Huatulco’s calm bays are ideal for a full range of water sports, including swimming, snorkeling, jet-skiing, windsurfing, and sailing. If you're a diver or snorkeler, you'll find yourself surprised by just how crystal clear the waters of Huatulco are. The area’s rugged shoreline and many coral reefs create pockets of diverse undersea life just waiting to be explored. Tangolunda and Santa Cruz have the best water sports facilities of the nine bays (including jet skis and wind surfing). Here’s an overview of the nine bays from east to west.
Santa Cruz bay has a jetty from which various motorboats, sailing boats and yachts embark on winding trips around the nine gorgeous bays. It boasts a dock specially designed for cruise ships and – for the hours spent on dry land – a charming square dotted with stalls, a handcraft market and shopping center, along with numerous restaurants, bars, and discos.
Tangolunda bay is the main hotel zone, home to Huatulco’s top hotels, and an ideal choice if your taste is for the luxurious and supremely developed. This is also the perfect place for sailing, diving, snorkeling, renting jet skis, and even a spot of golf on the area’s exclusive golf course. Chahue bay also offers its share of tourist attractions: it is home to a sizeable marina for yachts, a shopping center, bookstore, cafes and restaurants. It is also famous for its Guelaguetza park, a striking venue for festivals and cultural events throughout the year. Check in advance to see what's on during your visit.
Conejos bay is definitely for those who want to get away from it all: it boasts beaches with calm waters, and is an ideal place to sunbathe and swim. It is also one of the best bays for enjoying the landscape. Why not go horse riding while you're there? One hour costs just $150.00 pesos ($10 USD).
If you’re looking for some out-of-the-ordinary gastronomy, take a trip to Maguey bay where you can eat delicious fish and other seafood in traditional palm-thatched palapas (palm leaves) at affordable prices. And don’t forget to try some of Oaxaca’s regional specialities: quesillo (stringy cheese), tasajo (a cut of beef), tlayuda (a long, baked tortilla covered with various toppings), fried grasshoppers, spectacular mole sauce and, to wash it down, a delicious mezcal.
For nature lovers, Cacaluta and San Agustin bays both offer plenty of flora and fauna to see, while Cacaluta bay is home to the magnificent Laguna el Zanate – a lagoon that receives flocks of birds migrating from the colder north. As if all this were not enough, San Agustin bay boasts the largest coral reefs in the Pacific.
