How to Travel in Huatulco – Mexican Transportation Explained
If you know anything about the bays of Huatulco, or read my description of the area in Where to Stay in Huatulco, I hope you have been convinced that it is well worth your time to visit! There is so much to see in the Bahías de Huatulco and the surrounding areas so now that you are here to visit, how do you get around in Huatulco?
While Huatulco can seem sparse, it is actually very simple to travel in Huatulco! Many travelers are disappointed to find that there is no Uber or Lyft in Huatulco, but there are so many travel options that vary in price and ease for navigating the district of Santa María Huatulco, or to other regions and states if you are interested that you will hardly miss those ridesharing services.
There are many private and public transport options in Huatulco, some may be familiar and some are distinctly Mexican in nature. Mexicans are very resourceful people and have all sorts of systems for moving from one place to the next. Here are the best ways to travel within Huatulco!
HUX Airport Transportation Options
The most important part of your Huatulco journey is most likely getting there! Once you have figured out how to get to Huatulco, you will need a safe and comfortable way to get to your hotel from the airport.
Book an Airport Transfer – the Best way to get to La Crucecita
If you are looking for a comfortable, convenient end to your journey to the Bahias de Huatulco, an airport transfer is a natural choice for you. I generally recommend pre-booking your airport transfer service in advance to reduce travel stress, and ensure you get a 5-star service!
Many travelers come to Huatulco for an extended period of time, or to engage in outdoor sports like surfing and scuba diving. All these things make for a lot of luggage, which can be tricky to manage in a regular taxi. So unless you are traveling alone or with very light luggage, I recommend arranging a transfer service.
Best Huatulco Airport Transfers
Pro tip: Some travelers have a Huatulco arrival tradition. If you are traveling in a private transfer like this one, your driver will happily stop at an Oxxo for you to grab a few supplies like snacks and beverages for the ride to your hotel!
Take a Taxi from the airport
In addition to getting around within Huatulco, a taxi can be a great option from the airport too. Howeve,r taxis from Huatulco Airport have a higher rate because the drivers must pay a premium to wait at the gate.
A taxi from the airport to La Crucecita or one of the bays starts at $500 pesos. It’s about a 25-35 minute drive to Huatulco locations, so from the perspective of someone from someone outside of Mexico, $25 USD is a steal. However, if you walk out from the airport to Highway 200 (about 500m), you can taxi a local taxi or a colectivo. You can also catch the bus just outside the airport.
I explain more about taxis in Huatulco below, keep reading or feel free to skip ahead!
Colectivos from the Airport
The cheapest option to get out of the airport proper is to take a colectivo. Just as you exit the arrival doors and into the hot Huatulco air, there is a booth to your right where you can buy a seat in a collective transport vehicle.
They don’t charge you for baggage and the vehicles are nice and air-conditioned, so if you are ok sharing a car, taking a shared taxi from the airport can be a great option!
You can read more about budget-friendly transport options in Huatulco here.
Renting a Car in Huatulco
If you are staying for a longer period of time or traveling in a group, you might be looking to rent a car in Hautulco. This can be a great option, but also remember you are on holiday! It can be very stressful driving here, there are so many motos, street performers, people selling goods, and the traffic laws are different. Especially if you enjoy having some margaritas on the beach, I do not recommend renting a car unless you feel you are up to the task!
Discover Cars – the Best way to rent a car in Huatulco
The best site I have found for comparing both local and international car rental companies is Discover Cars.
Los Tres Reyes Huatulco
Los Tres Reyes is the most highly-rated local rental company in Huatulco. It is located just outside the airport (where you could catch a bus or taxi) and has been commended for its exceptional customer service. However, they only offer service in Spanish, so if you don’t speak Spanish it is safer to go through Discover Cars.
If you have rented a car, be sure to make trips like San Agustin and La Ventanilla part of your Huatulco adventure!
Every-day Commuting in Huatulco
Taxis – the easiest and safest way to travel in Huatulco
Not everywhere in Mexico has fabulous taxi service, but Huatulco taxi drivers are well known to be a travellers best friend in Huatulco! Taxis are by far the easiest, most convenient, safest, and yet still a cheap way to travel around Huatulco.
One of the great things about Huatlco taxi is not only are they safe and professional, but better yet they are unionized and standardized. No matter which taxi you take, they will all provide you the same rates, and they are respectful of each other and take tourists in turn. No need to stress about haggling or suffering a “tourist” fee, or having to be in the middle of a fight between taxi drivers for customers.
