Exploring near Huatulco

The trek to Acapulco was a long one, and a big reason why most cruisers stop at Zihuatanejo. But our chosen journey is lengthy and ambitious, and three more such legs lay ahead of us before we will arrive at the first country cruisers visit beyond Mexico. So off we go again, choosing to depart each port in the afternoon so as to arrive at the next near dawn two days later.

This way, anything that slows us down won’t cause us to arrive in the dark. We can sail in light wind, tack out as needed, or have wiggle room in case of a problem such as a fouled fishing line, etc.

3am moon enroute Huatulco

The next destination for Volare is Huatulco, in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. What we refer to as “Huatulco” is actually the Bahias de Huatulco or Bays of Huatulco. In the space of several miles there are about ten bays with spots to anchor, ranging from remote beaches with no occupants to anchorages near the cruise ship pier.

This is this last destination for which our amazing cruising guide holds any information, and that is slim at best. Somehow, it now seems significant that we are stretching the boundaries of the familiar and really going cruising.

Bahia Jicaral

Sailing out of Acapulco for two uneventful nights, we arrive at one of the first bays, Jicaral, which is purported to be a comfortable anchorage. We immediately celebrate our arrival with Jello shots out of giant syringes (which have become our new custom) and a swim in the clean, clear water. A quick dinghy for lunch at the tasty, if pricey, seafood palapa on the beach. It is the only sign of civilization in sight. A couple of snorkel/tour boats arrive and anchor near us but only stay about an hour before departing.

Sundown in Jicaral

We decide to check out the snorkeling ourselves and end up with Jess and Foxy in the dinghy dragging Adam, Steve, and Chelsea, along with the paddle board across the entire bay to snorkel the other side where the corals are fenced off from the rest of the bay to protect them from anchors. The next morning we hiked up the road to get some exercise and let Foxy run a bit.

The little bay was quite a piece of paradise but we have to leave to head to “town” after only one night for the arrival of Steve’s visiting son Riley.

Descriptions we’d heard of the two towns situated in the bays made them sound like dusty, remote villages with little to offer. What we found was quite the opposite. The town of Santa Cruz and small city of La Crucecita are beautiful, thriving towns with every amenity a cruiser could want. A large grocery store and movie theater boast American favorites and English language movies.

Restaurants range from simple to swanky. Paint schemes and landscaping rival any that can be seen in San Diego. The towns are neat, friendly, and inexpensive.

Marina Chahue Huatulco

We pulled into the short channel leading to the Fonatur marina, timing our arrival at high tide due to shallow water in the entrance. The channel itself boasted sufficient depth but a low spot as it opens up into the marina basin showed about a foot under Volare’s keel. This isn’t the kind of place you want to have to do a holding pattern. We are directed to a slip and are helped to tie up by security and friendly marina workers.

The wind made getting secured to the too-short finger pier a challenge but luckily we had enough helping hands to make it work. Jean Anne, after some confusion as to slip location, was secured nearby and we scheduled bottom cleanings, topsides washings, and plans for what we would do “in town.” The Fonatur marinas are Mexico’s government run marinas and vary significantly in amenities but only cost $20 US per night.

Jean Anne in Jicaral

The Huatulco marina, called Marina Chahue, has outdoor showers and single stall toilets with no paper or toilet seats. We would usually shower and use the toilets on land to save water and avoid filling the black tank too quickly but these sparse facilities had us hooking up our hose shower on the boat and using the toilet anyway.

There is no pool and the parking lot is a dirt lot. The marina office is open during it’s posted hours (mas or menos). All of these things are mere conveniences we are willing to overlook or work around, especially for the low price. However, the one thing we had trouble living with was the awful surge.

I don’t know if the breakwater is poorly designed or the channel too short, but a fierce surge rocks the marina day and night. After our first night, one of our dock lines had chafed halfway through, sending us scurrying to the Chedraui for chafe guard. We ended up buying a cheap set of automotive floor mats and zip tying pieces of the rubber around our lines, the only thing that saved them. During one of the last days of our stay, Chelsea went to step off Jean Anne and found the boat quite a distance from the dock. They’d had a stern line chafe through completely!

