Santa María Huatulco
Encyclopedia
Santa María Huatulco is a town and municipality
in Oaxaca
in south-western Mexico
.
It is part of the Pochutla District
in the east of the Costa Region
.
The meaning of Huatulco, or Guatulco Coatulco is, "where they worship the tree", referring to an ancient legend.
The municipality covers an area of 579.22 km² at an average of 220 meters above sea level.
The Magdalena and Cruz rivers combine in the municipality to form the Huatulco river.
Its ecosystem is lowland deciduous and includes mahogany, cedar, cashew and many other species of tree.
Wildlife includes squirrel, opossum, skunk, raccoon, coati, ringtail, armadillos, ocelots and white-tailed deer.
Hernan Cortes
conquered the town of Huatulco on 8 January 1539.
As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 33,194 of which 1,119 spoke an indigenous language.
The population includes many migrants from other areas drawn by the tourist business.
Economic activities by numbers employed included tourism (40%), cultivation of coffee (30%), fishery (20%) and animal husbandry (10%).
Tourism development is concentrated in the communities of Santa Cruz, La Crucecita and Tangolunda, with nine bays (Santa Cruz, Chahue, Tangolunda, Conejos, Chacahual, Cacaluta, San Agustín, El Órgano and Maguey) and 36 beaches, as well as ecological reserves that contain diverse nesting birds and reptiles. The municipality is the home of Huatulco National Park
.
The area is served by Bahías de Huatulco International Airport
.
Municipalities of Oaxaca
The Mexican state of Oaxacais made up of 571 municipalities —more than any other state....
in Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
in south-western Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
It is part of the Pochutla District
Pochutla District, Oaxaca
Pochutla District is located in the east of the Costa Region of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. The primary city is San Pedro Pochutla.-Municipalities:The district includes the following municipalities:* Candelaria Loxicha* Pluma Hidalgo...
in the east of the Costa Region
Costa Region, Oaxaca
The Costa Region or Costa Chica lies on the Pacific coast of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, below the more mountainous Sierra Sur inland from the coast...
.
The meaning of Huatulco, or Guatulco Coatulco is, "where they worship the tree", referring to an ancient legend.
The municipality covers an area of 579.22 km² at an average of 220 meters above sea level.
The Magdalena and Cruz rivers combine in the municipality to form the Huatulco river.
Its ecosystem is lowland deciduous and includes mahogany, cedar, cashew and many other species of tree.
Wildlife includes squirrel, opossum, skunk, raccoon, coati, ringtail, armadillos, ocelots and white-tailed deer.
Hernan Cortes
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
conquered the town of Huatulco on 8 January 1539.
As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 33,194 of which 1,119 spoke an indigenous language.
The population includes many migrants from other areas drawn by the tourist business.
Economic activities by numbers employed included tourism (40%), cultivation of coffee (30%), fishery (20%) and animal husbandry (10%).
Tourism development is concentrated in the communities of Santa Cruz, La Crucecita and Tangolunda, with nine bays (Santa Cruz, Chahue, Tangolunda, Conejos, Chacahual, Cacaluta, San Agustín, El Órgano and Maguey) and 36 beaches, as well as ecological reserves that contain diverse nesting birds and reptiles. The municipality is the home of Huatulco National Park
Huatulco National Park
Huatulco National Park, also known as Bahias de Huatulco National Park is a national park of Oaxaca, Mexico. It was initially declared a protected area and later decreed as a National Park on July 24, 1998. Located in the Municipality of Santa María Huatulco, to the west of Cruz Huatulco, it...
.
The area is served by Bahías de Huatulco International Airport
Bahías de Huatulco International Airport
Bahías de Huatulco International Airport is an international airport located at Huatulco, in the state of Oaxaca on Mexico. The airport handles national and international air traffic for the Pacific coast south of the city of Oaxaca....
.