Tropical Storm Barbara

Tropical storm Barbara is strengthening of the coast today and has the possibility to becoming a hurricane as it makes it's way to the coast later this afternoon or evening.

It is a fairly slow moving storm but seems to be strengthening.

Stay tuned for more information.

2013 ITU Huatulco World Cup Triathlon

The 2013 ITU Huatulco World Cup Triathlon kicks off Saturday in Santa Cruz.

This is the fifth edition and the second since they changed the date to May.  And, just like clock work the weather gods are beginning to deliver a strong hit of humidity as the coastline begins to transition into the rainy season.

I'm sweating right now just thinking about the suffering that will be going on after they transition from the swim to the bike.  As usual, the athletes will be tackling the "killer hill" on their bikes, and it will no doubt leave a few of the athletes begging for mercy!

I will be there, camera in tow, to catch all the action as the pros dual it out on Sunday.  It's an 8:00am start for the ladies, and 10:45 for the men.

If you in Huatulco bring your sunscreen, lots of water, and a big hat to stay as comfortable as possible.

See you there!

Blues on the Beach with David Rotundo

Today's Post comes from Dan Thompson 

Hello Everybody: Join us for the final Nuevo Amanecer “Blues on the Beach” party of 2013 with David Rotundo.

http://www.davidrotundo.com/indexFlash.html

We’ll be at the beautiful Latitude 15 beach club on Chahue Bay at 8PM on February 25 to enjoy this great blues harpist and his band.  People are still talking about his show last year!

Donations are 250 pesos in advance, 300 at the door.

I know there’s a lot going on in February, but what the heck, were in Huatulco!!

Pass the word and let your friends know.

See you there!  Regards, Dan

As always, all proceeds from the concert will benefit Un Nuevo Amanecer, a nonprofit organization located in La Crucecita  that assists children with special needs.   http://www.freewebs.com/nuevo_amanecer/index.htm

Other events in February include the Amigos de la Musica concert on the 20^th.   Let’s support all of these events.

Un Nuevo Amanecer Concert - February 4th

Hello Everybody:  Most of those who were in Huatulco last January and February and had a chance to attend the Nuevo Amanecer concerts agreed that they were the music events of the year.

Get ready to raise the roof again.  Mark Monday, February 4 on your calendar for an evening of cold beer and great music, and all for a good cause.   All proceeds from the concert will benefit Un Nuevo Amanecer, a nonprofit organization located in La Crucecita  that assists children with developmental problems.  http://www.freewebs.com/nuevo_amanecer/index.htm

The organizers of the Puerto Escondido Blues Festival have made arrangements to share with us their headline act for that week.  Thank you Billy!  Join us at the beautiful Latitude 15 beach club on Chahue Bay at 8PM on February 4 to enjoy the hard rocking guitarist Neil Chapman; the raw, soulful voice and emotive guitar skills of Chris Caddell; and one of Canada’s best blues harp players,  Paul Reddick. 

Tickets will be 250 pesos in advance and 300 at the door and  150 pesos for students and teachers. Tickets will be available at:

Hemingway’s

Café Juanita

Resort Real Estate Services

Palm Properties

Our promotion will be primarily through word of mouth.  Please help us by forwarding this to your contact list.  If you would like to assist with ticket sales, please let me know.

Regards,  

Dan Thompson

The Black Vulture

While not one of the prettiest looking birds in Huatulco, the Black Vulture is a very common sight.

It's range extends from the southwest United State all the way down the Chile in South America.  And although it's rather large with a wing span of nearly 5 feet, it is not the largest of vultures.  It's black plummage and characteristic hooked beak is easily discernible.

This scavenger will feed on pretty much anything and you can see it circling the skies looking for food with its keen eye sight.

Careful not to fall asleep while your tanning on the beach...you may find a flock of these circling overhead!

Sunset Over Huatulco

I caught this amazing sunset on December 26th over the Huatulco waters...it was a great way to end a day out on the water!

Happy New Year to everyone and we hope that 2013 is filled with your own beautiful sunsets!

Beautiful Beaches of Huatulco - Playa Riscalillo

This beautiful beach can only be reached by boat so if you are heading there, bring your cooler full of goodies!

It's a pleasant boat ride from the marina in Santa Cruz, and you will pass by numerous other isolated and deserted beaches on your way to Playa Riscalillo.  It's a quaint beach in a beautiful little bay with turquoise blue waters and pleasant snorkelling.  There is a significant protected reef area that has been roped off to protect it from some of the boats that frequent this bay.

At times, you may be the only one on this beach but, depending on the day you may encounter a few larger boats that bring tourists here for a couple of hours to experience this paradise.

