Playa Cacaluta is located close to Huatulco in the state of Oaxaca and is considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the country.

I particularly liked that it’s still off the beaten track and that you can have it basically all to yourself!

HOW TO GET TO HUATULCO

From Oaxaca you can take a bus that takes about 6 to 7 hours to get to La Crucecita/Huatulco. During the bus ride you can enjoy the beautiful (and usually sunny) landscape of the state of Oaxaca.

Alternatively, you can also fly into Huatulco from Mexico City, Cancun and other major cities.

WHERE TO STAY

I recommend staying directly in La Crucecita since there is accommodation for any budget and you have many restaurants and mini markets around.

I stayed at Misión de los Arcos which was 850 pesos per night (~43 USD) and rooms were clean, comfortable and included A/C.

From La Crucecita you can walk to the closest beach in 20min (Playa Santa Cruz or Playa Chahué) or take one of the many inexpensive taxis around.

HOW TO GET TO PLAYA CACALUTA

The beach does not have any road access, so reaching it involves a combination of a short cab ride and a nice 45 minute walk through a little forest full of lush vegetation.

The taxi ride from La Crucecita to where the walking trail starts takes about 15min and costs approximately 70 pesos (~3.50 USD). Just tell the cab driver you would like to go to Playa Cacaluta and they know where to drop you off.

Once on foot, just follow the signs “Playa” and enjoy the nice little walk.

Trail to the beach

Finally reaching the beach is just breathtaking as you will probably have it all to yourself and the combination of golden sand and crystal clear waters surrounded by impressive cliffs is incredibly beautiful.

No wonder that some scenes of the once famous movie Y tu mamá también were shot here.

Just make sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen as there are no restaurants or shops nearby and you can only find shade on the eastern edge of the beach until around 11am.

Playa Cacaluta western edge

Playa Cacaluta eastern edge

On your way back you can stop by Bahía Maguey, a very beautiful beach good for swimming and with a few restaurants and bars around (not too cheap but still worth the atmosphere).

To get there, just walk back through the forest and then along the road towards La Crucecita and make a right at the first roundabout (roughly an hour walk from beach to beach). Alternatively, you can also hail a cab once back on the road.

Bahía Maguey Tranquil waters of Bahía Maguey