Tag Archives: huatulco

Huatulco

Masters of Flight: The Brown Pelicans of Oaxaca’s Coast

Leave a comment

By Julie Etra—

Brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) are a common and delightful sight along Mexico’s Costa Chica. I never tire of watching them swoop and glide effortlessly along the coastline, skimming just above the waves as if gravity barely applies to them.
Brown Pelican Basics.

Taxonomy
Based on fossil records, they have been around for at least 30 million years but have remained morphologically and physiologically unchanged. Their seemingly bulky body is perfectly suited to the coastal ecosystems in which they reside, including their feeding habits. Although references vary there are five to seven species of pelican worldwide. The Oaxacan coast is unusual because two subspecies may be found here: the California brown pelican (P. o. californicus) and the Eastern brown pelican (P. o. carolinensis), although most of the birds seen locally are believed to be P. o. carolinensis. Their differences are subtle, so next time you see one pay attention. They rarely venture more than 20 miles out to sea or far inland and are non-migratory.

They are relatively uniform in appearance, with of course the large white pelican being the exception (this is a fresh or brackish water species). They typically live 15-30 years in the wild although mortality is high in the first few years of life and are sexually mature at three- five years of age. Populations have rebounded dramatically from the brink of near extinction due to the pesticide DDT, which weakened the shells of their eggs, and was banned in the United States in 1972. Today their numbers are estimated to exceed 370,000.

Cover of The Eye's Passport to Mexico, a free guide featuring 100 unforgettable travel experiences across Mexico, including food, culture, nature, beaches, and adventure.
Download your free Passport to Mexico and start checking off 100 unforgettable experiences across Mexico. Click the cover to get your copy.

Feeding
Brown pelicans primarily eat fish, particularly sardines and herrings but also an occasional crustacean, egg, or amphibian. When I head out to snorkel at Playa La Entrega and see circling pelicans and cormorants, I know there is most likely a huge school of Pacific herrings, known locally as sardinas (such a beautiful sight to see). They fish by plunge-diving headfirst, with their wings tucked behind their backs, and stunning their prey before they are scooped up. Their big gular pouch is highly elastic and is perfectly suited for fishing. It can hold up to three gallons of water, which it drains before swallowing its prey. The pouch is also highly effective for regulating heat given its elasticity and large surface area.

Reproduction
Nesting ranges from Sinaloa south through Nayarit, Jalisco, and Guerrero, and finally the coastal shores of Oaxaca. They are gregarious birds and nest in colonies.
Nests are a messy but elaborate affair when built in thickets, such as dense stands of mangroves, a platform made of sticks and branches, or a simple version directly on the ground. Nesting typically occurs late fall through early June and is accomplished mostly by the females. Clutch sizes vary but typically consist of two or three oval, chalky white eggs, with both the male and the female sharing incubation and rearing responsibilities. Eggs are incubated under their large, webbed feet for 28- 30 days. The parents feed the young by regurgitating their partially digested catch into the awaiting, gaping beaks. At about 63 days they fledge from the nest and form small groups known as pods. I have never seen a pelican nest, and much to my surprise neither has the expert local guide Cornelio Ramos.

Flight
This to me is the most fascinating aspect of brown pelican behavior. I see them flying in V formations, in single file, and sometimes alone, often skimming just inches above the water’s surface. What appears effortless is actually a remarkable combination of aerodynamic strategies that allow these large birds to travel long distances while conserving energy.

Wave-Slope Soaring
Brown pelicans take advantage of wind generated by ocean waves. As wind pushes up against the face of a wave, it creates a small updraft. Pelicans position themselves in this sweet spot and essentially ride the moving air, reducing the effort required to stay aloft. This technique, known as wave-slope soaring, can reduce their energy expenditure by as much as 60 to 70 percent.

Ground Effect
When flying closer to the water than the length of a single wingspan, pelicans benefit from a phenomenon known as ground effect. A cushion of compressed air forms between the bird’s wings and the water’s surface, creating additional lift and reducing drag. This allows them to glide efficiently with minimal wingbeats, producing the elegant, low-level flight that is so characteristic of the species.

V-Formation Flying
When traveling in groups, pelicans often adopt a V-shaped formation. The wingtips of the lead bird create spirals of rising air that provide lift for the birds behind. By riding these updrafts, trailing pelicans reduce their own energy expenditure and flap their wings less frequently.

But how do they decide who leads? The answer is simple: everyone takes a turn. As the lead bird tires, it drops back into the formation, and another pelican takes its place. In this way, the flock shares the workload, making long-distance travel more efficient for everyone.