None the less, Playa Riscalillo is a beautiful beach and should be on your list of beautiful beaches of Huatulco.

The Fourth Festival of Birds in Huatulco

The Fourth Festival of Birds begins November 8th and runs to the 11th here in Huatulco.

Since I have never been to this event before I'm really not sure what to expect.  However, if you know Huatulco, you will know that we have hundreds of beautiful bird species down here...it's a birders paradise!

The schedule is attached, so if you are in town, bring your camera, it should be an interesting time!

Mexico, Bahias de Huatulco: Perfectly cleaned beaches with Beach Tech Marina

This August, a Beach Tech Marina beach cleaning machine was handed over to the municipality of "Santa Maria de Huatulco" this August for cleaning the beaches of Bahias de Huatulco.

The vacation resort of Bahias de Huatulco, along the Mexican Pacific coast, comprises nine gorgeous bays with 36 beaches along approximately 35 kilometres of unique coastline.  The little fishing village has become a targeted growth area for the state-run tourism authority and along the coast, tourists can engage in all types of water related activities.  In the past few years, it has developed into one of the largest tourism centers at the Pacific with fantastic hotels and resorts, especially in the upper price ranges.  Additionally, the largest part of this extraordinary region in the federal state of Oaxaca was just declared a National Park.

Casa de la Cultura

When you are in Huatulco, don't forget to head over to the Casa de la Cultura to experience a whole list of cultural things.

How about some dance lessions?

Danzón, Salsa, Mambo, Tango, Cumbia, Rock & Roll, or the Cha Cha Cha.  The choice is yours...just make your way over there every Monday, Wednesday, or Friday from 7:00 - 8:30pm.

Have fun!

Bienvenidos

Post by Sue McClam of Huatulco Language Courses

I see you glancing at the calendar thinking about making final plans to return to Huatulco. Is it really time to go back? Is that the familiar morning chill in the air reminding you to make plans to get out before the first snow falls?

Mexico Releases Over 200 Million Turtle Hatchlings

Posted by John Ganjei for Mexico Today

Over the past six years, over 200 million olive ridley sea turtle hatchlings have been released on La Escobilla Beach. Located in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, La Escobilla Beach has seen a significant increase in hatchlings over the past few decades.

The government program that has led to this increase has seen numbers rise from 200,000 hatchlings in 1973 to over 1.5 million in 2012, indicating that the species is making a strong recovery.

Releasing the Turtles

Saturday, September 15th at Playa Chahue, along with the Playas Limpias and several other interested and caring community members helped to release some 80 baby turtles back into the Pacific Ocean.

As part of an on-going program to care for and protect the turtle population, a small gathering of people came together to do their part in helping ensure that the turtle populations remain healthy.  The day prior in what was a less public event, another 150 turtles were relased back to the waters of the Pacific.

This has been a very successful program and is proving to be setting an example for other organizations around the world to follow.

We hope you enjoy some of the photos from the day.

GM's OnStar Services Coming to Mexico in 2013

Posted by John Ganjei via Mexico Today

General Motors Company is bringing the OnStar in-car communication service to Mexico in the coming year, as it expands into more markets around the world.

“OnStar’s expansion into Mexico will make OnStar the preeminent provider of automobile safety and security services in Latin America,” said Mary Chan, president of Global Connected Consumer.

Mexico will be the fourth country to have OnStar available in Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC cars. The system was first introduced internationally in China in 2009. The system will offer all the usual services such as automatic crash response, turn-by-turn navigation, stolen vehicle assistance, vehicle diagnostics, hands-free calling, and roadside assistance. While OnStar won’t be the only telematics system offered in Mexico, human interaction is what OnStar reps believe it will set it apart.

“While OnStar uses very powerful and advanced technologies to deliver its services in the car, via the web and smart devices, it is simple and easy for the customer to use,” said Jeff Christensen, managing director of OnStar Mexico.

Nuts Over Chiles in Nogada

Award-winning writer and photojournalist Paula McDonald’s photos of Mexican life and culture can be found at Galeria del Puerto, next to Restaurant Calypso, on Playa Zicatela. Or online at www.paulamcdonald.com

Call it the Viagra of authentic Mexican cuisine. A dish that Frida Kahlo loved. A dish so sensual that it was the star of the final chapter and the final sequence of Mexico's most popular book and movie export, "Like Water for Chocolate."  The fabled chiles in walnut sauce prepared for that story's climactic wedding scene so overwhelmed every guest with waves of heated passion that all, from priest to revolutionary soldier to prudish matron, rushed off immediately after eating them to make mad, passionate love under wash tubs, in clothes closets, under stairwells, on the open riverbanks of turn-of-the-century Chihuahua.

