Is Huatulco Worth Visiting? Here’s My Honest Answer
Want to know: Why visit Huatulco Mexico?
You’ve landed on the right article because we’re about to do a deep dive into the reasons to visit Huatulco — to see if this is the best Mexico destination for you (or not).
If you’re wondering Is Huatulco worth visiting?, keep reading!
Huatulco Mexico is a beautiful coastal town in Oaxaca state, known for gorgeous beaches with turquoise water, snorkeling and diving, whale watching in winter, delicious food, all-inclusive resorts, and friendly locals.
Bahías de Huatulco (usually just called Huatulco) is perfect for those who want to venture slightly off the beaten path in Mexico, but not too far off.
While not one of the most-visited places in Mexico, it’s also not totally unknown either.
For some, that might be a perfect mix. Other travels might find there aren’t enough things to do in Huatulco to keep them entertained.
If you’re ready to discover if Huatulco is for you, let’s dive in!
Where is Huatulco Mexico located?
Huatulco is located in southern Mexico, in the state of Oaxaca.
It is located on the Pacific Ocean, about six hours by car from the state’s capital, Oaxaca de Juarez (AKA Oaxaca City).
Huatulco Map
🏨 Need a place to stay? Check out all the best Huatulco Mexico resorts and best hotels in Huatulco!
You can easily travel from Oaxaca City to Huatulco by private shuttle, plane, rental car or bus; but we’ll get into Huatulco transportation later.
WHAT’S THE HUATULCO PRONUNCIATION?
If you’re wondering, How do you pronounce Huatulco?, you’re not alone!
Let’s actually clear up the Huatulco pronunciation before we go any further — Huatulco is pronounced waa-tool-koh.
Huatulco vs Puerto Escondido: Which is better?
While Huatulco is popular with honeymooners, families and the 30s-50s demographic, Puerto Escondido might be better for the 20s-30s crowd, and anyone who wants to surf.
Comparatively, Huatulco is much more relaxed than Puerto Escondido, so if you’re looking for some rest and relaxation, Huatulco might work better.
However, if you want a lot of nightlife options, Puerto Escondido will work better.
If Puerto Escondido sounds like it’s more up your alley after all, check out this Puerto Escondido Travel Guide to help you plan your trip.
What are the best things to do in Huatulco?
Wondering about the best Huatulco things to do so you can plan your itinerary?
Below you will find a list of the Top 5 Huatulco attractions, but for a more complete list, check out these 25 Best Things to Do in Huatulco.
1. Boat Tour to the Huatulco Bays
The best way to experience Huatulco is from the water.
It has a rugged coastline and miles of beach — many of those beaches are best accessed (or only accessed) by boat.
There are a number of full-day boat tours from Huatulco, like this one which I personally took. In fact, this is the most popular of all Huatulco tours.
They all depart from the Huatulco Pier near Playa Santa Cruz, the main beach in the center of town.
You’ll spend the day swimming, snorkeling, sunbathing and eating at various beaches, like Playa Chachacual and Playa Maguey.
You can rent snorkel gear for about $200 pesos ($10 USD), but it’s better to bring your own snorkel gear so you get an up-close look at the tropical fish and coral reefs in Huatulco.
You’ll also enjoy snacks and drinks on board the boat.
⛵️ Best Huatulco Boat Tours
Here’s a list of the Top 3 best Huatulco boat tours that you won’t want to miss when you’re visiting Huatulco on your vacation:
2. Go Snorkeling in Huatulco
Huatulco has some of the best diving and best snorkeling in Mexico. Many of the beaches are part of Huatulco National Park, which is a protected area.
Because of this, there are numerous healthy coral reefs just offshore.
You can go snorkeling on your own at some of the best beaches in Huatulco, like Playa San Agustin and Playa la Entrega.
However, for the best experience, you’ll want to go on one of the Huatulco snorkel tours listed below.
🤿 Best Huatulco snorkeling tours
Here’s a list of the Top 3 best Huatulco snorkel tours that you won’t want to miss when you’re visiting Huatulco on your vacation:
3. Release Baby Turtles into the Ocean
Oaxaca state is one of the best places to see turtles in Mexico.
There are a few species that live in the waters off the coast, like the Hawksbill turtle, Green turtle, Leatherback turtle and Olive Ridley turtle.
💡 Huatulco Travel Tips: The best time to see turtles in Oaxaca is from July to January.
In decades past, sea turtle numbers dwindled to the point of nearing extinction.
However, conservation efforts are helping to change things.
When you participate in a Huatulco turtle release, parts of the proceeds go to helping save the turtles.
With the Huatulco sea turtle release experiences, you get to hold a baby turtle and then place it in the sand and see it take its first steps into the Pacific Ocean.