Watching a squadron of pelicans glide effortlessly along the coast may look simple, but behind that graceful flight lies a sophisticated understanding of wind, waves, and teamwork that has been refined over millions of years of evolution.

What is a flock of pelicans called?
A squadron, a pod, or a scoop. When pelicans are seen swimming or flying together in an organized formation, they can also be called a fleet.

Keep Exploring Mexico

Get your free Passport to Mexico and start checking off 100 unforgettable experiences.

Download the Passport →  Click Here

Huatulco, San Miguel de Allende

Editor’s Letter

Leave a comment

By Jane Bauer—

“Our true nationality is humankind.”
— H.G. Wells

We are in the midst of World Cup fever. What is more Mexican than El Tri? And yet, when we dig a little deeper, we discover that football itself is an import. The game arrived in Mexico with Cornish miners in the nineteenth century and was gradually adopted, adapted, and embraced until it became something undeniably Mexican.

At what point do the blurry lines of otherness disappear? I find myself thinking about this often. Maybe because I have spent so much of my life living somewhere other than where I was born. Over the years I have been called a tourist, a traveller, an immigrant, and occasionally the word that makes me cringe the most: expat. What is the difference, exactly?

An immigrant moves somewhere permanently. An expat plans to leave? A traveller keeps moving? A displaced person had no choice? The definitions seem straightforward until you start looking closely. Then they begin to fall apart. Is it intention that matters? Money? Privilege? Time? And what about the rest of us?

Aren’t we all being displaced constantly? We move across countries and continents, but also through relationships, careers, beliefs, identities, and stages of life. The person I was at twenty is not the person writing this today. Sometimes the biggest migrations happen without ever crossing a border.

Perhaps movement is not the exception. Perhaps it is the human condition. The World Cup offers a fascinating reminder of this. National teams are presented as symbols of identity and belonging, yet many of their players have roots stretching across multiple countries and continents. Some were born in one place and represent another. Some hold dual citizenship. Some choose to play for the country of their parents or grandparents rather than the one where they were born.

These teams reflect a deeply interconnected world shaped by migration, colonial history, family ties, opportunity, and choice. And yet we remain remarkably attached to the question of origin.

Where are you from? Sometimes even when someone answers, it is not enough. “No, where are you really from?” As if birthplace alone could explain a person.

In this age of rapid technological change, global travel, and lives that increasingly unfold across multiple places, I sometimes wonder why we continue to use the location where someone first slipped into the world as one of our primary measures of identity.

Who are you really? Perhaps that is the more interesting question. The World Cup reminds us that identity is rarely as simple as a flag, a passport, or a place on a map. We are all shaped by where we come from, but also by where we go, who we love, what we learn, and the communities we choose along the way.

The older I get, the less interested I become in where people are from and the more interested I become in who they are.

Have a great July!

Huatulco

Escaping the Heat of the Coast

Leave a comment

By Jane Bauer—

May is the worst time of the year on the Oaxacan coast. It is when the land is the driest, the ocean the warmest and it seems as though everyone is waiting for those first drops of rain. While many people come to the Oaxacan coast for the beaches, I am most enthralled by the mountains. Turn around and look behind you. They rise up in majestic tones of purple and blue. When it gets unbearably hot it’s time for a drive into the Sierra Sur, where the temperature drops, the air sharpens, and everything slows down. Within a few hours’ drive from Huatulco, a completely different world unfolds.

The journey itself is part of the ritual. Leaving behind the palms and salt air, the road climbs steadily, curling into the mountains. The vegetation shifts almost imperceptibly at first, dry brush gives way to greener growth, then to dense forest. Windows come down. The air cools. By the time you reach the higher elevations, you’re reaching for a sweater. This is the Sierra Sur: a region defined by altitude, cloud forests, and quiet.

San José del Pacífico: Where the Clouds Settle
Perched along the mountain highway, San José del Pacífico has built a reputation as Oaxaca’s most atmospheric escape. Known for its drifting clouds and panoramic views, the town often disappears into mist by afternoon, only to reveal dramatic sunsets hours later. It is also famed for the hallucinogenic mushrooms that grow there.

One of the highlights is that many cabins come with a chimenea, a fireplace, which keeps you warm and cozy. The pace is unhurried, slow, chilly mornings—listening for birds, watching steam rise from your café de olla. Travelers come for the cool weather, but they stay for the feeling of introspection and awe that the environment inspires. Whether sitting on a balcony wrapped in a blanket or watching the clouds roll through the valley.

