Adventure Guide #10: East down the coast to Bahiá Huatulco (aka La Crucecita)

A monthly guide to give you fresh ideas for adventures just outside of PXM

Preface: I’ve lived in Puerto Escondido for over four years, and at this point have been to most of the small towns, beaches, and points of interest in the area. I used to help lead trips for the Hikers of Puerto group, led by my friend David (you can find them on Facebook), which certainly helped to that end.

Every month I’ll be sharing a weekend adventure idea here on my newsletter, in hopes that it inspires you and your loved ones to pack the car, jump on the moto, or flag down a colectivo with the goal of making new memories. Listo por una aventura amigos!?

East to Huatulco

Huatulco was the original coastal destination for tourists in Oaxaca. Or at least, it’s where the government wanted visitors to go. This is fairly obvious for a few reasons—they have an international airport, they have the biggest marina in Oaxaca, there’s a fancy golf course, a Starbucks, and several all-inclusive resorts.

It was set up for visitors from the start. People are more drawn to the charms of Puerto Escondido these days, but Huatulco is still worth checking out for a quick weekend trip, or for a night on your way toward San Cristobal.

How to get there:

The names of places in this part of the coast can be a bit confusing, so let’s clear that up before we go on.

On Google Maps what everyone calls “Huatulco” is labeled as “La Crucecita.” There is another town called “Santa Maria Huatulco” inland about a 30-minute drive away. (See map above).

Now that we’ve sort of cleared that up (I’m still a bit confused, to be honest), let’s talk about the journey to the Huatulco we’re talking about—the one with great restaurants and a big Marina right on the ocean.

The easiest way to get there is on the bus. You can book an ADO, OCC, or Alta Mar bus on any given day. The tickets range from $12-$20 depending on the time and service you select, so it’s pretty simple and cheap to make the trip.

When booking a bus, two options show up:

1. Santa Maria Huatulco (not the one you want)

2. Bahiá Huatulco (Bahiá means bay, so this is the one you want)

Note: I use Busbud for all my bus booking needs in Mexico. The app and website both work great and provide you all of the options for any route you might be interested in taking.

The bus takes about 2.5-3 hours depending on how many stops they’ll make along the way.

The other way you might want to get there is by renting a car. If you have a group of 3 or 4 wanting to make the trip, renting a car for 2 or 3 days might even be cheaper than taking the bus there and back. Los Tres Reyes right on the carretera above Zicatela comes highly recommended by several friends.

If you do rent a car for the adventure, the drive will only take you about two hours, and you can stop at any beach, restaurant, or roadside vendor that catches your eye along the way.

What to Do:

Huatulco is a charming little town that can be explored in just a few days. Most of the action and interesting streets are clustered around the Zocalo (town square). At night, go sit up on the terrace at Cafe Cosa Mayor with a cold drink and watch the action unfold below in the heart of the town.

Hualtco has two major areas to explore, the downtown and the area around the Marina. I always stay at Hostel Azul y Blanco, which is perfectly located between these two different parts of town. It’s only a block from the Corredor Touristico, a nicely manicured walking path that connects the center of town to the water. Explore these two main areas and you’ve seen the best of what Huatulco has to offer.

Hit the market

Mercado 3 de Mayo, about a block from the Zocalo, is a huge covered market selling anything you could possibly want for a beach weekend—mezcal, floaties, alebrijes, beach bags, towels, and floppy hats. There are some great affordable restaurants in the market as well, which is true of the most active markets throughout Mexico.

Get on a boat

You have two options to get out on the water— you can either join a tour or charter your own boat.

The marina charges a small fee even just to explore the docks, but as soon as you get near the entrance to the marina, you’ll have a dozen boat captains approaching you about going on a tour. Get a few different prices before committing to a particular excursion.

If you want to charter your own boat—say you had an event with a big group of friends—the service I’ve had a number of friends use for birthday parties and special occasions is booked through a woman named Vivian. I also have another contact that specializes in larger boats if you’re looking to throw a 50-person mini-yacht party.

Both of their WhatsApp numbers are provided below in the Insider Info section, for my small but important group of paid subscribers. Thanks, yall!

Go Golfing

Huatulco is home to one of the nicest golf courses anywhere in Oaxaca. The Parotas Golf Club is a well-maintained top-rate golf course complete with all the amenities—golf carts and clubs to rent, drink carts out on the course, and an onsite restaurant and pro shop. However, it’s temporarily closed. Hopefully, the course will re-open soon.

Google these options below and you’re sure to find a nice cafe to work from, great Italian food, mariscos, authentic sushi, or whatever it is you might be after!

Cafes to check out

Cafe Paraiso, Cafe Porto, Piyo Café, Casa del Cafe, and Nico’s Organic Coffee.

Recommended Restaurants

Alfredos, Terra Cotta, Raices Cocina de Autor, Marea, Alebrijes Bar and Grill, Bahiá Riscalillo, Los Parados Taqueria y Tlayudos, Sushi House, and Lartilleria.

Other fun stops to make:

My brother, Rue, and myself at Punta Cometa in Mazunte.

Mazunte and Ziplite are on the way, which you can learn more about in Adventure Guide #5.

Mazunte is about halfway between Puerto Escondido and Huatulco, so if you’re exploring the coast for a few nights or more and want to see as much as possible, planning stops at both places along the way makes a lot of sense.

Puerto Angel

Puerto Angel is a small beach town about 10 minutes past Ziploite on the curvy coastal road that runs from Mazunte to Puerto Angel. The town was built up along a steep rocky outcrop that rises from a beautiful bay—Bahiá Puerto Angel.

There are several great views (Faro de Puerto Angel), beaches (Playa Estacahuite and Playa Panteón), and restaurants to enjoy if you stop in for the day or an overnight stay. It’s a small town of about 2,500 people, but full of the same endless charm and stunning sunsets you’ll find all along the coast of Oaxaca.

Note: If you’re curious about stopping at Puerto Angel, and you already know Mazunte and Ziploite, you don’t need to drive through them to get there. You’ll actually save about 30 minutes by staying on the highway until the Pochutla intersection.

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Insider Info: The recommended boat services that I have a contact for in Huatulco

My good mate, Mario, used to organize boat parties through Viviana. It’s an early wake-up call to have a boat day in Huatulco, but you can get in a sprinter van at 8 am, load onto a party boat by 11 am, have a day party on a mini-yacht, and make it back to Puerto before by evening. With enough people, the price isn’t too crazy.

It’s not a bad plan for a birthday party or any reason you might have to celebrate!