Visitor Information

The State Tourism Office, or Oficina del Turismo (tel. 958/581-0176; www.baysofhuatulco.com.mx), has an information booth in Tangolunda Bay, near the Grand Pacific hotel. It's open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm.

City Layout

The overall resort area is called Bahías de Huatulco and includes nine bays. The town of Santa María de Huatulco, the original settlement in this area, is 27km (17 miles) inland. Santa Cruz Huatulco, usually called Santa Cruz, was the first developed area on the coast. It has a central plaza with a bandstand kiosk, which has been converted into a cafe that serves regionally grown coffee. It also has an artisans' market on the edge of the plaza that borders the main road, a few hotels and restaurants, and a marina where bay tours and fishing trips set sail. Juárez is Santa Cruz's 4-block-long main street, anchored at one end by the Hotel Castillo Huatulco and at the other by the Meigas Binniguenda hotel. Opposite the Hotel Castillo is the marina, and beyond it are restaurants in new colonial-style buildings facing the beach. The area's banks are on Juárez. It's impossible to get lost, and you can take in almost everything at a glance. This bay is the site of Huatulco's cruise ship dock.

About 3km (1 3/4 miles) inland from Santa Cruz is Crucecita, a planned city that sprang up in 1985, but has taken the shape of a traditional Mexican village, complete with a leafy plaza in the center of town. This is the residential area for the resorts, with neighborhoods of new stucco homes mixed with small apartment complexes. This is where you'll find the area's best and most reasonably priced restaurants, plus some shopping and several less expensive hotels.

Until other bays are developed, Tangolunda Bay, 5km (3 miles) east, is the focal point of development. Over time, half the bays will have resorts. For now, Tangolunda has an 18-hole golf course, as well as the Las Brisas, Quinta Real, Barceló Huatulco, Royal, Casa del Mar, and Camino Real Zaashila hotels, among others. Small strip centers with a few restaurants occupy each end of Tangolunda Bay. Chahué Bay, between Tangolunda and Santa Cruz, is a small bay with a beach club and other facilities under construction along with houses and a few small hotels.

Fast Facts

Area Code -- The area code is 958.

Currency Exchange -- All three areas have banks with ATMs, including the main Mexican banks, Banamex and Bancomer, and HSBC. They change money during business hours, Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm. Banks line Calle Juárez in Santa Cruz and surround the central plaza in Crucecita.

Drugstores -- Farmacía El Centro, just off the central plaza in Crucecita (tel. 958/587-0232), is one of the largest drugstores in town. It's open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 10pm and Sunday from 8am to noon. Farmacía La Clínica (tel. 958/587-0591), Sabalí 1602, Crucecita, offers 24-hour service and delivery.

Emergencies -- Police emergency (tel. 060); federal police (tel. 958/587-0815); transit police (tel. 958/587-0186); and Cruz Roja (Red Cross), Bulevar Chahué 110 (tel. 958/587-1188).

Hospital -- Clínica Médico Quirúrgica, Jabali 403 (tel. 958/587-0687, -0600), is a medical clinic with emergency care run by Dr. Ricardo Carrillo, who speaks English.

Information -- Oficina del Turismo, the State Tourism Office (tel. 958/581-0176, -0177; www.baysofhuatulco.com.mx), has an information module in Tangolunda Bay, near the Campo de Golf. It's open weekdays 8am to 5pm.

Internet Access -- Crucecita has several Internet cafes. One is at the Terra-Cotta cafe in the Misión de los Arcos, Av. Gardenia 902 (tel. 958/587-0165), which, in addition to paid service, is a free Wi-Fi hot spot. Another lies on the ground-floor level of the Hotel Plaza Conejo, Av. Guamúchil 208, across from the main plaza (tel. 958/587-0054). It's about 15 pesos per hour.

Post Office -- The correo, at Bulevar Chahué 100, Sector R, Crucecita (tel. 958/587-0551), is open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 4:30pm.

Getting There

By Plane

Continental (tel. 800/523-3273 in the U.S. and Canada, or 01-800/900-5000 in Mexico), American (tel. 800/433-7300 in the U.S. and Canada, or 01-800/904-6000 in Mexico), US Airways (tel. 800/428-4302 in the U.S. and Canada, or 01-800/428-4322 in Mexico), and United (tel. 800/538-2929 in the U.S. and Canada, or 01-800/003-0777 in Mexico) offer flights from the U.S. InterJet (tel. 866/285-9525 in the U.S., or 01-800/011-2345 in Mexico) flies daily between Mexico City and Huatulco.

From Huatulco's international airport (airport code: HUX; tel. 958/581-9007, -9008), about 20km (12 miles) northwest of the Bahías de Huatulco, private taxis charge about $45 to Crucecita, $50 to Santa Cruz or Tangolunda. Transportes Terrestres (tel. 958/581-9014, -9024) colectivos fares are about 100 pesos per person. When returning, make sure to ask for a taxi, unless you have a lot of luggage. Taxis to the airport run 460 pesos, but unless specifically requested, you'll get a Suburban, which costs 600 pesos.

Hertz (tel. 958/581-9092), Europcar (tel. 958/581-9094), and Thrifty (tel. 958/581-9000) offer car rentals at the airport; Hertz (tel. 958/581-0588) and Europcar (tel. 958/583-4067) also have in-town locations. Huatulco is spread out and has excellent roads, so you may want to consider a rental car to explore the area.

By Car

Coastal Hwy. 200 leads to Huatulco (via Pochutla) from the north and is generally in good condition. The drive from Puerto Escondido takes just over 2 1/2 hours. The road is well maintained -- and usually under repair at some point or other -- but it's filled with curves and potholes and doesn't have lights, so avoid travel after sunset. Allow at least 6 hours for the trip from Oaxaca City on mountainous Hwy. 175.

By Bus

Crucecita has three bus stations, all within a few blocks, but there are none in Santa Cruz or Tangolunda. The Gacela and Estrella Blanca station, at the corner of Gardenia and Palma Real, handles service to Acapulco, Mexico City, Puerto Escondido, and Pochutla. The Cristóbal Colón station (tel. 958/587-0261) is at Avenida Riscalillo, Sector T. It serves destinations throughout Mexico, including Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido, and Pochutla. The Estrella del Valle station, on Jasmin between Sabali and Carrizal, serves Oaxaca.

Getting Around

Crucecita, Santa Cruz, and Tangolunda are too far apart to walk, but taxis are inexpensive and readily available. Crucecita has taxi stands opposite the Hotel Grifer and on the Plaza Principal. Taxis are readily available through hotels in Santa Cruz and Tangolunda. The fare between Santa Cruz and Tangolunda is roughly 45 pesos; between Santa Cruz and Crucecita, 35 pesos; between Crucecita and Tangolunda, 35 pesos. To explore the area, you can hire a taxi by the hour (about 200 pesos) or for the day.

There is minibus service between towns; the fare is 5 pesos. In Santa Cruz, catch the bus across the street from Castillo Huatulco; in Tangolunda, in front of the Grand Pacific; and in Crucecita, cater-cornered from the Hotel Grifer.

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