Backpacks and Flipflops: The beaches and more... letting it hang like the locals...

The beaches around Santa Cruz, Huatulco are absolutely amazing...

they are somewhat rugged with large outcroppings of rock, rock islands and fabulous sand. Closer to the water the sand is hard packed so people jog in that area while further away from the water it is just plain hot!!!

Bocana Beach is quite isolated with little to offer besides the beach itself. It has high cliffs with buzzards soaring over the 5+ metre high cactus that cling precariously on the rock faces.

A small river flows into the ocean a ways down the beach where locals were fishing with their throw nets.

Tangolunda Beach is where all the resorts are and where we were lucky to get the free drinks... We found some great snorkeling around all the large rocks there. Some of the best snorkeling along this coast. There were some jellyfish in the water, though, so we did get zapped a few times but nothing significant. This is such a beautiful bay... too bad it is taken up by these mega resorts!

We sure liked this Huatulco area and its beaches. So much to explore...

Zipolite Beach is further up the coast, one hour north by bus from Huatulco. Today in Zipolite, 30+ people were moving along the beach with large bags picking up garbage. We were told that during the off season which is what it is now, they do this cleanup every 2 weeks or so, but during the high season, at least once a week. Great to see!

This is one of the beaches we have constantly heard about as the hippie beach, the funky beach.
The white building is our hotel.

So, we had to come here, of course! It is indeed quite the place - beautiful beyond words. Our taxi driver dropped us off steps from this gorgeous 1.5 km beach after a half hour windy road down a mountain pass. We found a gorgeous place - Hotel Estrella de Mar, the nicest we've stayed in so far. We're right on the beach, on the 2nd floor, with a large balcony, 2 couches in the room and the sound of the surf - all for $48. Fabulous!!!

Shayne is waving from our 2nd floor balcony.

Our balcony...

Half of our room.

At the low end of accomodation, we found a posada renting a 2 person tent for abt $1.25 a nght. We are happy with where we are at the Estrella. We think there are a total of 4 occupied rooms.

We could have also stayed in these raised, stilt-like bungalows with only a bed for ???? It sure is nice to travel in the off season!

Shayne tried his hand at surfing on Zip! Tide low, waves high, board short. Shayne survived the pounding.

Being the only acceptable nudist beach in Mexico we, of course, have had to do as the locals do by just letting it hang, so to speak.. but there is only one problem... Just not for long periods of time...we are so white under our normal bathing suit lines that we have not want end to burn in this extreme sun... Its like the old days of Snake Hole in GF! Several school soccer groups have come down to play soccer on the beach... so cool to do that... but they get very distracted when a nude bather walks or runs by! Ha!

Perched high on the rocks near our place is an amazing bar\restaurant owned by George, a Canadian. This is where we've viewed the sunset!!