Huatulco Life was inspired by people with a passion for Huatulco and the Mexican lifestyle. It is a place to find out more information about the region and enjoy the beauty of the Oaxacan coastline through the photo gallery. From time to time, other interesting tidbits about Mexico make their way into the pages of this blog. Enjoy!

View The Paradise of Huatulco Video

Monday, January 30, 2012

What a Party!

It was a great night this past Saturday at the Finca de Vaqueros as the David Rotundo Band put on an amazing show!

Torontonian, David Rotundo is absolutely possessed on the harmonica and seeing him live will attest to this...you can tell he truly loves what he does.  David has performed with the likes of Jeff Healy, Ronnie Hawkins, and Elvis Costello to name a few.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Santa Cruz Huatulco Mexico

Looking Down on Santa Cruz - Photo by: Huatulco Life
Original Story by Lance Schuler via the Examiner.com

About 310 miles south of Acapulco at the base of the Sierra Madres, lies what some have called “a little bit of heaven”. Santa Cruz Huatulco or simply Huatulco. If you ask anyone that has been there they would probably say that is was one of their favorite ports on their cruise and it’s certainly one of mine.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

It's About Time!!

Thank you to the Ottawa Citizen for journalism that provides perspective, and realism vs. sensationalism.

Original story via the Ottawa Citizen - by Stephen Maher, January 26, 2012 - Photo provided by Huatulco Life

Take precautions, then crack a cerveza

After I checked my email at a poolside bar in Playa del Carmen last week, I checked the news, and read about Sheila Nabb's terrible injuries in Mazatlan.

Nabb, a 37-year-old Calgary office worker, was attacked in an elevator at her five-star resort in the small hours of the morning. Every bone in her face was broken and she faces a long, painful recovery.

Huatulco Archaeological Park Featured in Landscape Architecture Magazine


The Copalita Eco-Archaeological Park has just received a new write up in Landscape Architecture Magazine!  Certainly, for those of us down here, this is exciting news.  The park itself is still in its infancy but the potential, and the master plan is impressive indeed. 

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

2012 Red Cross - Race for the Red

It was a great day on Sunday as everyone came out in support of the Red Cross fundraiser event, Race for the Red.

This years scavenger hunt (Amazing Race) had teams competing against each other for fame and glory all in the name of a great cause.

The competition was fierce this year and in the end, it was Resort Real Estate Services that prevailed as the winning team. We all had a great time and were happy to contribute to such a great cause.

A special thanks goes out to all of the volunteers and organizers...it's a ton of work to put an event like this together and we appreciate everyone's efforts.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Team ITU set for Mooloolaba and Huatulco in 2012

Original story by Merryn Sherwood via International Triathlon Union website - www.triathlon.org

The Team ITU programme will have an added Olympic boost in 2012, with the two ITU World Cup events selected within the Olympic qualifying period.

The primary objective of the development programme is to provide support, resources and expertise to athletes from emerging and developing National Federations, who have the potential to qualify for London 2012, to compete at a World Cup level.

This year the first Team ITU event will be the 2012 Mooloolaba World Cup, in Australia on March 25th. The next is the 2012 Huatulco World Cup, in Mexico on May 6th.  The points gathered from both go directly towards athletes’ qualifying totals for London, as the the official Olympic qualifying period doesn’t close until 31 May 2012.

Click here for full story

Blues Night at Finca de Vaqueros

Be sure to get your tickets for blues night hosted by the Finca de Vaqueros.  It should be a great evening for a very good cause,  and by the sounds of it, the tickets are selling fast! 


Friday, January 20, 2012

Cool Casas of Huatulco

Original Post by Resort Real Estate Services - www.RRestateservices.com

Casa Tulco - Residential Sector O

This home, or actually two homes, form one of the coolest complexes in Huatulco...the only difficult part will be trying to explain every detail!

The Casa Tulco complex is really made up of two stand alone single family homes...Casa Tulco and Casa Teca.  And you probably realized by the look of the entrance here, that this is no ordinary home. 

Located in the residential neighborhood of Sector O, the exterior facade is subtle but very recognizable by the myriad of colors used to accent the layers of exterior architecture.  Of course you still have to make your way past the iron gates before the real artistry unfolds before you.

Full story here

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Beautiful Beaches of Huatulco - Playa La Mixteca


Located in Tangolunda Bay, this gorgeous stretch of sand can be seen from the look-out point near Residential Arrocito.  Unfortunately, this may be one of those beaches that you have to admire from a distance. 

