Huatulco may be one of the smaller and quieter Mexican beach resorts, but when it comes to activities and tours there is more to do than you’ll have time for, no matter how long you stay. The first thing you notice about Huatulco is the sheer number of beaches and bays in a relatively small area – nine bays and thirty-six beaches. If all you like doing is just discovering and exploring different kinds of lovely beaches with maybe a picnic box, then there is already more than enough. If you like swimming and snorkeling too, then there are some great beaches for it. My personal favorites for swimming are Santa Cruz, Conejos, Maguey, Arrocito, and Tangolunda. Santa Cruz and Maguey are as calm as swimming pools, Conejos and Arrocito have a few more waves but are still calm, and Tangolunda is a good place to swim if you want more wave action, though occasionally it can be too rough for anyone. For snorkeling there is no doubt that the best three are La Entrega, San Agustin, and Maguey, and probably in that order. Getting more sophisticated you can visit many of the bays by water. The easiest way is to hop on a bay tour on one of those large catamarans; you just pay for yourself and your own and don’t have to worry about rounding people up to make it affordable. You get fabulous views of the coastline, and usually stop at seven bays, where you get time to swim, snorkel, or just sunbathe. The one drawback, on the tour that I went on at least, was the constant music. After a while it got a bit irritating and took away from my enjoyment of the nature around me. Other people didn’t seem to mind at all, but if you’re like me you might want to take a more private tour. You might end up paying a little more per person, but you get to choose which bays to go to, how long you want to stay at each, and whether you want to listen to loud music the whole trip or not. The horseback riding tour is a nice experience. You get to ride along paths through lush forests and end up at a beach at some point, on my trip it was at Conejos Bay, my favorite. A little after Conejos you will bump into the Copalita River, and further up the river they have whitewater rafting. I’m too much of a coward to do it myself, but I’m told it is well worth it and very exciting. I’m also told it’s only available from June through January, which is when water levels in the river are highest. Further on up the Copalita River you’ll hit the Magic Waterfalls. They are probably an hour and a half from the main hotels, and of course all these tours pick you up and drop you off at your hotel. Anyway, you walk along wooded paths alongside the river to get to the different waterfalls, a very peaceful and pretty stroll, and the waterfalls themselves are beautiful and a lot of fun. Nearby there is a coffee plantation with a butterfly farm – a great place to stop for lunch, taste some excellent coffee, and to take a stroll through nature around the plantation. This is just the tip of the iceberg. If you play golf there is a lovely course in Tangolunda, if you surf there is a world famous surfing beach at Barra de la Cruz, if you scuba dive or want to learn there are several dive shops – Hurricane Divers in Santa Cruz has a good reputation. You can take a fishing trip, go on an ATV tour (All-Terrain Vehicle, just in case…), or go kayaking. All the gorgeous surrounding nature makes all these tours and activities possible. On the other hand, you could also sit on a beach, sip a cold beer, and enjoy the surrounding nature.
