Huatulco’s Best Beach Clubs for 2023

You might be wondering why, in a region that has more than 36 natural beaches, would anyone be tempted to spend their days in a beach club. I ask myself this question at times as well! But the truth is that many of Huatulco’s beaches are remote, not safe for swimming, and many are completely unserviced. So if you are looking for food, drinks, and relief from the sun, spending the day at one of Huatulco’s best beach clubs can be a great place to spend one of your vacation days in Huatulco.

Some of Huatulco’s beach clubs also add great value to those living in Huatulco longer-term with great rates for 1, 3, 6 and 12-month passes! More details on Huatulco’s best beach clubs are below.

Santa Cruz Beach Clubs

As you know, Huatulco is home to 9 bays and more than 36 beaches. However; not all of the areas are developed, so most of Huatulco’s beach clubs are located in either Santa Cruz Bay or Chahue Bay. These are the most central and accessible bays in the whole of Las Bahias Huatulco!

Baacanda – Huatulco’s best free beach club

Day Pass: $0mxn, minimum spend $300mxn

Bacaanda is the Zapotec (an indigenous Oaxacan language) word for “Dream”, and this beach club is a dream indeed!

Located at the eastern end of Santa Cruz, on the other side of the marina from Santa Cruz beach is Bacaanda Beach Club. It is tucked into the quiet beach of Punta Santa Cruz and is far from the main strip and business of the main beach.

To access Bacaanda, you have to enter from the roundabout on Blvd Benito Juarez, in front of Hotel Castillo and the pedestrian path to La Crucecita. This road leads you past the hotels Hotel Marina & Beach Resort and Hotel Canadian Resort until you reach the Bacaanda Beach Club entrance, in front of the marina Pemex station.

While not technically “free” to visit Baacanda, instead of charging a daily rate, the Bacaanda beach club has a minimum spend of $300 pesos when you visit their facilities for the day. This makes them unique in Huatulco as most of Huatulco’s beach clubs require some kind of cover with only some credited back.

Bacanda Beach Club has a pool, lounge chairs, a beach bar and restaurant, and includes a complimentary towel!

What I love about Santa Cruz’s beach clubs is that you are able to enjoy both the club and the ocean easily because the water is so nice in Santa Cruz!

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Niru – Huatulco’s best all-inclusive beach club

Day Pass: $800mxn, includes buffet

Niru beach club is unique in that it has a more expensive day pass, but instead of having a minimum spend Niru offers a buffet of high-quality Mexican and American fare.

Niru beach club is ideally located at the north end of Santa Cruz beach and built into the hill, so it offers a fabulous view of the bay from the pool, as well as beach chairs on the playa so you can dip in the ocean if you like as well!

Niru is the beach club for the Binniguenda All-Inclusive hotel in Santa Cruz. So if you are staying there your hotel might not be on the beach, but you will have free access to the beach club and a shuttle back and forth provided by the hotel!

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Beach Clubs in Chahue Bay

Chahue Beach is a prime location for beach clubs because the water here is not safe to swim in. The currents in Chahue Bay can be very strong and the beach is prone to riptides, so it’s a great place to enjoy the views and activities, but from land!

These variables are also why Chahue is so popular for beach clubs, and is home to several beach clubs and restaurants!

Sea Soul – Huatulco’s best luxury beach club

Day Pass: $520mxn, includes $200mxn food credit and use of their gym

Sea Soul beach club on Chahue Beach is probably the most popular beach club in Huatulco and offers the most facilities to its members. It is also home to Clio’s restaurant, one of the best restaurants in Huatulco!

When entering Sea Soul from the entrance to Chahue, you will feel more like you are entering a compound as Sea Soul is really a collective of services offering under the same umbrella! Here are the other services and programs available at Sea Soul.

Air-Conditioned Gym
Dance, Yoga, & Pilates studio (separate cost from membership fee)
Chahue Corner – Events and activities, both for families and adults
Kid’s playground and programmed activities
Event Rental Space (conference room)

What is the membership fee for Sea Soul Beach Club Huatulco?

Sea Soul is one of the few beach clubs that offer a variety of pricing structures! For holidayers, you have the option of single day or 10 day pass.

