Even the "commercial" beaches with palapa (palm thatch) restaurants, such as la Entrega, are rarely crowded. It was here, after seeing a giant sea turtle while snorkeling on the 650-foot coral reef, that our decision to live in Huatulco was confirmed.

I had vaguely heard of Huatulco in 1999, when we loaded our small car and headed for Mexico. My husband and I were looking for a new home and after months of reading, had limited our search to the Pacific Coast of Mexico. We spent almost six months doing "field research".

Wide paved streets are lined with grass, flowering shrubs and palm trees.

Together we checked every strip of beach available and depending on our impression of a particular location, our stay lasted from one night to six weeks. We had a list of specific criteria, but by our fifth month both of us were becoming disheartened. To settle on a location, we began to discuss which compromises might be made. Driving into Huatulco (wa-TOOL-co) my husband commented that the town center, la Crucecita, was charmingly Mexican with a traditional central square bounded by shops and patio restaurants. Huatulco exceeded our original list of criteria and after spending only three days exploring the area, we knew beyond a doubt that this was where we were going to live.

Five of Huatulco's bays have been designated as a National Aquatic Park. In addition to the Aquatic Park, the Huatulco National Park also includes 6,374 hectares of natural sub-tropical forest between the airport and the town.

Maguey Bay, one of Huatulco's 9 bays.

More than anything else it was the beaches that sold us on Huatulco. There are nine bays with thirty-seven beaches spread along 18 kilometers of rugged coastline. Several of the beaches are set into coves within the bays so that, unlike much of the Pacific coast, the waters are calm and safe for swimming and snorkeling. Some areas are accessible only by boat and many are virgin beaches with nothing but pristine sand and crystal clear water. Even the "commercial" beaches with palapa (palm thatch) restaurants, such as la Entrega, are rarely crowded. It was here, after seeing a giant sea turtle while snorkeling on the 650-foot coral reef, that our decision to live in Huatulco was confirmed.

Five of Huatulco's bays have been designated as a National Aquatic Park. While the coral is not as colorful as you might find in the Caribbean, the abundance and variety of marine life will fascinate those interested in diving or snorkeling. An hour up the coast is the Mazunte Turtle Sanctuary. At one time turtles were hunted here and the eggs were considered a delicacy. Prices for turtle meat and eggs almost drove the turtles into extinction. Now through the diligent effort of this and other reserves it is common to see a variety of turtle species here in their natural habitat.

In addition to the Aquatic Park, the Huatulco National Park also includes 6,374 hectares of natural sub-tropical forest between the airport and the town. As a major stopping off point on the bird migratory route, this is a bird-watcher's paradise! Two hundred and seventy-eight different species of birds live in or migrate through this area. This is Mexico's premier "Eco Resort" and the government has decreed that 70% of the land will be set aside for green space and natural preserve.

Cruise ship pier in Santa Cruz Bay.

There are some very interesting tours and activities here and in the nearby mountains. One of our favorites takes you to a forest where you can swing like Tarzan into a lagoon and swim through a waterfall. The more adventurous may enjoy rappelling down a 100-foot waterfall and during the rainy season white water rafting is available from levels 1 to 5. Coffee growing was once a major industry in the nearby mountains and naturally grown Oaxacan coffee can be found at many gourmet coffee shops around the world. It is possible to combine a trip to one of the coffee "fincas" with a swim in a waterfall. Many people are delighted to discover that our par 72 golf course is so under utilized that you can practically name your tee time. The numerous hills make bicycling a bit too strenuous for our ability, but Huatulco has hosted a 1/2 Iron Man Competition for three consecutive years and there are those who enjoy the challenge.

At the moment Huatulco is accurately described as "the best-kept secret in Mexico". For us this is one of the charms... it is unspoiled with a leisurely

The climate here suits us perfectly. We were pleasantly surprised to find that it is not as oppressively hot as we found it to be in parts of Asia during the hot season. An average daytime winter temperature is about 28C (82F) and spring/summer maximums are about 38C (100F). The hottest time is from late April to the end of May, when the humidity is building up prior to the rains. The winter evenings are pleasantly cool but never below 15C (60F). The Pacific coast is mountainous and the breezes from both the sea and the mountains go a long way toward keeping the climate comfortable.

The rainy season lasts from late May to mid October. This sounds like a lot of rain but in fact, we only get about 35 days of rainfall per year with the heaviest falling in September and early October. It is more common to have rain during the night although it is possible to have rain and drizzle for a few days at a time. In any case, most of the rain is warm and quite pleasant to be out in... especially at the beach when you are likely to be wet anyway. Unlike many parts of the Pacific coast the ocean in Huatulco is sufficiently warm to swim almost every day of the year but from May to November it can be like a tepid bathtub. I love it here during this time of year with the added bonus that everything is lush and green after the first rains.

In the nearby mountains, you can swing like Tarzan into a waterfall fed lagoon.

Some criticize Huatulco as not being "the real Mexico" because it is a town constructed as a beach resort and many of its inhabitants are not local. I disagree. Although many of the people are from different parts of the state and indeed from around the country, they bring with them rich a mixture of Mexican culture. Huatulco is very Mexican -- one has only to walk through the local market or sit in the central square on a Sunday evening and watch the local people to be convinced of this. Music and dance are an important part of the culture and frequently there are performances in the central square or in our ecological park. It is true however, that Huatulco is a cleaner, neater version of Mexico.

This is the last of five tourism developments by FONATUR, a government agency in charge of developing beach resorts in Mexico. The Mexican Government has made a major investment here in all aspects of infrastructure that are required for a first class resort. The wide, paved streets, lined with grass, flowering shrubs and palm trees, contribute to making Huatulco an extremely pleasant place to live. Huatulco beaches have been reported to be the cleanest in all the country and this is no accident. Benefiting from extensive government resources, Huatulco has a series of water treatment plants for processing and recycling all sewage, the product of which is used on the extensive green spaces around the town. Not a drop of sewage treated or otherwise, is deposited into the ocean, making Huatulco unique in Mexico. This resort town was created to provide jobs for the people of Oaxaca, one of the poorest, most traditional states in Mexico. The government has invested almost one billion dollars in this resort to the benefit of thousands of Oaxacan families and also the foreign and domestic tourists who enjoy the world-class facilities of Huatulco.

There is no doubt that more development will eventually come and this could change the feel of this quiet, pristine beach resort. We hope that the growth is sufficiently gradual and carefully planned in order to preserve both the ecology and atmosphere of the community. At the moment Huatulco is accurately described as "the best-kept secret in Mexico". For us this is one of the charms... it is unspoiled with a leisurely mañana pace. It is not over crowded; you can easily get a table at your choice of wonderful restaurants. The traffic is not intimidating and the streets are clean. The people here are warm, friendly and honest. This place is so safe that we rarely do up the windows in our car, let alone lock it. Above all, the beaches are pristine and frequently we have one all to ourselves. For us Huatulco is the gem of the Pacific Coast of Mexico. We could not have found a better location to live if we had been able to design it personally.