San Mateo Río Hondo: The Quiet Alternative
A short drive, or an hour’s hike, from San Jose, lies San Mateo Río Hondo, a lesser-known but equally compelling destination. Down in the valley this town has some great hiking. Dirt roads, community life, and long forest walks define the rhythm. The smell of pine trees and woodsmoke. With fewer visitors, Río Hondo offers something increasingly rare: space to be alone with the landscape.

Pluma Hidalgo: Coffee in the Clouds
Just an hour from Huatulco, Pluma Hidalgo offers another kind of escape, one rooted in agriculture and tradition. This region is synonymous with high-quality coffee, grown under the shade of forest canopy and nourished by the same cool, misty climate that defines the Sierra. Visiting Pluma Hidalgo is a chance to see the slower cycles of rural life: coffee drying in the sun, families tending to their land, and a deep connection to place that feels unchanged by time. The air here carries the faint scent of earth and roasted beans, a sensory shift from the salt and sunscreen of the coast.

A Different Kind of Luxury
What ties these places together is not just the temperature, but the contrast. In a matter of hours, you move from heat to cool, from open beaches to enclosed forests, from movement to stillness. There are no beach clubs here, no urgency to fill the day. Instead, the luxury is found in simple things: a hot drink in cold air, a quiet night wrapped in fog, the sound of wind through pine trees. It’s the kind of reset that doesn’t announce itself loudly, but lingers long after you’ve returned to sea level.

For those living or visiting the Oaxacan coast, this mountain escape isn’t just a trip. It’s a seasonal rhythm. When the heat builds, you go up.

Jane Bauer is the editor of The Eye and a chef. You can follow her on Instagram @livingfoodmexico

Huatulco

A Team Transforming Rural Education with Technology, Commitment, and Heart

Leave a comment

By Britt Jarnryd—

The Bacaanda Foundation, through its Escuela Rural Inteligente program, has developed an innovative educational model driven above all by its team. This extraordinary group of professionals, guided by vocation, consistency, and a deep sense of social responsibility, is transforming the educational experience.

The team is made up of six educational coaches, a technology engineer, and a project director, all working in close coordination to directly support teachers and students. In addition to conducting in-person visits to schools for 3 to 5 days each month, the team provides daily online support—guiding teachers in lesson planning, the design of teaching and learning strategies, and the effective use of educational technology.

During these visits, the coaches monitor, advise, and train teachers in the use of internet resources, smart screens, iPads, and educational apps, integrating them into Spanish and Mathematics curricula at the preschool, primary, and secondary levels. This hybrid model—combining in-person and virtual support—allows for continuous, timely, and personalized attention.

The role of the engineer is equally essential, overseeing the proper functioning of equipment, ensuring the effective use of technological tools, and providing timely technical solutions to prevent interruptions in the learning process.

Complementing this work, the project director coordinates efforts, ensures follow-up, and maintains the quality of implementation across the 53 rural schools currently served, guaranteeing consistency, efficiency, and alignment with the foundation’s educational goals.

In addition, the team maintains an active presence within the communities—observing and modeling classroom practices during school hours, and offering training sessions for teachers and parents in the afternoons. This close engagement strengthens trust, local commitment, and the long-term sustainability of the program.

Thanks to this consistent, hands-on and online support, the results have been clear: reduced gaps in literacy, steady improvements in mathematics, and significant progress in digital skills. The Escuela Rural Inteligente team has become a powerful example of how human guidance, combined with technology, can transform educational realities in rural settings.

Huatulco

Rotary Club Bahías de Huatulco Hosts Bi-district Conference in May

Leave a comment

By Bonnie Ganske—

The Rotary Club of Bahías de Huatulco, established in 1998, is preparing to host a bi-district conference at the Barceló Convention Centre from May 14–16. Rotary is an international service organization with a presence in more than 200 countries and over 1.2 million members worldwide. Its primary areas of focus include healthcare, disease prevention, clean water, literacy, peace, education, and the environment—all guided by the motto “Service Above Self.”

Locally, the club supports its Park Library in Sector U2, which offers a computer lab for area schoolchildren, language classes in Spanish, German, and English, and serves as both a lending library and a resource center for visiting students. The Huatulco Rotary Club has also delivered numerous wheelchairs, hosts an annual dental campaign for rural schoolchildren, and has installed water purification systems in schools across surrounding communities.

The upcoming conference will welcome more than 400 Rotarians from across southern Mexico. District 4195 includes participants from Oaxaca, Chiapas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Yucatán, Quintana Roo, and Campeche. District 4185 will bring attendees from Puebla, Guerrero, Tlaxcala, Morelos, and additional regions of Veracruz. The event will also host approximately 250 foreign exchange students.