The babies are adorable, and you will never forget your interaction with these amazing animals.
🐢 BEST HUATULCO TURTLE RELEASE TOURS
Here’s a list of the Top 3 best Huatulco cooking classes that you won’t want to miss when you’re visiting Huatulco on your vacation:
4. Laze on the Best Beaches in Huatulco
Huatulco has 36 beaches and nine bays to choose from. To quickly explain, the bays are large coves.
Each of the bays in Huatulco has several beaches within it — so you could spend weeks there, and never run out of beaches to explore.
Below, you’ll find a list of the most popular beaches. If you want to explore some of the hidden beaches and off the beaten path Huatulco
beaches, check out these 27 Best Beaches in Huatulco, Mexico.
🏝️ Playa Santa Cruz (Main Beach)
👙 Good for swimming? Yes | 🤿 Good for snorkeling? No | 🌮 Are there restaurants? Yes
Playa Santa Cruz Beach is located in Bahía Santa Cruz Bay, near where the cruise ships dock. It’s sometimes called Playa Principal, which means main beach.
This lively beach is popular, day and night, and has everything you’d need.
🏝️ Playa la Entrega
👙 Good for swimming? Yes | 🤿 Good for snorkeling? Yes | 🌮 Are there restaurants? Yes
Playa la Entrega is one of the most popular and most accessible snorkeling beaches in Huatulco.
In fact, some go as far as to say it’s the best snorkeling beach in Huatulco and one of the best swimming beaches in Huatulco too!
As one of the best beaches in Huatulco for snorkeling, it can get very crowded by midday.
The best time to visit Playa la Entrega Beach for snorkeling is before 11am because the crowds stir up the sand on the bottom and affect visibility.
🤿 Planning to go snorkeling in Huatulco Mexico?
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🏝️ Playa Tangolunda Beach
👙 Good for swimming? Yes | 🤿 Good for snorkeling? Yes | 🌮 Are there restaurants? No
Tangolunda Beach is one of the most beautiful and best beaches in Huatulco Oaxaca — especially for those who love long walks on the beach.
It’s about 2,625-feet-long (700 m) and there’s soft sand.
For those wondering, Can you swim in Huatulco Mexico? You can at some beaches.
However, Tangolunda Beach is not great for swimming because there’s often a strong undercurrent; to swim, opt for Playa la Entrega Huatulco.
🏝️ BAHÍA TANGOLUNDA BAY
Playa Tangolunda is in Bahía Tangolunda, the main hotel zone in Huatulco. If you want to stay at an all inclusive Huatulco resort, this is the place.
🏝️ Playa la Bocana
👙 Good for swimming? No | 🤿 Good for snorkeling? No | 🌮 Are there restaurants? Yes
If you can only visit a few beaches on your trip to Huatulco, Playa la Bocana should be one of them.
It’s great for a long walk, swimming, relaxing, and sipping cocktails at sunset.
By day, it’s one of the best Huatulco surfing beaches, but has many other activities to offer — like the mud massages on Playa la Bocana.
It’s also a nice place to watch the sunrise, and to walk along the beach to the Copalita River.
🏝️ Bahía de Cacaluta
Fans of the 2001 Mexican film, Y Tu Mamá También, will love seeing Bahía de Cacaluta in person.
Several scenes from the film were shot in this bay, and even if you haven’t seen the film, you’ll love beautiful Cacaluta Bay.
The best way to see this beach is on the Exotic Paradise Water Adventure Tour from Huatulco, which takes you to some of the best Huatulco beaches that are only accessible by boat.
I did this tour, and it was a lot of fun.
🏝️ Need a few more Huatulco beaches suggestions?
There’s popular Playa Maguey, and the off the beaten path Huatulco beach of Playa San Agustin — my personal favorite!
Some of the best bays in Huatulco include Bahía Maguey, Bahía Conejos and Bahía San Agustín.
For a longer list, check out these 27 Best Beaches in Huatulco, Mexico.
5. Swim in the Cascadas Magicas Waterfalls
One of the can’t miss things to see in Huatulco is Cascadas Mágicas de Copalitilla (Copalitilla Waterfalls Park).
There are about 30 waterfalls throughout the park, the highest of which is 65-feet-tall (20 m), and there’s also natural waterfall pools that you can swim in.
The park is about one hour from Huatulco, in the small pueblo of San Miguel del Puerto, Oaxac, located way up in the mountains.
This far from the Huatulco city limits, you’ll feel like you’re in a tropical paradise, surrounded by lush vegetation, wild nature and freshwater jungle pools.
There are also hot springs in Huatulco not too far away!