Chiles en nogada is a dish so divine that the cliche "to die for" is but a pale description of its delights (and the story's main characters, lovers Tita and Pedro, actually do ignite and incinerate in a fiery volcano of light during the book's finale).

It is a creation so complex and seasonal that few restaurants attempt its preparation, and yet, it remains one of Mexico’s most popular and sought-after dishes almost 200 years after its first appearance.

Shortly after Mexico gained its independence in 1810, the new president Don Agustin de Iturbide paid his first visit to the central Mexican city of Puebla. In preparation, the finest cooks among the wives of local military and political leaders were charged with creating a unique dish in his honor. Their masterpiece was a poblano chile delight, stuffed with the finest seasoned meats, nuts and fruits of the region and completely covered with an exquisite snow-white walnut sauce. Accented with the blood-red seeds of local pomegranates and with perfect sprigs of parsley, the platter proudly bore the colors of the Mexican flag. But, because of the seasonality of ingredients during that era, the instantly popular dish could only thereafter be served during August and September. It was the fresh-picked walnuts with white, white meat that limited this short season. (As walnuts are stored, the meat matures to the light brown color that most of us are familiar with, but these darkened walnuts will hardly do for the authentic colors of the Mexican flag. The dish must be presented as striking red, white and green, not red, beige and green.)

Lucky us. Not only has modern transportation allowed for wider distribution of the special ingredients of this now famous national dish, but longer growing seasons allow us to enjoy it all over Mexico for a much longer time period. So, when traveling in mainland Mexico anytime between Easter and late fall, watch for hand-lettered signs that pop up in front of fine restaurants and humble mercado stalls alike: "Hay chiles en nogada."  It means "There are chiles en nogada today." That happy news always sets a true fan's heart aflutter since this complicated dish is only attempted by Mexico’s most ambitious cooks.  And each restaurant—indeed, each chef---puts a different spin on the traditional recipe, making the sampling even more interesting.

Here's what you need to know about the original concept and recipe to compare each treasure you find.

Traditionally, a fat poblano chile is roasted and peeled, then stuffed with an exotic mix of cooked ground pork and beef, finely chopped fresh fruits, nuts and spices. Depending on seasonal availability, expect apricots, green and red apples, pears, platanos machos (giant bananas), peaches, raisins, cashews, almonds, pine nuts, fresh nutmeg and a hint of cumin and white pepper. 

The stuffed chiles are then covered with a thick sauce of stone-ground walnuts, mixed with cream, milk, aged ranch cheese, sugar and a touch of salt and pepper.  Literally translated, "en nogada" means "a sauce of pounded walnuts and spice," and, at its finest, the sauce should be so thick with ground nuts that it covers the entire chile and stays in place. The taste and consistency is like that of a sweet walnut milkshake. But the varying combinations of contrasting flavors and textures as you take bite after bite are what make this dish an endless surprise. Most people who know and love authentic chiles en nogada begin to salivate just thinking about the multiple layers of tastes that play upon the tongue.

If you're not yet an initiate, keep watching for that simple sign wherever you travel in Mexico and then savor each bite. "There are chiles en nogada today."

Festival Mareño in Huatulco

The Festival Mareño is on right now is Santa Cruz and will continue through the weekend.

Make sure to pop on down to check out the photography workshops, the course on dance techniques, and also the painting workshops.

There will also be some musical talent on hand to entertain.

See you in Santa Cruz!

Taking the Plunge in Huatulco, Mexico

Original story by Michele Peterson...travel writer and communications consultant.  To view her website click here.

Compared to swimming with dolphins, swimming with sardines probably doesn’t rank high on the lifetime bucket list for most people. But, as I plunged headfirst into a school of thousands of the graceful acrobats, I realized the tiny silver fish had its own special charms. They shape-shifted from a shadowy cloud into a shimmering ribbon of silver that swirled around my body like a wisp of fine silk. Then, moving in unison, they morphed again – this time into a blanket that blocked out the sunlight and threw the coral reef into darkness.

An 18-km coastline with 36 beaches, a wealth of dive sites and  a varied underwater scene are just a few of the outdoor experiences Huatulco offers. Our group of eight snorkellers and three crew members of Hurricane Divers, were anchored offshore at San Agustin Beach, a western bay in the Bahías de Huatulco area on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Located an hour by boat and a $15 cab ride from the luxury hotel zone of Tangolunda Beach, San Agustín Beach is relatively deserted, apart from a few seafood palapas (thatched huts).  It flanks Huatulco National Park, a 119 sq. km. ecological reserve  at the base of the Sierra Madre Sur.