For local businesses, this gathering presents an opportunity to offer special promotions or discounts during the low season, as visitors explore the area’s shops, restaurants, and services.

Conference Highlights:

May 15: Presentation by Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Rotary Peace Scholar, Dra. Rigoberta Menchú Tum

May 15: A colorful parade of Rotarians in traditional regional dress, beginning in El Centro and culminating at Parque Guelaguetza near the marina. The public is warmly invited to attend and enjoy food and artisan stalls at the park.

May 17: A 2 km walk/run to the golf course in support of Rotary’s global polio eradication campaign

For more info: + 52 958 115 3767

Huatulco

Beat the Heat in Mexico

Leave a comment

By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken

Here for business or pleasure? At the beach or in the city or in the mountains? The good news is: wherever you are in Mexico the temperature can climb pleasantly high. The bad news is: as the temperature climbs high so can yours. Rapidly rising body temperature can result in heat exhaustion or worse. So here are a few tips for creating a pleasurable stay in Mexico instead of a medical emergency.

Stay hydrated. Realize that while you’ve been dreaming of margaritas and cervezas, water is the key to hydration – not alcohol. Experiment and experience the many different kinds of flavored waters available in Mexico. Some of the favorites of local residents and long-time tourists are water spiked with tamarind juice, hibiscus flower (agua de jamaica), and cucumber (agua de pepino). We order our favorites in jarras (pitchers) and down the whole jarra during a meal for two.

Stay out of the sun. We wince when we see bone-white tourists laying prone in the sun on loungers around pools. Even with a high SPF suntan lotion, they are literally cooking themselves to dizziness and nausea. Exercise caution – even in the shade; the sun reflects off surrounding surfaces, especially water, and can cause roasting under that umbrella or palapa.

Plan your outdoor activities for the early morning and late afternoon. One of our granddaughters recently joined us in Huatulco for a week of rest and recreation with a bunch of friends whom she had met in med school. The young docs knew the nitty-gritty details of the havoc that heat can play on human metabolism. They rose early and went to the beach, beating the crowds and high temperatures. When the sun was rising high, they left the beach for indoor activities in air conditioned places. As the sun lowered enough to cast deep shadows, they brought their books and smart phones to the shade near a pool and took a plunge whenever the body temperature warranted a cooling. Evenings after dinner were their prime times for walks and other outdoor explorations. They pretty much held to the same schedule in city environments, touring in the morning and late afternoon and enjoying air conditioned museums midday.

Take cold showers. Even if you enjoy soaking in or spraying yourself with warm to hot water, before you towel off, stand under a shower that is as cold as the water gets. It’s the fastest way to bring down your body temperature. Returning from the beach or sweaty activities, a cold shower is not only enjoyable but necessary.

Dress to stay cool. The song might say “no shoes, no shirt, no problems,” but the absence of a shirt on tourists parading down city streets is a cringeworthy moment. Not only is it gauche but it increases the chances of overheating. Slip on a light-weight loose shirt, especially one with material designed to reflect sun. Lightly covered with room for air to circulate is acceptable in beach communities. In cities and the mountains, opt for several layers. Peel them off as the temperature rises during the day and replace them as the sun and temperature go down.

Siesta, siesta, siesta. Mexico is famous for its fiesta opportunities. But note that local fiestas typically begin around sunset. Midday is set aside for a long indoor snooze. You might try imitating the national pattern of having your largest meal (comida) in the early afternoon; the reason many stores and museums are closed midday is because the staff are enjoying comida during the hottest hours. Then as many local residents do, take a nap or at least rest while you digest. You’ll find that afterwards your body temperature will be normal and you’ll be raring to go.

Long-stay acclimatization. Many of us longer-stay Mexico visitors get used to the heat. It’s not psychological – it’s physiological. Our circulatory systems including our hearts adjust to keeping us cooler in hot weather. But it normally takes a week or more for our bodies to adapt – longer as we grow older – so we follow our own advice that we’ve given you during that period. We continue to follow it after acclimatization except that we don’t use air-conditioning. As soon as we arrive in Huatulco, we open windows and turn on all ceiling fans in our condo, leaving them on until we depart for the US. The fans and the sea breezes eventually replace the need for A/C.

Watch those babies! We love to see the babies and toddlers from north of the border in their floaties in pools and being wheeled about city streets. But please realize that their little circulatory systems take much longer than adults’ to adjust to heat at beaches and midday high temperatures in cities and mountains. When we hear the little ones wailing with discomfort, our hearts go out in hope that their parents are keeping them indoors and cool midday and providing bottles of water and cooling them off with baths and wet cloths.