While all beaches in Mexico are considered public, this one fronts a rather exclusive property in the residential neighborhood of Balcones de Tangolunda.  I have never attempted to reach this beach from the water as I've often thought I may be greeted by a rather unfriendly security guard.  None the less, I recommend heading out in a sea kayak, jet ski, or as this person in the photo has done, a small sail boat. 

This beach is best admired from the water.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Mexico No Less Safe Than Other Places

Original article provided by thespec.com

Mexico no less safe than other places

Viewpoint: Kamloops Daily News (excerpt)

Mexico is making headlines for the wrong reasons these days, with two Canadians dying there due to violent crime in recent weeks.

B.C. retiree Robin Wood was shot during a robbery attempt in Melaque, a coastal town of 12,000 about four hours south of Puerto Vallarta. Further south, the body of a University of British Columbia student, along with that of her boyfriend, was discovered half buried in a beach in the town of Huatulco.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

36 Hours: Oaxaca, Mexico

Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times
Original story via The New York Times

With Oaxaca's imposing Baroque churches, plant-filled courtyards and shady plazas perfect for people-watching, it’s tempting to see the city as a photogenic relic of Mexico's colonial past. But Oaxaca City, the capital of one of the country’s poorest states and a college town teeming with students, isn’t quaint or stagnant; it’s a small but dynamic city, still emerging economically from the social unrest that put it in the international spotlight, and crippled its tourism industry, in 2006. That uprising — a protest by striking teachers that was met with police violence and led to a protracted conflict — is now history, but its legacy is everywhere in a streetscape of politically inspired stencil art, which has turned adobe walls and concrete sidewalks into a public gallery. Combined with the city’s long-established studio art scene, a vibrant cafe culture, a mescal-fueled night life and one of Mexico’s most exciting regional cuisines, Oaxaca is as cosmopolitan as it is architecturally stunning.

Friday
3 p.m.
1. SMOKE AND MEATS

Start at the culinary heart of the city, the Mercado 20 de Noviembre, which occupies an entire city block south of Aldama (between 20 de Noviembre and Cabrera), where family-run fondas — food stalls with colorful signs, long counters and short stools — sell Oaxacan staples like chicken with mole (40 pesos, or $2.90 at 13.50 pesos to the dollar) to campesinos, office workers and backpackers. Alongside the main building, a smoke-filled covered alley is lined with carne asada (grilled meat) vendors, each selling a selection of fresh cuts — thin-sliced beef or links of spicy chorizo (100 pesos per kilo). Your choice is tossed on the grill with accompaniments from the nearby vegetable stalls, where you’ll find onions and chilies to add to the fire, as well as prepared sides (12 pesos per small plate) like sliced radishes, guacamole, strips of nopal (cactus) or homemade corn tortillas.

At La Zandunga - Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times
5 p.m. 
2. CULTURE HOUR
Named for Mexico’s revolutionary hero, Espacio Zapata (Porfirio Díaz 509; espaciozapata.blogspot.com) brings Oaxaca’s radical street art indoors with prints of stencil designs and graffiti on canvas. It also hosts workshops, readings and music. Around the corner, in a series of high-ceilinged rooms set around a courtyard pool, the Centro Fotográfico Manuel Álvarez Bravo (M. Bravo 116; 52-951-516-9800; cfmab.blogspot.com) hosts photo exhibitions and screenings. Founded by the painter Francisco Toledo, the Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca (Alcalá 507; institutodeartesgraficasdeoaxaca.blogspot.com; 52-951-516-6980) has a library devoted to graphic arts. The institute’s exhibition space shows the work of influential designers like the artist and activist Rini Templeton.

7 p.m.
3.
SLOW FOOD
Colorful Street Scene - Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times
In a country where leisurely meals are the rule, La Biznaga (García Vigil 512; 52-951-516-1800; labiznaga.com.mx) goes further, billing itself a “very slow food” establishment and issuing a warning that dishes take time. But with Biznaga’s relaxed, multicolored courtyard, eclectic soundtrack and extensive list of wines by the glass, the wait is a pleasure. The menu, scrawled on large green chalkboards, includes a selection of unusual soups, like the one called La Silvestre, with mushrooms, bacon and cambray onions (36 pesos) — served with all the fixings (chopped onion, cilantro, avocado, jalapeño and lime); fried squash blossoms in poblano chili sauce (63 pesos); and shrimp with garlic, chilies and tamarind mole (206 pesos).