In 2022, the day pass fee is $520 pesos per day, with discounts being applied for the longer-term passes.

For those in Huatulco a little longer, you might opt for a 30-day, 3 month, 6 month, or one-year pass to get the best pricing.

What does a Sea Soul Membership include?

Sea Soul passes include use of the clubs beautiful infinity pool and wading pool, a $200 peso food credit to Clio’s restaurant, access to their air-conditioned gym, and wifi.

As you can see, Sea Soul Huatulco is Huatulco’s highest-quality beach club, offering plenty of services for everyone!

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Hotel Castillo Beach Club – Huatulco’s best beach club for Families

Day Pass: $600mxn, includes buffet from 1-5pm, and drinks from 11am-5pm.

The Hotel Castillo Beach Club is located in Chahue Bay, which is about a 15-minute walk from the hotel, but the hotel also provides transportation back and forth all day. I love a walk but after a long day at the beach, it’s nice to ride the cute open-air bus back to your home base!

Hotel Castillo is all-inclusive, and that includes the beach club, so I always recommend this as a great option for families, especially if you need to consider your budget! They also have playgrounds at both the beach club and hotel to help keep the young ones entertained!

Queen Beach Club – Huatulco’s Newest Beach Club

Queen beach club in Chahue Bay is newly operating in the 2022 -2023 season. I have yet to visit but it looked great! The pool is beautiful and the loungers looked very inviting.

Why Visit one of Huatulco’s best beach clubs?

With over 36 beaches to choose from, it may be hard to justify spending the day at one of Huatulco’s beach clubs, so if you need a hand convincing the rest of your party, here are some great reasons to hang out a beach club in Huatulco!

#1 – You’re on Holiday!
And holidays are supposed to be fun and relaxing! While sitting on one of Huatulco’s picturesque beaches like Bahia Organo might sound like a dream, the reality is that hauling all the supplies you need for a day in the sun to the actual beach can be a nightmare, especially with kids.

#2 – Full services at your fingertips
Drinks and food with no packing, dishes or clean up. Need I say more?

#3 – Huatulco’s Beach Clubs offer a unique experience
Sure, at their core beach clubs have a lot of similarities, but each of Huatulco’s best beach clubs have unique services, arquitecture, layout, and most importantly – food!

Alternatives to Huatulco’s best beach clubs

A great alternative to visiting a beach club in Huatulco is buying a day pass to one of the many all-inclusives and hotels in the region.

Buying a day pass at a hotel in Huatulco offers a similar experience to a beach club in that you get access to the pools and facilities, but often on a much larger scale as the all-inclusive tend to have many pools, bars, and restaurants to choose from.

Here is a list of all of Huatulco’s beach hotels and resorts that offer day passes!

Huatulco All-Inclusive Resorts with a Day Pass

🌎Where is Huatulco, Mexico located?

Huatulco or the Bays of Huatulco is a sustainable touristic development on the coast of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. Huatulco is known for its pristine beaches and coastline that is home to 9 distinct bays. Huatulco is also home to one of Mexico’s largest national parks, Parque Nacional de Huatulco!

Here is a map I put together of the many beaches and bays in Huatulco!

🗺️How to Get to Huatulco?

Huatulco has its own international airport (HUX) that offers direct flights from several major cities in North America. It is also common to fly into Huatulco when visiting other parts of the Oaxacan coast like Mazunte or Puerto Escondido.

You can also go by land between popular destinations like Oaxaca City, Puerto Escondido, Mazunte and Zipolite, and more using one of Mexico’s ground transportation options.

✈️ How to get to Huatulco from the airport

The Huatulco airport is about 20 minutes from the coast by car, and over an hour from Mazunte and Puerto Escondido. It is possible to take a taxi or transport on arrival, but you will save money and stress by booking an airport transfer in advance.

You can also rent a car in Huatulco, which can be great if you are travelling with a group or want to see more of the area!

🚖How to Get around in Huatulco

There is no Uber in Huatulco, the best way to get around in Huatulco is by taxi. The local taxi drivers are professional, knowledgeable, and very cheap as dictated by the union.

The only time you can negotiate with a taxi driver is if you are looking for a driver for the day or to a specific location outside of Huatulco.