Crew Volare Malolo and Jean Anne

We are glad we were present to witness the line chafing, because we had just returned from the highlight of our stay in Huatulco, an inland trip. The next step after leaving Huatulco is crossing the dreaded Gulf of Tehuantepec and a long, calm weather window is needed to do this. Once Riley had departed, the weather to go wasn’t looking good. Rather than risk a short window that was forecast, we opted to rent a car and visit some of Oaxaca’s sights.

Cloud City 8000ft

Heather, our good friend from La Cruz and valued Volare crewmember, has spent time in Huatulco and suggested we visit San Jose del Pacifico, a city in the cloud forest. At over 8,000 feet elevation, “cloud city” as we came to refer to it, gave us a welcome break from the heat and a stunning mountain getaway.

The word surreal seems the best description of the tiny town at the top of a mountain that boasts a stunning selection of mezcal and some of the best steaks we’ve ever eaten. The town is tiny and can be traversed in a few minutes by car, even counting the plentiful topes (speed bumps) that litter the road.

Cloud City selfie

Tall pine trees sway in the breeze and the view down each ravine is breath taking. Thanks to the need for dog-friendly accommodations, we booked a cabin at Puesta del Sol. This quaint, near perfect accommodation has fewer than 20 cabanas scattered along a steep hillside which are joined by paved winding paths with decorative landscaping all around.

Cabin in Cloud City

Our cabana held a bathroom, two beds, a table and chairs, and a fireplace. Elegant in its simplicity, we were excited to see each bed had three thick blankets on top. No more hot, sweaty nights for us. We are ready to be chilly!

Fireplace Cloud City

A staff member visits each evening and lights the fire. We quickly discovered that one bucket of firewood wasn’t enough and purchased a second to keep the room warmer all night. We sipped wine and mezcal, played cards, and sat on the porch wrapped in blankets to watch the clouds roll in and blanket the town in mist. The city becomes engulfed in fog and only a few street lights shine through. It truly earns the name “cloud city.”

Foggy morning at 8000ft

I don’t usually detail our trips to restaurants, but one in San Jose del Pacifico is worth mentioning. We happened by Taberna de los Duendes (Tavern of the Elves) and found it to be some of the best steak, and food in general, we’ve ever had. We returned here for dinner all three nights we spent there to feast on perfectly cooked 400g (15oz) steaks, mashed potatoes, salad, pasta, and flavored mezcal. If you ever find yourself in a position to visit the cloud city, make this restaurant a part of your stay!

Most amazing steaks ever Cloud City

Always up for a good hike when off the boat, the area around the Cloud City really gave us a workout.  This waterfall is probably really amazing in the wet season but as you can see, it’s pretty dry.

Long hike little waterfall

Cloud city

We pried ourselves away from the cool temperatures and delicious food and continued our trip to visit Mesoamerican ruins in Oaxaca City. As luck would have it, we were also able to procure six new 6V batteries Jean Anne had been searching for while in the city. We weren’t quite as lucky with our accommodations here, staying in a nice, but noisy and overpriced hotel and and then a VRBO property with a non-working Jacuzzi. We did though, see one of the largest and most important archaeological sites in Mexico.

Monte Alban ruins in Oaxaca

As with a few places we’ve visited, dogs are not allowed in the site (although stray dogs roam about freely). They didn’t have an issue with us sitting in the shade of the entrance area with Foxy so we took turns roaming the vast site and viewing the artifacts in the museum.

Church in Oaxaca

Upon return to Huatulco and the marina, we provisioned and moved to the easternmost bay, ready for departure across the Tehuantepec. But that, dear friends, is a story for another day!

Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out the rest of our website and follow along with our travels at CruisingVolare.