Mexico’s weather is wonderful for visitors. It’s one reason tourists head south during below-freezing months in the U.S., Canada and Europe. But wonder can rapidly turn into woe – unless you beat the heat.

Drs. Marcia and Jan Chaiken have been married for 62 years and have published many justice system research reports together.

Huatulco

Festival of the Holy Cross of Huatulco

Leave a comment

By José Palacios y Román—

festival gastronomica huatulco

Religious syncretism in Mexico is present in the most important festival of the Bahias de Huatulco, which is celebrated every May 3rd in front of the pier in Santa Cruz.

The tradition dates back to pre-Hispanic times, when the goddess of rain and fertility was venerated, making it a place of pilgrimage connected to the sea and nature. To this day, certain indigenous communities perform ancient rituals, purifying themselves with seawater. With the Spanish invasion and conquest, Christianity was introduced and adapted from the legend of a tall, bearded old man, similar to Quetzalcoatl, who buried a cross in the sand as a symbol of protection and blessing.

The religious part of the Catholic festival begins with a procession, carrying the image of the Holy Cross from the Cruz del Monte to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, located next to the pier where cruise ships dock.

A solemn mass is celebrated to bless the cross and ask for protection. After mass, food is shared – free of charge – with all attendees at a communal meal featuring typical dishes. The colorful and moving celebration continues with traditional dances and music, such as the dance of the devils, deeply rooted on the Oaxacan coast. The blessing of the fishermen, their families, and boats is part of the rituals. The secular aspect of the celebration is also grand. Enormous stages are set up for popular musical groups to perform during the evening dance. A spectacular fireworks display, a true work of art, will light up the sky at midnight. Carnival rides, target shooting, entertainment, and vendors of all kinds of products make this a true fiesta.

This year, 2026, we are adding a major event: the Huatulco Natural Gastronomic Festival, to be held on May 2nd and 3rd in the central park of Santa Cruz Huatulco. It will feature a cultural catwalk, a gastronomic area, beverages, and a show called Ronqueo de Marlin, an experience of cutting the fish in the traditional way.

All participating chefs will prepare cold dishes. This great addition to the festival is organized by the Huatulco Hotel Association.

The Copalli Art Gallery has been invited to present local artists within the framework of the festival, extending exhibition spaces across Huatulco. In this way, the destination transforms into a point of convergence—where sea, nature, culture, and art meet. Several of Huatulco’s hotels will open their doors to host works in painting, sculpture, textiles, and installation, creating a dialogue between place and expression. Through this collaboration, the experience of Huatulco expands beyond landscape into something more immersive and cultural.

Huatulco

Editor’s Letter

Leave a comment

By Jane Bauer—

In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life—no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground—my head bathed in the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space—all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing. I see all. The currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature 1836

The month of May for me is always a time when I am changing gears. From October to April I work long hours, juggle many tasks and all the while try to move through the world with a smile.

As the busy season winds down in April and the temperature on the coast rises, my heartbeat softens, my muscles relax, and I come back into myself. I remember that there is no reason to rush. But who am I when I am not producing, organizing and planning? There is a meditation I like to do where I sit and close my eyes, I allow my mind to focus on my breath and then I imagine myself at younger stages of life. I sit like I did when I was 4 or 8 or 16. What is the essence of me? What is the essence of each of us when we strip away our tasks and obligations?

In May I get to enjoy leisurely mornings, long swims in the ocean or walks by the river with my dogs. With this slowing down I get to sit and contemplate my life’s purpose. Everything in nature exists in a symbiotic relationship with everything else: tree roots intertwine with fungi in the soil, nourishing flowers that feed bees, which pollinate fruit that sustains animals—and so the cycle continues. I recently read that nut producing trees don’t produce each year. In the years when there is an overpopulation of creatures that live on nuts, nuts will not produce and the population will be culled. How do the trees know? As a species do we trust in those cycles or are we pushing against them?

It is a cop-out to think our life’s purpose is amassing more stuff; homes, cars, financial security. While those things bring comfort do they really represent our purpose? I look at the tree outside my window; a large guanacaste. The sunlight flickers through its branches, a squirrel runs along a branch, a chachalaca hoots good morning, a magpie jay and a grackle screech at each other.

For me immersion in nature is as close as I feel to my life’s purpose. To just be and feel my soul as a part of something larger. Humans do not have dominion over nature, it has dominion over us and the sooner we accept that, we can stop struggling, let go, and enjoy it’s beauty.

Happy Summer,

Jane