You will notice that there are many, many different types of taxis in Huatulco. All will be painted with a white base, but the top half is a different colour, depending on which area they represent. These colours don’t mean too much to you as a visitor, but it identifies where that particular car has its home base.
All taxis can be identified by the two-tone paint job and some sort of logo and stickers that include the following information:
A logo or emblem for the area
The home location (Sitio _______)
The Taxi Number
The Phone Number (usually on the back window)
Bahias de Huatulco, Oax.
All taxis have a certain location they “live” in. These locations are in high-traffic areas and are a place the drivers can rest and wait for clients, instead of constantly driving around. These parking locations usually also have a small dispatch office, so if there is no taxi waiting you can ask the dispatcher to call one. If you look on Google Maps for “Taxi Huatulco”, all the dots that appear are these taxi stands. Most bays and sectors have their own taxi collective.
Here is a map of the taxi, bus, and colectivo stops in Huatulco. Click on the star to open it in your maps on your phone to save for later!
Don’t be worried about not speaking Spanish with the taxi drivers, you really don’t need to be able to speak Spanish to ask for a taxi. If you need to ask the attendant or call, a simple “Hola, taxi por favor” is sufficient and they will ring one for you. And as long as you know the name of the location you are headed the driver will understand. Worst case, you can put the address into Google maps and show the driver.
If you look on Google listings for a taxi stand, you will see their phone number, so if you are out somewhere and can’t get a taxi you can call and ask. They also are usually on WhatsApp (with the same number) so if calling scares you, you can always try texting with the help of Google Translate!
Note: Beware that outside of the core sectors the cell reception can be rather spotty. If you take a taxi to a location without reception, arrange a time for that taxi driver to come and pick you up. They are more than happy to do so!
How to use taxis in Huatulco
A quick guide to getting the best service in Huatulco!
About Huatulco Taxi Service
All taxis in Huatulco are part of a union, this might not mean much to you, but here are some reasons this is really important!
- Taxi fares are set
Don’t haggle a taxi driver and don’t worry about being scammed. Taxi rates are set and adhered to. - Taxis have rules for where they can operate
As I mentioned above, each taxi has their “home base”. In addition to being where the taxis rest, that is where driver’s are able to perform their services. For example, a La Crucecita taxi is not allowed to start a service at the airport, or even across the street at the Pemex. They must respect their region. - Tipping is not customary
You are welcome to tip your taxi driver if you like, but it is not expected or typical. The fare is the fare, that is all that is expected. - Taxi Fees are very expensive
It is not easy to become a taxi driver in Huatulco, the special license plate they have to have and annual fees are very costly to the drivers. This is one of the reasons they perform such a great service, and you might notice that friends or family members will take turns driving a car. - All Taxi drivers are Oaxacan
This isn’t important to your service, but it’s kind of a cool fact! In order to have a taxi license anywhere in Oaxaca, you have to have been born in the state.
How to Call a Taxi in Huatulco
- Wave one down!
If you are in a high-traffic area, the easiest way to call a taxi is by just waving one down – New York style! If the taxi is in service, it will wave and pass, but if it is free they will immediately slow down and pull over for you. - Visit a Taxi Stand
If you are near a taxi stand, this can be a surefire way to get service. See my map of Huatulco taxi stands here! - Make friends with a driver!
I’ve mentioned it before, but I strongly suggest making friends with a few taxi drivers when you arrive in Huatulco. Once you have their Whatsapp number, texting through Whatsapp is a convenient way to book a taxi, especially if the language barrier is an issue or you want to set a time for a service.
Bike – the easiest way to get around downtown Huatulco
You are in a gorgeous part of the world, in an area that is pretty small compared to many other tourist destinations. If you are staying in La Crucecita or Santa Cruz, I would recommend renting bicycles at some point or for the duration of your stay, especially if you opted for an off-beach hotel in Santa Cruz.
Bicycles are extremely cheap to rent (I’ve seen as low as $500 pesos per month) and offer a cheap, leisurely alternative to a vehicle.
Note: It is extremely difficult to buy used bicycles in Huatulco, because they are such a cheap and convenient form of transport, anyone who owns one rides it until it rides no more. You can buy decent commuter bikes new starting at about $4,500 pesos at Chedraui and Coppel. There are also a few bike shops in La Crucecita that sell new and used bikes!