10 p.m.
4. BOHO NIGHT LIFE
Across the street, La Zandunga (García Virgil and J. Carranza; 52-951-516-2265) is a little place painted in red and aqua and decorated with dangling light bulbs. It serves food that’s best suited to soaking up mescal and sharing among friends — doughy deep-fried empanadas (55 pesos) and molotes de plátano (fried plantain and cheese croquettes, 55 pesos). The bright, oilcloth-covered tables are perfect for lingering over an open bottle before hitting a dance floor. For that, head to Café Central (Hidalgo 302; 52-951-516-8505; cafecentraloaxaca.blogspot.com), a late-night spot with a stylized old Havana aesthetic — a stuffed marlin above the door, black-and-white tiled bar, red stage curtains — and live music or D.J.’d dance parties on weekends.

Saturday
8 a.m.
5.
WHOLESOME DAY TRIP
For a quick breakfast, return to the market for pan de yema (sweet egg bread) and Oaxaca’s famous hot chocolate. Then, get a glimpse of the countryside with Fundación En Vía (Instituto Cultural Oaxaca; Avenida Juarez 909; 52-951-515-2424; envia.org), a local micro-finance nonprofit organization that helps rural women develop small-scale businesses. The tour functions as a cultural exchange between travelers and borrowers — often indigenous Zapotec craftspeople. The tour (650 pesos, or $50, including lunch) finances the program. For another kind of cultural immersion, try a four-hour cooking class (10 a.m.; $65) at Casa Crespo (Allende 107; 52-951-516-0918; casacrespo.com), in a converted colonial home, where you’ll learn to cook such local specialties as 17-ingredient mole de fiesta, incorporating chilies, spices and chocolate, and rose petal ice cream.

3:30 p.m.
6. CAFE CON ARTE
For a house-roasted coffee and surprisingly authentic bagels, visit Café Brújula (García Vigil 409-D; 52-951-516-7255; cafebrujula.com) . First, drop by Amate Books (Alcalá 507A; 52-951-516-6960; amatebooks.com), an excellent English-language bookstore, for your requisite coffeehouse reading material. Then walk uphill to the city’s defunct aqueduct and the Instituto Oaxaqueño de las Artesanías, known as ARIPO (García Vigil 809), an emporium of crafts, including filigreed silver jewelry, etched leather bags and black pottery.

5 p.m. 
7. COLORFUL CRAFTS
The brilliant weavings of Oaxaca’s Teotitlán del Valle are among the most celebrated of Mexican artesanía (folk art). The Museo Textil de Oaxaca (Hidalgo 917; 52-951-501-1104; museotextildeoaxaca.org.mx) is devoted entirely to textiles. It has an excellent museum store and an in-house preservation workshop. The family-run shop Galeria Fe y Lola (5 de Mayo 408, No. 1; 52-951-524-4078) sells a gorgeous selection of wool rugs made with organic dyes. For those with a deep interest in the subject, the Oaxaca Cultural Navigator Web site (oaxacaculture.com) is a wonderful resource and sells a downloadable self-guided map ($10) of textile studios in Teotitlán del Valle.

7 p.m.
8. DINNER ‘DE AUTOR’

It has crisp white walls and waiters who are a bit too aloof, but unlike many restaurants of its kind, Pitiona (5 de Mayo 311; 52-951-514-4707; pitiona.com) avoids culinary flamboyance. Instead, it serves well-made regionally inspired dishes — like an amuse-bouche of beef tongue and bulgur meatballs with chintextle sauce (garlic, vinegar and guajillo chili), venison with yellow mole (245 pesos) and mango tacos with pear mousse (85 pesos) — that hue surprisingly close to tradition. For the full experience, go with the ever-changing six-course tasting menu (470 pesos).


9 p.m.
9. MAS MESCAL
The best way to understand Mexico’s mescal tradition is to visit one of the many pelanques (mescal distilleries), like La Destilería Los Danzantes (Calle Pino Suárez s/n, Santiago Matatlán, Tlacolula; 52-951-501-1184; losdanzantes.com), outside Oaxaca City, though typically open weekdays only. In town, one-year-old La Mezcaloteca (Reforma 506; 52-951-514-0082; mezcaloteca.com) is a wonderful alternative. Run by a pair of maguey-obsessed Mexico City expats, this dark, signless speakeasy-style mescal bar feels like a library devoted to the study of Oaxaca’s prized beverage. Try uncommon varieties like the rare, wild agave tobala as part of a three-tasting flight (100 pesos). Across town, Cuish (Diaz Ordaz 712; 52-951-516-8791; mezcalcuish.net) is less studious, but equally passionate.


