On November 20, 2009, 29 travel consultants from Ontario along with respresentatives from Signature Vacations flew from Toronto to Huatulco, Mexico and I was pleased to be one of them. For all of us this was the first time to this little know sun destination. Huatulco is the furthest resort area south on the Pacific coast and close to Central America. It boasts an average 330 days of sunshine each year with temperatures year round averaging 28 degrees Celsius 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
The slogan for the Tourist Board is “Huatulco..close to heaven” and everywhere you see signs saying “Welcome to Paradise”. Huatulco has attained the Green Globe International Certification, one of only 3 areas in the world with this designation and the only area in the Americas to do this. They did this by limiting development and being in harmony with nature, cleanliness and the commitment as a tourist destination concerned with the care of the natural resources and low impact to the environment. This was quickly evident on our arrival at the small airport were the buildings are all open-air one floor with high thatched roofs. The snack bars and shops are all outside in a courtyard. On our 30 minute drive to our first resort stay we were informed that most of the area from the highway down to the Pacific was a protected national park and many of the bays on the Pacific in that area are only accessible by foot or boat with the beaches completely uninhabited with no development allowed. Something we actually experienced on our boat trip along the coast later in the week.
We stayed 3 nights at Las Brisas Huatulco all inclusive resort, which was formerly a Club Med and is secluded on the western side of Tangolunda Bay. The resort area is large with the accommodations in the hills surrounding the resort in 4 separate complexes – Mar (Sea), Nubes (Clouds), Estrellas (Stars) and Montanas (Mountains). The names should tell you something. All the areas look down on the 3 white sand beaches of the resort. As the resort is in a bay the beaches are excellent for swimming. One of the beaches Playa Ventura has a coral reef just offshore, which provides amazing snorkeling with large schools of colourful fish and the occasional octopus. The setting of this resort with its lush hills is stunning. For bird watchers this is indeed a paradise and the resort has its own bird watching excursions on the property every morning at 7:00 a.m. The resort provides a courtesy shuttle around the complex however with the number of stairs throughout the resort it can be difficult for someone with limited mobility. I chose to walk almost everywhere and even with the phenomenal meals at all the restaurants and the abundance of cold cervezas I actually lost weight while we were there. The resort has 3 swimming pools and for the sports enthusiasts 12 tennis courts, 3 squash courts, Volleyball, Basketball, Kayaking, Sailing and windsurfing. For the children there is a Kids Club and for the adults a gym and Spa. Many of the guests I spoke to during my stay have come back a second time and some even multiple times which speaks highly of the popularity of this resort. 
We then moved over for the next 4 nights to Dreams Huatulco Resort & Spa, which is in the center of Tangolunda Bay. This all inclusive resort has only been opened for 1 year and was previously Gala Resort. After closing down for 9 months the property was completely refurbished and renovated and boasts 6 swimming pools, 3 of which are affinity type pools overlooking the beach area with in-water loungers, 6 bars, 6 gourmet restaurants, world-class Spa. Truly a luxury resort, Dreams Resort is a six story building spreading across the beach looking directly out to the Pacific. You are no more than 5 minutes walk away from anywhere on the resort. The rooms are modern and beautifully decorated with duvet covers on the bed. The large shower with rain showerhead was a great feature. The other striking thing about this resort was that when we were checking in we were provided with our keys but no customary armband indicating we were guests. Also, beach towels were just sitting ready to be taken, as many as you want, in baskets all along the pool areas. Once you were finished with the towel you threw it into another basket. No towel cards to hand in and get back when you returned a towel. And finally no reservations required at the ala Carte restaurants. If the restaurant was full when you arrive they provided you with a pager unit and could then relax in one of the bars and once a table was ready they called you. My reaction to these features was “How civilized !” As to the restaurants…….whether you chose the Buffet or the Japanese, Italian, Mexican and Seafood ala carte restaurants the cuisine was superb. For those that have special dietary requirements I was advised by the Executive Chef that all dietary needs would be met even those that require a gluten free diet. My roommate who went to the Mexican restaurant remarked that he had the best steak he has ever had. For children there is the Explorer’s Kids Club with activities based around nature, science and exploration and also a rock climbing wall and Euro-bungee. Babysitting services are available if the parents want to enjoy a romantic evening out. At the beach besides kayaking and windsurfing there is an inflatable iceberg and a water trampoline. Did I also mention beachfront movies most nights with popcorn? 
