Port of call on May 9, 2010 - Huatulco, Mexico
In the late 1990's the Mexican government decided to create another beach resort town to turn into another Acapulco. They chose a fishing village in the south, Huatulco and started construction in 2000. After the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001 and tourism dropping, construction came to a halt in Huatulco and there are a lot of abandoned buildings on the cliffs.
Huatulco is an interesting port in that you don't have to venture too far from the ship to do just about everything you want to do. The cruise ship pulls up to the dock and from there you can walk down the pier to the beach for a swim, enjoy a meal or drink at a beachside cafe, or go shopping. The stores are just on the other side of the beachside restaurants.
For anyone interested in geocaching, there is a cache hidden along this beach, a short walk from the ship. Beware if you are elderly or not sure footed. There are lots of rocks to clamber over and to reach the cache you have to be part billy goat and scramble about 10 feet up the side of the bank. No easy feat where there is literally no vegetation to grab on to and dirt is scrabbling away under your shoes.
One of those rare ports where you can swim not too far away from where the ship is docked or ride a banana boat.
Just a word to anyone cruising with Princess and hoping to stop in Hualtulco - this town has since dropped off the itinerary. Could be a number of reasons. Mostly all there is to do here is swim, eat, drink, shop in the 5 or 6 hours its docked here. There are no tourist attractions to visit. The shops are high priced, even with negotiating with the vendors. We wanted to buy a hammock chair and the best price I could get was $50. In Cabo I bought a nicer hammock chair for $25. Save your money and do your shopping in another Mexican port. Better selection and better prices everywhere else. Sad for this struggling little town, especially since we were the last ship of the season stopping here. Losing Princess Cruises is going to be a big blow to the local economy.
In the late 1990's the Mexican government decided to create another beach resort town to turn into another Acapulco. They chose a fishing village in the south, Huatulco and started construction in 2000. After the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001 and tourism dropping, construction came to a halt in Huatulco and there are a lot of abandoned buildings on the cliffs.
Huatulco is an interesting port in that you don't have to venture too far from the ship to do just about everything you want to do. The cruise ship pulls up to the dock and from there you can walk down the pier to the beach for a swim, enjoy a meal or drink at a beachside cafe, or go shopping. The stores are just on the other side of the beachside restaurants.
For anyone interested in geocaching, there is a cache hidden along this beach, a short walk from the ship. Beware if you are elderly or not sure footed. There are lots of rocks to clamber over and to reach the cache you have to be part billy goat and scramble about 10 feet up the side of the bank. No easy feat where there is literally no vegetation to grab on to and dirt is scrabbling away under your shoes. 
One of those rare ports where you can swim not too far away from where the ship is docked or ride a banana boat.
Just a word to anyone cruising with Princess and hoping to stop in Hualtulco - this town has since dropped off the itinerary. Could be a number of reasons. Mostly all there is to do here is swim, eat, drink, shop in the 5 or 6 hours its docked here. There are no tourist attractions to visit. The shops are high priced, even with negotiating with the vendors. We wanted to buy a hammock chair and the best price I could get was $50. In Cabo I bought a nicer hammock chair for $25. Save your money and do your shopping in another Mexican port. Better selection and better prices everywhere else. Sad for this struggling little town, especially since we were the last ship of the season stopping here. Losing Princess Cruises is going to be a big blow to the local economy.
Hi, it's a nice post you have here but I went to Huatulco last summer and I beg to differ. Huatulco is a beautiful place with a lot to offer. Perhaps it's grown since 2010 but trust me you will want to revisit this place. Huatulco has seven bays which you can visit and snorkel in. There's the town where you can buy really good tequilas and agaves. The hotels are great, such as Dreams with so many activities and all inclusive. The food is amazing,full of flavor. Delicious! They offer great entertainment and other activities that are fun for everyone. Also, Huatulco has rapids which if you're daring enough you can visit. One of the most beautiful and breathtaking things about Huatulco is their waterfalls. It's an amazing experience going into all that jungle and finding yourself in the most mesmerizing views of jungle and waterfalls. You can also go fishing, kayaking, and visit the church that has a hand painted ceiling. Overall it's a wonderful trip.
ReplyDeleteYes we were just there with Holland America. They offered a lot of excursions around snorkelling, swimming with dolphins, catamaran to 5 of the bays and lots more. The shopping in the bay was good and very cheap, I guess it depends on what you are looking for. We shopped, took the stuff back to the boat and then just enjoyed time on the beach having a cool drink and watching the world go by. Of course I can't talk about accommodations etc, but would highly recommend a visit to this most beautiful Bay
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