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    The empty white-sand beach of Cacaluta Bay curving below dry forested hills, with turquoise water, Oaxaca

    Photo by MexBoss, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Playa Cacaluta seen from the sea, a long strip of sand with low hills behind, Oaxaca

    Photo by Danielllerandi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Bahía de Cacaluta

    Beach Santa María Huatulco, Oaxaca Municipality of Santa María Huatulco Oaxaca Coast

    A wild, 1 km beach in Huatulco National Park, sheltered by an island and backed by dunes; reached on a forest trail or by boat.

    Reached on foot from Cacaluta trailhead car park: 45 min each way. How to get there ↓

    Near here

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    Plan your visit to Bahía de Cacaluta

    Where to stay near Bahía de Cacaluta

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Bahía de Cacaluta.

    Hotels in Bahía de Cacaluta Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Bahía de Cacaluta

    Day trips and guided outings from Mazunte often include Bahía de Cacaluta; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Huatulco Tour to Copalitilla Magical Waterfalls from Huatulco with admission included ★ 4.9 (414) · From US$55
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Bahía de Cacaluta

    • Reached on foot from Cacaluta trailhead car park: 45 min each way.
    • From Salina Cruz: about 1 h 55 min by road (~151 km)
    • Nearest airport: Huatulco (HUX), 44 min by car to Mazunte
    Rent a car at HUX Flights to HUX

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Tours from Huatulco, near Bahía de Cacaluta

    Tour to Copalitilla Magical Waterfalls from Huatulco with admission included ★ 4.9 (414) 8 h From US$55
    Full Day Tour of the Bays of Huatulco ★ 4.3 (251) 7–8 h From US$40
    Huatulco Ocean Eco Adventures ★ 4.9 (182) 4 h 30 min From US$77
    Cascadas: Puente Colgante + Zona de Clavados ★ 4.9 (173) 7 h From US$53
    Huatulco Walking Food Tour ★ 4.8 (127) 3 h From US$75

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Bahía de Cacaluta

    Cacaluta is one of the five bays inside Huatulco National Park, west of Maguey and east of Chachacual, in the municipality of Santa María Huatulco. Its name is linked to the cacalote, a black bird of the crow family. The main beach is a curve of about 1 km of soft pale sand backed by dunes, with Isla Cacaluta sitting across the mouth of the bay and sheltering it; the bay's outline is often described as heart-shaped. A second, smaller beach has coarser sand and gentler waves.

    Nothing has been built here and there are no services, which is why Cacaluta is counted among the least spoiled of Huatulco's nine bays. The park was decreed on 24 July 1998; about 55 percent of the Cacaluta river's 49 km² watershed lies inside it, along with the seasonal Zanate lagoon behind the beach and the smaller Cacaluta lagoon nearer the sea. Migratory birds arrive every year. The bay was a filming location for Alfonso Cuarón's 2001 road movie Y tu mamá también.

    Swimming is possible, but there can be an undertow, and there is snorkelling a short swim from shore. Most visitors arrive on boat tours from the Santa Cruz pier; the alternative is a walk of roughly 45 minutes through dry forest from the end of the paved road, past the Zanate lagoon.

    How to get to Bahía de Cacaluta

    Drive from Salina Cruz to Cacaluta trailhead car park: 1 h 55 min, 151 km

    From Santa Cruz take the road toward Maguey; about 200 m before Maguey a sign marks the turn to the right for Cacaluta (not the earlier service road signed "Tanque Cacaluta", which dead-ends). Drive about 2 km to a small car park where the paved road ends, then walk roughly 45 minutes to the beach; motorbikes are not allowed on the trail. Taxis can drop you at the entrance, but for the ride back you may need to walk about 1 km to the taxi stand at Maguey. Boats from the Santa Cruz pier are the easiest option.

    Reached on foot from Cacaluta trailhead car park: 45 min each way.

    Directions to Bahía de Cacaluta on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Where to stay Hotels in Bahía de Cacaluta Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Bahía de Cacaluta. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Bahía de Cacaluta

    • Salina Cruz · 151 km by road, 1 h 55 min to Cacaluta trailhead car park, then 45 min on foot
    • Juchitán · 193 km by road, 2 h 35 min to Cacaluta trailhead car park, then 45 min on foot
    • Oaxaca · 285 km by road, 4 h 10 min to Cacaluta trailhead car park, then 45 min on foot

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Bahía de Cacaluta: hours, prices and tips

    Time needed
    Allow about 45 minutes each way on foot from the car park. The Eye Huatulco · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    There are no services on the beach: bring water, food and sun protection. Lonely Planet · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    The trail is for walkers and bicycles only, no motorbikes; a park ranger may ask to see your park wristband, and all rubbish must be carried out. The Eye Huatulco · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Bahía de Cacaluta: what to see and do

    Walk the forest trail from the car park past the Zanate lagoon.
    Spend a quiet day on the 1 km beach backed by dunes.
    Snorkel a short swim from shore, watching for undertow.
    Look out for migratory birds around the lagoons.
    See the bay and its island from the water on a boat tour of the bays.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Bahía de Cacaluta

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Bahía de Cacaluta.

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Mazunte often include Bahía de Cacaluta; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at HUX (Huatulco): about 44 min by road to Mazunte, then 43 km more to Bahía de Cacaluta, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Huatulco (HUX), about 44 min by road from Mazunte, the base for Bahía de Cacaluta.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on swimming or surfing at Bahía de Cacaluta, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Mazunte: download a map of the way to Bahía de Cacaluta before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    Photos

    When to go to Bahía de Cacaluta warm

    Bahía de Cacaluta shares the climate of Mazunte, 43 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.

    Bahía de Cacaluta is best for swimming and time on the water in the warmest months (March, April, and May); in the rainiest ones (June, August, and September) expect storms in the afternoon.

    See the month-by-month climate of Mazunte

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Mazunte

    Sunset over the bay and headland at Mazunte, Oaxaca warm
    Oaxaca Mazunte

    Mazunte is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Bahía de Cacaluta, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Closest to Bahía de Cacaluta

    Near Bahía de Cacaluta

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Lists with Bahía de Cacaluta

    Beaches in Oaxaca · 19 Beaches near Mazunte · 16

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.