna, Snapper |
Our boat is located in the marina at Santa Cruz. We are one of the few modern charter fishing operations in the area and offer full and half-day charters that include sandwiches and beverages in our package. In addition to a large selection of lodging possibilities, starting in January 2000, we will also be able to offer luxury accommodations in a private villa. Both our captain and boat tender are local fishermen, and we feel they are the best in the area.
For those wishing updated catch reports, (we will do this on a bi-weekly basis), please e-mail David at ventures@huatulco.net.mx or Tony at apf@sierra.net.
One of the American partners will always be in Huatulco to insure that your fishing experience is a pleasant one. Please contact us either by e-mail or phone for availability, rates and reservations.
The National Mexican Turtle Center is under the direction of the National Fisheries Institute. It is located 12 kilometers west of Puerto Angel on the Puerto Angel - San Antonio federal highway.
In the face of the imminent extinction of the diversity of turtle species, the Mexican government called for the creation of the National Mexican Turtle Center in September of 1991. All varieties of sea turtle that live in coastal waters of Mexico are on exhibit. Additionally, there are 6 species of fresh water turtles and 2 species of land turtles. The complex covers 4 hectares (10 acres).
The research area coordinates the operation of satellite stations for the protection of important beaches in Oaxaca state. Biologists, veterinarians, and research groups study turtle behavior, diet, and monitor the quality of water in the tanks to gain insight into the problem of the protection of the species. Specific objectives are: 1) To distribute information regarding conservation and legislation for turtle protection, 2) to conduct scientific and technological research for turtle management, development, and conservation, 3) to promote the ecological tourism concept in the region, and 4) to support the community growth and development in the region.
The Turtle Center has started an agriforestry project and a chicken farm to help provide locals with alternatives to turtle harvesting.
The Turtle Center is located in the community of Mazunte which is a couple of miles east of Puerto Angel and Zipolite on Avenida Principal.
The Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM until 4:30 PM and Sunday from 10:00 AM until 2:30 PM. All tours inside the Turtle Center are conducted by a guide, without exception. There are guides available speaking the following languages: English, German , Italian, Spanish and Zapoteco.
Sea turtles reach breeding age in 6 to 8 years. Many factors influence the return to the nesting beaches, such as "imprinting", kind of sand, temperature, streams, etc. The presence of a metallic mineral in the turtle's brain is a theory.
Playa Escobilla is the main breeding ground for the Olive Ridley or Golfina turtle. The nesting season usually begins in May and lasts for several months. The turtles come to the beach in large numbers during the nighttime hours for 2-3 evenings after a full moon. They scoop out holes in the sand 2-feet deep, deposit their eggs and cover them up. At the peak of this activity, turtles number in the thousands. The eggs look like slimy Ping-Pong balls. The eggs are valued for food and many Mexicans believe they are powerful aphrodisiacs. The beaches are patrolled by military guards carrying M-16's to protect the turtles and their eggs from poachers.
As a result of the preoccupation of government forces at Huatulco with searching for the rebels involved in the August 1996 attack on Huatulco, their previous duties of guarding Escobilla beach where the Golfina, an endangered sea turtle, lays its eggs was abandoned. This resulted in the looting of turtle eggs and the slaughter of the mothers. It is estimated that 800,000 to 1,000,000 eggs were taken. There were several arrests of looters and one truck was reportedly seized with a cargo of 526,000 eggs
Javier Vasconcelos Perez is the
director of the Turtle Center and may be contacted at:
cmtvasco@angel.umar.mx
Instituto Nacional de la Pesca
Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga
Mazunte, Tonameca, Oaxaca
Apdo, Postal, 16. Puerto Angel, Oaxaca, C.P. 70902
Telephone: 958-43055 Fax: 958-43063