If you aren’t interested in navigating alone by bicycle, you could sign up for a bike tour! Check out this sunrise bike tour to Cacaluta I did with easy bikes huatulco.
Note: Did you know Huatulco is a fairly popular road biking destination? You will often see spandex-clad riders in the early morning (well, I see them coming back through town at the end of their ride around 10am). Huatulco is also home to the World Triathalon Cup Huatulco, held in June every year. In 2021, it was the last qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics!
Huatulco Public Transport – City Bus
Remember that there are plenty of people that live and work here, so Huatulco has traditional methods of public transport available too! The cheapest and most common for residents is the city bus.
The Huatulco Bus is recognizable but it’s white & blue paint job and a sign in the front window that reads “Santa Maria Huatulco”. This bus doesn’t stop every few blocks like a transit bus in a big city, but it does cover a lot of the region.
The bus route is as follows:
Santa Maria Huatulco > Downtown La Crucecita > Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz> Downtown La Crucecita > Santa Maria Huatulco.
You can get on the bus from the front or the back doors, but you must exit from the front and pay the driver as you leave. There is usually another attendant on board at the front entrance monitoring everyone’s entrance and exits.
Public transport is hands down the cheapest way to travel. Between La Crucecita and Santa Cruz, the cost is $8 pesos. From La Crucecita to Santa Maria Huatulco it is about $20 pesos. Be sure to have small change, you don’t want to hold everyone up while the driver is trying to change your $100 peso note.
Colectivos
Ok, now for a truly Mexican experience!
Colectivos are taxis that charge per seat in the vehicle, instead of a fee for the trip. They work between set locations and usually wait until the car is full before they will leave. I have mentioned them before in my instructions for getting to Bahía San Agustín, but there are many of these shared transport options scattered about the area.
I have found that colectivos are not really an organized form of transport, so you won’t find a lot of info online. Since they cater mostly to locals you really just need to know how to spot them, or have enough Spanish to ask for directions. Lucky for you, I have done that work for you! See my guide and maps to the colectivos in Huatulco here.
Long Distance Options
For day or weekend trips from La Crucecita or other areas in Huatulco, there are some additional options.
Bus – Long Distance
For further travel away from Huatulco, there are several bus companies in Mexico, the main one in Huatulco is ADO. ADO is a national company, so from here you can connect to any other state or large city. This is pretty much the only option for travelling between states by ground (eg. Chiapas).
Though slower, the ADO buses have bathrooms on board and sometimes wifi, so they can be better than the camionetas (see below) for longer trips if you want to stay connected. Some play movies too!
The other bus station is on the way out of town, towards the airport. It is called Central Camionera Huatulco Altamar, but everyone just calls it “segunda”. It’s the 2nd second bus station. There is a bus line that runs from here, but it is also where you can find colectivos to:
Salina Cruz
Pochutla/Puerto Escondido
Pochutla is a bit of a gateway city, from there you can get taxis and colectivos to:
Zipolite
San Agustinillo
Mazunte
Puerto Escondido
Private Vans (Camionetas)
Another uniquely Mexican transport are the private van services. Honestly, I think they are the best option for medium range travel, 2 – 7 hours. These companies operate to specific locations around Oaxaca in 15 passenger vans or minibuses. I prefer camionetas to ADO, as I find them a little more comfortable and faster, naturally. Camionetas are a 2 destination operation, each location has a different brand. For a full list of locations and prices, see my post Budget Transport in Huatulco here.
For ADO and Camionetas, I recommend going to the station a day or so in advance to buy your ticket! You do not want to walk up and find out the time you were hoping for is sold out. Also, the seating is assigned so you can pick where you want to sit before it gets too full. ADO also has an app which can be very helpful.
Flights from Huatulco
Another long-distance option is of course, flying! The Huatulco Airport has direct flights through many popular airlines, but also smaller airbus flights. This means that you can fly direct to a lot of places!
Volaris flies direct to Tijuana, Oaxaca City, and other popular destinations, avoiding a stop in CDMX.
WestJet, AirCanada, American Airlines, and Volaris also operate seasonal flights from Canada and the US directly to Huatulco! You can read all about those options here.
And that’s it! Those are all the ways to travel in Huatulco and Beyond!
