Things to Do in Huatulco (Bahías de Huatulco)

Huatulco is on Mexico’s Pacific coast in the state of Oaxaca, about 280 miles south of Acapulco. It’s a planned resort zone — built by FONATUR starting in the 1980s — but with one massive difference from Cancún or Ixtapa: the master plan capped development. 70% of the surrounding land is protected as Huatulco National Park. The result is nine separate bays carved into a 22-mile rocky coastline, almost all reachable only by boat, plus a small purpose-built town (La Crucecita) that handles tourism services without dominating the landscape.