💦 Best Huatulco Waterfall Tours
Here’s a list of the Top 3 best Huatulco waterfall tours that you won’t want to miss when you’re visiting Huatulco on your vacation:
What’s the best time to visit Huatulco Mexico?
Weather-wise, the best time to visit Huatulco is from November to March.
You’ll have no rain (or very little), low humidity, and no mosquitoes (or very few) in these months.
With perfect weather, however, comes larger crowds and higher price tags.
To avoid the large crowds and higher-than-average prices, skip the weeks of Christmas, New Year’s and Semana Santa (Holy Week).
If you’re traveling to Huatulco on a budget, you’ll want to visit during the slow summer season.
For the best value, but still nice weather, plan your visit during what’s called the shoulder season, a magical time right in-between the high season and low season.
- Huatulco Busy Season: November to March
- Huatulco Slow Season: May to September
- Huatulco Shoulder Season: October and April
- Huatulco Rainy Season: April to September
- Huatulco Dry Season: October to March
What’s the Huatulco weather like?
Huatulco has a topical climate, so you can expect hot days and warm nights. Average temperatures in Huatulco hover around 75-95°F all year (24-35°C).
🧳 Not sure what to pack for Huatulco Mexico? Check out this guide to Packing for Mexico, and for outfit inspiration, head to Cute Outfits for Mexico.
What’s the best time to see whales in Huatulco?
The Huatulco whale season runs from about November to April — but the best time to see them is from mid-December to March.
During this time, you can take this Huatulco boat tour and venture into the Pacific Ocean to (hopefully) see everything from Pacific gray whales, to orcas (killer whales), to humpback whales.
What’s the best way to get to Huatulco Mexico?
The best way to travel to Huatulco is by flight. There are direct flights to Huatulco from Mexico City and Guadalajara, or you can take this Oaxaca to Huatulco flight from Oaxaca City.
How far is Oaxaca to Huatulco?
The distance from Oaxaca City to Huatulco Beach is 161 miles, or 259 km. It is the same for the Huatulco to Oaxaca route.
What’s the best airport for Huatulco?
There is a Huatulco airport, located about 20-30 minutes from the beaches, called Bahías de Huatulco International Airport (code: HUX).
It is a small airport, and very easy to navigate. If you’re booking a flight to Huatulco, make sure you’re flying into HUX Airport.
🚌 Best Huatulco Airport Shuttle
What are the best places to stay in Huatulco?
When deciding on Huatulco accommodations, the first question you must ask is if you want to stay on the beach or in town. For most, Huatulco Beach is where you’ll want to stay.
If you want to stay right on the beach, there are a few distinct areas, but if you want to stay in downtown close to all the action, opt for a place in La Crucecita.
On the beach there’s Bahía Tangolunda, where you’ll find all of the best Huatulco all-inclusive resorts; Bahía Santa Cruz, the central area for all the beaches of Huatulco; and Bahía Chahue, where all the best beach clubs are.
Staying on Huatulco Beach
There are a few areas on Huatulco Beach Oaxaca where you can stay.
These include Bahía Tangolunda, where you’ll find most of the Huatulco all-inclusive resorts, Bahía Santa Cruz, the central area for all the beaches of Huatulco, and Bahía Chahue, where all the best beach clubs are.
🏩 Tangolunda Bay, Huatulco Oaxaca
If you want to stay at an all inclusive Huatulco resort, this is the place. In my opinion, Tangolunda is also one of the most beautiful and best beaches in Huatulco.
If you want to stay in this area, opt for any of these great places:
🏩 Bahía Conejos, Huatulco Oaxaca
Literally meaning “Bunny Bay,” Bahia Conejos Beach is a beautiful and secluded beach.
Here, you’ll find Secrets Huatulco Resort & Spa, an adults only resort that’s perfect for a honeymoon in Huatulco or a romantic getaway.
Considering Dreams vs Secrets Huatulco for where to stay on your vacation?
Obviously, if you’re with kiddos, you’d need to pick Dreams, as Secrets is adults only.
For a more quiet trip, go with Secret Bahia de Conejos Huatulco — but if you want something more lively, opt for Dreams Huatulco All-Inclusive, which is in a more central location closer to downtown.
🏩 Bahía Santa Cruz, Huatulco Oaxaca
While not in the exact center of town, Santa Cruz Huatulco is the center of activity among the beaches in Huatulco.
This is where the cruise ship docks, and there’s calm waters perfect for swimming. You can also find a lot of restaurants and tour operators here.
For a nice mid-range hotel in Huatulco Mexico, opt for places near Playa La Entrega, on the west side of the bay — like Hotel Castillo Huatulco & Beach Club.
