Huatulco Beach Resort

Huatulco is a beach resort unlike anywhere else in the world. Unlike other beach resort developments in Mexico, the Huatulco beach resort is being groomed to become a leading ecotourist destination, the first beach resort of its kind in the Western Hemisphere with an emphasis on preserving the natural environment while providing world class amenities. The Huatulco beach resort combines the modern and the traditional.

The Huatulco beach resort is a national park in Mexico; there is no "city" of Huatulco. There are two small towns associated with the Bays of Huatulco resort area, Santa Cruz and Cruzacita. They are both very clean, good restaurants, and a lot of fun. It is nothing like Cancun or any other big tourist area. Tourists wanting to visit a beach resort in Mexico are always pleased when visiting Huatulco.

Bahias de Huatulco - or the Bays of Huatulco - is located 150 miles north of Guatemala. This area of the coastline has been designated a major government project with five bays for development while the other four remain as nature preserves. A geographical area with 12,000 foot mountains and miles of virgin sand beaches offer guests a variety of resort-style activities. This beach resort is a favorite area for tourists wanting to visit a beach resort in Mexico but it is more popular among people who want a relaxing beach resort vacation without the crowded beaches that are common in other tourist beach resort destinations.

There is a legend in Mexico that the feathered great serpent god of Mesoamerica, Quetzalcoatl, the Traveler and Bringer of Civilization, is said to have appeared on the Pacific coast of southern Mexico around 2,000 years ago. He came in the form of a bearded white man and planted a piece of wood in the shape of a cross on the beach. The visit gave the spot a name: Huatulco, the Place Where the Wood Is Adored, as well as its first taste of foreign tourism. Who would know that Huatulco would become a favorite beach resort destination?

About 1,985 years later, the Mexican government began developing the nine bays of Huatulco, hoping perhaps to draw a second wave of foreign visitors to this beach resort in Mexico. The bays have become a popular spot for vacationing Mexicans, a wonderfully unspoiled place where, according to government statistics, domestic travelers may outnumber Americans and other foreigners by as much as 10 to 1. It's entirely possible that the inhabitants of the Huatulco beach resort do not yet know the English words "spring break."

About six hours' drive from the city of Oaxaca and less than an hour by plane from Mexico City, the Huatulco beach resort stretches 22 miles along nine bays between the Coyula and Copalita Rivers. It lies about 300 miles east of Acapulco, but there are no bunched-up high-rise hotel strips to mar the scenery, just soft sands, clear ocean, striking cliffs and dense forest. No casinos. Huatulco is a virtually unspoiled Mexican beach resort.

While you can enjoy a modest nightlife or get a tennis lesson, the Huatulco beach resort remains mostly underdeveloped. The Huatulco beach resort is an excellent opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of Mexico.