Things to Do in Huatulco

Huatulco is a planned resort development on the Oaxacan coast — built by the government-run FONATUR in the 1980s to the same model as Cancún and Los Cabos. Unlike those resorts, it never fully took off as a mass-market destination, which means it retains something quieter: nine coves and bays (bahías) strung along 36 km of coastline, relatively intact Pacific forest in the surrounding sierra, and organic coffee plantations a short drive inland.

Activity overview

Activity	Cost	Duration	Notes
Bay boat tour (5–7 bays)	~MXN $400–600/person	4–6 hours	Snorkelling stops, sometimes lunch
La Entrega snorkelling	Free (gear rental ~MXN $100)	1–2 hours	Best shore snorkelling
Coffee plantation tour	~MXN $500–800/person	3–5 hours	Sierra Norte, organic farms
Scuba diving (2-tank)	~USD $70–100	Half day	National park reef
Copalita Eco-Park	~MXN $50	1–1.5 hours	Zapotec ruins, mangroves
Zipolite/Mazunte day trip	Colectivo ~MXN $50–80	Full day	Beach towns, 40 min W
Punta Cometa sunset	Free	1 hour	Best sunset on Oaxacan coast

All prices approximate, as of 2026.

The nine bays

The headline geography of Huatulco. Nine coves ranging from developed to largely untouched, each with different character:

Bahía Santa Cruz — where the main pier is located. Calm water, good for swimming, restaurants and palapas along the beach. Boat tours depart from here. The town of Santa Cruz has tour offices, shops, and a small market.

La Entrega (within Bahía Santa Cruz) — the best snorkelling in Huatulco: calm, protected water, coral, good fish diversity, and reasonable visibility. You can snorkel independently from the beach (bring your own gear or rent for approximately MXN $100) or visit as part of a boat tour. The beach has palapas, restaurants, and changing facilities.

Bahía Chahué — the most developed bay for tourism infrastructure. Beach clubs, newer hotels, and a marina. Popular with Mexican domestic tourists. The beach is sandy and swimmable.

Bahía Tangolunda — where the resort hotels are concentrated (Secrets, Dreams, Camino Real). The beach is large and well-maintained, accessible to non-guests from the road end.

Bahía Cacaluta — protected and accessible only by boat. A lagoon on one side, open sea on the other. The beach appeared in the film Y Tu Mamá También. The setting is dramatic — undeveloped jungle descending to sand.

Bahía Chachacual — only accessible by boat. Two pristine beaches with no facilities. The snorkelling here is excellent — less visited reefs with good coral cover.

Bahía San Agustín — further west, accessible by road (taxi approximately MXN $200 from La Crucecita, 20 minutes) or by boat tour. Very clear water, quieter than the main bays. Beachside palapas serve fresh grilled fish (approximately MXN $100–150).

Boat tours covering 5–7 bays depart from the Santa Cruz pier daily (approximately MXN $400–600 per person, 4–6 hours, including snorkelling stops). Some tours include lunch. Negotiate at the pier — prices are flexible, especially in low season.

Snorkelling and diving

La Entrega has the best shore snorkelling — enter from the beach and swim to the rocky edges for coral, tropical fish, and turtles in season (November–May for best visibility).

The Parque Nacional Huatulco protects the offshore reef system. Dive operators in Santa Cruz and Chahué run guided reef dives — Hurricane Divers is an established PADI centre. Two-tank dives approximately USD $70–100. Sites include reef walls at 12–25 m depth with good coral cover and marine life. Visibility is typically 15–30 m, best October–May.

Coffee plantation tours

The mountains behind Huatulco — the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca — produce some of Mexico’s best organic shade-grown arabica at elevations of 900–1,500 m. Coffee plantation tours (3–5 hours, approximately MXN $500–800 per person including transport from Huatulco) visit working fincas in the Chatino highlands. The tours cover the entire production process: picking, depulping, washing, drying, roasting, and cupping.

Café Huatulco runs regular tours to farms near the highlands. Finca Carrizal offers tours of their organic operation. Book through any tour desk in Santa Cruz or La Crucecita. The drive into the sierra is scenic — a steep climb through pine and oak forest.

Zipolite and Mazunte (30–40 minutes west)

Two very different beach communities on the Oaxacan coast:

Zipolite — Mexico’s only legal nude beach. Long a low-budget bohemian enclave, now increasingly popular with a mixed crowd of backpackers, yoga practitioners, and Mexican families. The beach is long with powerful surf (swimming requires caution — rip currents are strong). Beachfront restaurants serve Oaxacan seafood at budget prices (mains approximately MXN $80–150).

Mazunte — a small, organic-leaning town. The Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga (sea turtle museum and research centre, entry approximately MXN $50) has tanks with several turtle species. The natural cosmetics cooperative sells body products made from local ingredients. The beach is calmer than Zipolite.

Punta Cometa — the headland between Zipolite and Mazunte — has the most spectacular sunset viewpoint on the Oaxacan coast. A 15-minute walk from Mazunte up a jungle path to the clifftop. Free. The 360-degree views — Pacific in both directions, jungle behind — are genuinely stunning. Arrive 30 minutes before sunset.

Colectivos from La Crucecita to Zipolite/Mazunte run approximately every 30 minutes (approximately MXN $50–80 each way). Taxi approximately MXN $400 each way.

Copalita Eco-Archaeological Park

Near the mouth of the Copalita River, east of Tangolunda. Small Zapotec ruins (ceremonial platforms dating to 500 CE) and a well-maintained boardwalk through the mangrove ecosystem with interpretive signage. The river mouth (La Bocana) has a sandbar where the river meets the sea — swimmable when calm. Entry approximately MXN $50. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

La Crucecita

The planned town centre has a grid of streets around a central square. More functional than beautiful, but with good restaurants, a market (Mercado 3 de Mayo, budget fondas from approximately MXN $50–80), and the services travellers need. Most budget and mid-range accommodation is here; the resort hotels are in the bays.

Practical tips

• Getting between bays: Taxis between bays approximately MXN $50–200 depending on distance. No Uber. The bays are spread over 36 km, so transport is necessary.
• Best time: October–May for dry weather and best snorkelling visibility. The bays are warm year-round.
• From Puerto Escondido: Colectivos and buses approximately MXN $100–150, 2 hours. Easy to combine both destinations.

Plan your trip: tours in Huatulco · skip-the-queue tickets · travel insurance.

More Huatulco Guides

• Back to Huatulco Guide
• Puerto Escondido Travel Guide — 100 km northwest, Oaxaca’s surf beach alternative
• Oaxaca City Travel Guide — the highland capital, accessed by a mountain road bus journey
• Pacific Coast Beaches — how the nine bays compare with other Pacific coast options
• Scuba Diving in Mexico — Huatulco’s reef sites in context with Mexico’s other dive destinations