Sunday
10 a.m.
10.
BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS
On an out-of-the-way stretch of residential street in the Reforma neighborhood, Casa Oaxaca Café (Jazmines 518; 52-951-502-6017; casaoaxacacafe.com), a luxurious outpost of the recently renovated and reopened downtown restaurant of the same name, is the go-to brunch spot for the city’s elite. This courtyard restaurant has wooden furniture, trees strung with vines and a bamboo canopy. Guayabera-wearing waiters float between the tables and the open kitchen delivering chilaquiles with guajillo (55 pesos), omelets with huitlacoche (corn fungus, 75 pesos) and mole empanadas (49 pesos). The fresh fruit juices and coffee are excellent.

12 p.m.
11.
RETURN TO SENDER
The city’s new stamp museum, Museo de Filatelia de Oaxaca (Reforma 504, 52-951- 516-8028; mufi.org.mx), is a fitting send-off. A recent exhibition featured bicycle-centric stamps from around the world, using bike rims as makeshift frames for international postal art. For a final stop, grab a nieve (snow), a generic word for frozen desserts, at another museum of sorts, the Museo de Nieves Manolo (Alcalá 706; 52-951-143-9253). Flavors include pistachio, cheese with basil and mescal (from 25 pesos). Enjoy your cone next to one of the twin fountains at Paseo Juárez, a leafy square with orange-flowered flame trees and a white oak donated by Oaxaca’s sister city, Palo Alto, Calif.

IF YOU GO
The year-old Diablo y La Sandia (Libres 205; 52-951-514-4095; eldiabloylasandia.com) has imaginative touches like glass-topped tables made from converted Mexican-style parillas (barbecue grills), a blue-tiled kitchen in the courtyard and a roof deck rimmed by potted plants. Five rooms, from $75.

The 21 elegant, modern rooms (from $130) at the new Hotel Azul (Abasolo 313; hotelazuloaxaca.com; 52-951-501-0016) surround a stone-and-cactus courtyard and a fountain designed by one of Oaxaca’s best-known artists, Francisco Toledo.

Original article is posted here: http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/travel/36-hours-oaxaca-mexico.html

Friday, January 13, 2012

Red Cross Huatulco

On Sunday January 22nd the Red Cross Huatulco is hosting a scavenger hunt fund raiser with all proceeds going to the Red Cross.

If you haven't already got your team together the time is now...umm, me included!

If your not into participating in the scavenger hunt, you can still donate your time and give back in other ways.  This is a great event and supports a very worthy cause.

Hurry!!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

La Tour Hotels & Resorts Now in Huatulco

La Tour Hotel & Resorts offers hospitality management for 4 and 5 star properties, and has officially announced the opening of Celeste Beach Residences & Spa in Huatulco.

Read the story here: http://www.meetingsfocus.com/NewsEvents/IndustryNews/IndustryNewsDetails/tabid/138/ArticleID/17312/Default.aspx

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

United Offering Service to Oaxaca

This ad was spotted in the Houston International Airport...check it out.  If you haven't been to Oaxaca yet, be sure to visit this beautiful colonial city as it has tons of history, great food, and amazing artists!







Click on the link to explore:

http://www.unitedvacations.com/planning/destination.do?destinationCode=OAX&displayTab=HOTELS_AND_PRICING

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Beautiful Beaches of Huatulco - Playa Montosa

A beautiful beach, on a deserted island, yet close to civilization?

Sort of I suppose.  This beach is one of those that I see almost on a daily basis, but am always driving when I do see it.  It is true, this beach is on an island.  Situated out in Tangolunda Bay, Montosa Island is not very big, but it's big enough to be a significant marker for boats and probably birds.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Hagia Sofia - Part 2

I was fortunate enough to visit this beautiful place for the second time, and for those of you who didn't catch my first blog post about Hagia Sofia, here is the link to that story...http://huatulcolife.blogspot.com/2011/05/hagia-sofia.html#more

You will definitely want to make your way here some day as this mountain oasis is a showcase for beautiful plants and tropical flowers.  The proprietor Armando is hard at work making this magical place even better than before.  He intends to construct cabins on-site some day so you will be able to spend the night and wake up to those crisp mountain mornings...this will be a welcome addition!

I have posted some new photos here: gallery...http://huatulcolife.blogspot.com/p/gallery_17.html

Enjoy!