With calm waters and underwater visibility of up to 18 metres, even novices can spot florescent damsel fish, spiny black sea urchins and eels ducking through the crevasses of the coral reef.

“We saw humpbacks here last week,” said Ken Gray, our tattooed, platinum-haired dive master.

Even more untouched than San Agustín, our next stop Chachacual Bay , is accessible only by boat. Upon arrival, the crew laid out an al fresco lunch while we floated in shallow waters bursting with blue-spotted coronet fish and yellow-tailed sturgeon. Refreshed by the clear waters, we planted ourselves on the white sand to enjoy grilled steak arranchera, spicy adobo chicken and fresh papaya salad.  

Next up  was Cacaluta Islandwhere a coral plate stretches for 300m at depths of between 2 to 12 metres. The marine life is so abundant and the coral so colourful, it’s known as Las Jardines or the gardens.

“Watch for strings of gas bubbles escaping from between the rocks on the bottom” said Gray, as we anchored in open water. “You may find sea turtles and Nurse Sharks resting in the gaps in the coral.”

Deciding to drip-dry for a few stops, I soaked up the panorama of sun and sea. Manta rays leaped above the water’s surface and plumes of crystal spray shot out of a nearby blowhole. No other boats were in sight.

“Where is everybody?” I asked.

“Huatulco is out of the way for many people,” shrugged Gray.

Located in the southern state of Oaxaca, it’s 185 km south of Acapulco and closer to Guatemala than major Mexican cities. Yet its isolation doesn’t mean roughing it. Much like Cancun, Los Cabos and Ixtapa, Huatulco was identified as a prime site for tourism development by Fonatur, the Mexican government agency. A massive injection of cash created an impressive infrastructure of wide boulevards, luxury marinas, golf courses and a modern sewage treatment system. Yet it remains surrounded by stretches of unchecked wilderness.

“They learned from earlier overbuilding mistakes and imposed development restrictions,” said Gray.

With flights to Huatulco increasing, the region’s peaceful seclusion may not last long. But for now, the beaches and clear blue waters are free of crowds.

Unless you count the sardines.

If You Go

Hurricane Divers is located in Santa Cruz harbour and offers deep-sea fishing in addition to dive and snorkel excursions for half and full days.

The snorkelling tour is offered from Tuesdays through Friday. Book at least two or three days in advance.

Download the Puerto Escondido Travel Essentials mobile app for more tips on day trips from Puerto Escondido

Mexico to Launch First Adventure Travel Trade Show in September 2012

Posted by Journey Mexico

As Mexico’s Finest Adventure Company , we are excited to share some news with our readers:

As a result of Adventure Travel and Trade Association’s (ATTA)  2011 Adventure Travel World Summit, the coastal city of Veracruz, Mexico will be hosting the first ATMEX Adventure Travel Trade Show from September 5 – 9, 2012. Designed by the world’s leading adventure tourism trade organization, ATMEX is expected to emerge as one of Latin America’s most important annual adventure travel events.

The theme for the Trade Show will be “Breaking New Trails”. It aims is to create a learning environment for domestic operators, to help Mexican suppliers develop new partnerships with international buyers and media, and to stimulate responsible growth and sustainable development for Mexico and for the adventure travel trade worldwide. Jessica, from our e-marketing team,  will be traveling to the trade show as well as attending the pre-tours.  Starting September 1, follow along on Twitter and Facebook for more information about what we accomplish during this industry conference. We’re sure we’ll have some exciting news to share!

Huatulco Flight Schedule

The middle of August is fast approaching, which also means that the fall months, and "back to school" is not so far off!  It's a good idea to plan your vacation now before the snow flies to ensure your place in paradise.

The flight schedule is courtesy of Resort Real Estate Services.

Beautiful Beaches of Huatulco - La Entrega

Playa La Entrega is a small, but beautiful beach located relatively close to the lighthouse.  If you are looking for easy access and full services, you have come to the right place.

What you will find here are several palapa restaurants lining the beach...this is great if you don't want to pack a lunch and need to rent some snorkel gear.  This is after all, one of the better spots in Huatulco to snorkel.  And while you are in the water enjoying all of those tropical fish, just around the corner is tiny Playa Cholita.  This is a great spot to stop if you are getting a little tired and want a bit more privacy.  At times, La Entrega can be filled with sun loving tourists due to the easy access and tour buses who stop here.  Oh, you may want to avoid Sunday's as this is the busiest beach day of the week...there are 35 other beaches here to enjoy!