During the week we also did site inspections of other resorts in the area. Barcelo Huatulco Resort is located right on the beach next to Dreams so we walked over for the site inspection. The layout of this all inclusive resort is similar to the Dreams but the difference is clearly in the décor, which has a strong Spanish influence. This resort has 2 outdoor pools and 4 restaurant – 2 buffet and 2 ala carte. For sports there is snorkeling, kayaks, sailing, 3 tennis courts, mini-golf, table tennis, Soccer, Beach Volleyball and Billiards. The resort also has theme nights, cooking lessons and Spanish lessons. There is also a Kids Club with daily supervised activities. This resort also has a number of suites that would work well for a large family. The largest is the Presidential Suite that has 2 bedrooms, 2 washrooms, huge living room, full formal dining room, kitchen facilities, wrap around balcony with patio furniture and a large Jacuzzi. Other suites had 1 bedroom with large living area and full balcony. All the suites had luxurious furniture and amazing views of the Pacific Ocean.
The final resort we inspected was the Castillo Huatulco. This all inclusive resort is not in the Tangolunda Bay area but in the Marina town of Santa Cruz where the cruise ships dock. This is a budget resort that is located on the main street of Santa Cruz near the harbour and down the street from the local flea market, shops and restaurants. It is a small resort with 113 comfortable rooms with most having a French balcony. A few of the rooms at the front of the hotel facing on the street had a balcony with patio furniture on it but I found it too hectic and noisy on this side of the resort. In the middle of the resort is the swimming pool and it is much more serene and quiet in the rooms that face the pool. While you can walk from the resort to the public beach in Santa Cruz, the resort has a regular shuttle service to it’s own private Beach Club located about a 5 minute away. The Beach Club was a real surprise with well-maintained gardens, swimming pool, open-air restaurant & bar and a lot of kids’ activities going on throughout the day. This resort would appeal to families on a budget and also those that want to really experience Mexico outside of the large resort areas.
Besides the enjoying the resorts, what else was there to do in the Huatulco area? The Tourist Board who was one of the sponsors wanted us to experience some of the activities in the area. One was a boat cruise from Santa Cruz along the coast visiting some of the 9 bays and 36 beaches. We stopped at a secluded beaches where some went snorkeling and others just enjoyed the pristine beach and warm water, watched the Holland America Statendam dock in Santa Cruz, stopped at a beach area with a number of restaurants for lunch and just enjoyed the scenery along the coastline. While some of the agents went on a tour to Huatulco and shopping, I chose to go river rafting on the Rio Copalita with its category 2 rapids. We ended up on the beach of the Pacific where local ladies smeared volcanic mud all over our bodies, which after it baked dry by the sun; we washed off in the Ocean. Very exhilarating and therapeutic (they say)….. I will admit though my skin felt very soft after the mud bath. We took a trip to the Botanical gardens in the interior where in a walking tour they explained the medicinal values of the plants growing there. After the tour we experienced authentic tortilla making using original tools and wood burning stove. The best part was we actually got to eat these fantastic tortillas with the hot sauces. On the way back to the resort we stopped at an archeological site still being excavated and dated back to before the Mayas. They are still in the process of completing the entrance and museum and it should be opened in 2010.
The Sierra Madre Mountains come down to the coast behind Huatulco and so for the java junkie you can visit a coffee plantation, such as La Gloria, to see where excellent Mexican coffee comes from. There is horseback riding in the jungle, sunset sailing cruise, 18-hole golf course for the golf enthusiasts, a visit to Magic Falls hidden amongst jungle terrain and swimming in the free-form pools.
Huatulco is still relatively unknown to tourists and with their emphasis on the ecology, maintaining green areas and limiting future development it is a place that you can experience the true Mexico away from the hustle of huge resort areas.