Bahía Santa Cruz is also where you’ll find the most Huatulco Airbnbs, condos and timeshares, with many located near El Faro (Huatulco Lighthouse).
Staying in Downtown Huatulco
There technically isn’t a Huatulco Downtown area — but the nearby small town of La Crucecita is usually what people refer to as Huatulco Centro (Downtown Huatulco).
This is a pretty small area, subdivided by sectors. Sector H is downtown proper, right in the heart of all the action.
As one of the safest places in Mexico to travel, pretty much all of Huatulco’s sectors are safe, though Sector H3 isn’t the nicest.
Still, it’s pretty safe overall, just use caution at night.
Besides Sector H, the most expensive of them all, you’ll find some nice accommodations in Sector A, Sector E, Sector I, Sector M, Sector U and Sector U2.
What’s the best way to get around in Huatulco Mexico?
Should I rent a car in Huatulco?
A Huatulco rental car is definitely the best way to get around because you’re not dependent on anyone, you just come and go as you please, staying anywhere you want for as long as you want.
As one of the safest cities in Mexico, you’ll be fine driving in Huatulco Mexico. 🚙💨 For more info, head to Renting a Car in Mexico: Everything You Need to Know.
When it comes to Mexico rental cars, I recommend and use Discover Cars.
Their search tool checks both international companies and local Mexican companies so you get the best rates.
🚕 Taxis in Huatulco Mexico
You might be wondering, Are taxis safe in Huatulco?
For the vast majority of travelers, yes, you will be safe using taxis in Huatulco, and they’re also an inexpensive way to get around.
You can use them to get from Point A to Point B, but some drivers will also negotiate a day rate for you, and they will take you all over town for the day.
Is there Uber in Huatulco?
No — There’s no Huatulco Uber, and there’s no Lyft in Huatulco either.
If you don’t have a rental car, you’ll have to use taxis or public transportation. Taxis will cost more than public transport, but they’re much more convenient.
🚌 Public Transportation in Huatulco Mexico
Huatulco public transportation is pretty good, though unlike taxis, don’t expect bus drivers to speak English.
If you do want to use public transport in Huatulco, make sure you have change and small bills to pay the driver; as many won’t make change for large bills.
Since I barely used the public transportation and buses in Huatulco, I’ll refer you to the best guide I’ve seen on the subject, How to Travel in Huatulco.
It was written by Shev, a Mexico blogger and who lived in Huatulco.
Is Huatulco safe for travelers?
Huatulco is one of the safest places to travel in Mexico. It has low crime rates, friendly locals, and even the taxi drivers treat tourists fairly (this is not always the case).
As far as Huatulco Mexico safety, just take the same measures here as you would when traveling anywhere else on Earth.
In short, the answer to Is Huatulco safe for tourists? — is usually yes.
If you want to network with locals to get a better feel for Huatulco before and during your visit, join some Facebook groups, like these:
Can you drink the water in Huatulco Mexico?
One of the most common questions I get is, Can I drink the water in Mexico? The answer is NO, unfiltered Mexico tap water isn’t safe for human consumption — not for locals and not for visitors.
For more info, head to Can You Drink the Water in Mexico? for a complete guide to this topic.
To be as safe as possible, you’ll want to get one of these Water-To-Go Bottles that have a built-in, three-stage water filter.
Final Thoughts: Is Huatulco Worth Visiting?
Huatulco is a very special place, and provides a very unique experience, as far as Mexico beach towns go.
Its nature is very well preserved, yet there are beautiful accommodations; it’s a beach town, yet still maintains an authentic, cultural feel.
Huatulco also has an international Green Globe Certification, meaning it meets standards for Sustainable Tourism.
With more protected space than most other Mexico travel destinations and Mexico resort towns, you’ll have an amazing trip but also feel good about traveling to Huatulco Mexico.
Additional Huatulco Travel Blogs
I can tell you firsthand that a Huatulco snorkeling tour is one of the best ways to enjoy Huatulco Oaxaca Mexico — so I’m glad you landed on this article to book yours.
If you’re looking for more info on traveling to Huatulco Mexico, check out these additional Huatulco travel guides:
- 7 Best Huatulco All Inclusive Resorts
- Best Huatulco Tours You Won’t Want to Miss
- Renting a Car in Huatulco: What You Need to Know
- 11 Best Boat Tours in Huatulco Oaxaca Mexico
- 6 Best Huatulco Snorkeling Tours
- 25 Best Things to Do in Huatulco Mexico
- Is Huatulco Worth Visiting?
- Oaxaca to Huatulco: 4 Best Transport Options
- Oaxaca to Huatulco Flight: What You Need to Know
- Huatulco Mexico: Ultimate Travel Guide for Visitors