Taxi laws in Oaxaca are actually quite interesting, I explain more about them in this post about transport in Huatulco.

🚙Renting a car in Huatulco

If you are looking to do more exploring in the surrounding areas like Pluma Hidalgo, you may want to rent a car.

Renting a car in Huatulco is very easy, and a great way to make sure you can visit as many of the beaches as possible!

I recommend comparing prices and booking through a trusted partner like Discover Cars. They compare known brands like Hertz with local vendors, so you know you are getting the best rate!

🏨 Where should I stay in Huatulco, Mexico?

Huatulco is a diverse area offering options from luxury villas to family-friendly stays, or rooms downtown. The best place to book your hotel or short-term apartment rental is through Booking.com here.

You can check out my full list of the best hotels in Huatulco, but here are a few faves:

🏨 Huatulco Hotels on the Beach

• For family-friendly fun – Dreams Huatulco
• Adults-only relaxation – Secrets Huatulco Resort and Spa
• Luxury Villas with a kitchen – Fasol Villas Tangolunda
• Closer to town but on the beach – Quinta Bella Resort

Huatulco Hotels in the Downtown

• Santa Cruz – Marina Resort Hotel
• Santa Cruz All-Inclusive (with beach club!) – Binniguenda Huatulco
• Chahue Bay – Hotel & Spa Xquenda

Huatulco Pet-friendly Hotels

• Santa Cruz – Holiday Inn Huatulco
• Chahue – Best Western Posada Chahue
• Downtown – Casa Shaguibá

🗓️When to Visit Huatulco?

I believe there is almost no bad time to visit Huatulco! You can read my month-to-month analysis of life in Huatulco for more details, but here is the short version:

• Huatulco High Season: December to March
• Huatulco Shoulder Season: October/November and April/May
• Huatulco Hurricane Season: There isn’t one! We don’t typically get hurricanes
• Months to avoid: May is the hottest month, and September is the rainiest

🌡️ Huatulco Weather Averages

People love to visit Huatulco in the winter to escape the northern cold, and the temperatures in Huatulco are more moderate. The days are still hot, but the humidity is less in December and February and the evenings get cooler.

Winter is the most expensive time to visit Huatulco. I recommend November, or July and August if you’re on a budget. These months are low season, but the weather is less volatile. The mid-seasons like spring and fall bring a lot of turbulence, especially in the water.

🐬What is the best time to see megafauna in Huatulco?

The Pacific shores off the coast of Huatulco are teaming with life, including some of the big stuff like Humpback whales, giant mantas, pods of dolphins, and sometimes false orcas!

• Late November to Early March: The best time to see Humpback whales in Huatulco
• April and May: The best time to see Giant Manta Rays in Huatulco
• All year round: The best time to see dolphins in Huatulco

Is Huatulco worth visiting?

Absolutely! Huatulco has something for everyone. Its rich landscape, vibrant ocean life, dedication to craft food and activities, and even the growing nightlife offer so much to travellers willing to explore a new and hidden gem.

Compared to big tourist centres like Cancun or Puerto Escondido, Huatulco might seem small. Don’t worry, there are still so many beach resorts, tours, and countless activities to experience.

🔐 Is Huatulco safe?

Huatulco is not only as one of the safest places in Mexico to visit but also to live in. The people here are very friendly and welcoming of newcomers, and it is easy to get around the area safely.

Always use common sense, and make sure you are carrying both travel insurance and travel health insurance for your visit.

💧Can you drink the water in Huatulco?

Technically yes, and many people do. Huatulco has great water treatment facilities. However, I don’t recommend drinking water directly from the tap in Huatulco just to be safe!

Most people and all the restaurants and street vendors use filtered water sold in “garafons”, the big blue 18L bottles. You can feel confident drinking the fruit waters sold by local vendors as they all use this reverse osmosis water!

For personal use, I take my Waatr bottle with me everywhere. That way if I do need to drink from the tap, I can purify it first with the UVC light installed in the cap!

If you need distilled water for devices such as a CPAP machine, you can purchase it in bottles at local pharmacies. It is usually sold as “agua infantil” or “baby water” in English as it is more commonly used for sinus flushes and medical care for children.