Hagia Sofia

This past weekend we were fortunate enough to visit Hagia Sofia, a place that has been on our list for the last year.  What an amazing spot!  

This guest post is from Beatriz Flores of Hagia Sofia.

An agro-ecological development on more than 130 hectares, Hagia Sofia is located at an altitude between 260 and 390 meters above sea level in the community of Apanquito, municipality of Santa María Huatulco, Oaxaca, only 45 minutes from the tourist destination of Bahías de Huatulco.

Summer in Huatulco - Part 2

While it may be true that there are only two seasons in Huatulco...hot and hotter, there are many other changes that signal that summer is here.

As the clouds roll off the Sierra Madre del Sur and slowly creep towards the Oaxacan coastline, they bring with them, abundant amounts of moisture.  And it is this rain that completely transforms the coastal regions of the state.   The vegetation goes from sticks and twigs to a complete jungle.

As we roll into the month of May, the humidity slowly begins to rise and the once barren landscape begins to transform into a sea of colors.  Take the Flamboyan tree pictured at left.  For most of the year, it looks like any other tree, until it springs to life with its bright orange flowers.  Once you see these orange flowers appear you know that it's not long until the first of the summer rains fall.

Trip Advisor Award for Oaxaca

Well, this information is a tad dated but still very relevant I think.  It also contains some great links to other sources of information about Oaxaca.

Click link to view the story:

http://www.suite101.com/content/oaxaca-wins-tripadvisor-award-for-culture-and-sightseeing--more-a240750

Tequila! Nope, Mezcal.

After another hard week at the office, I figured this would be an appropriate post since many of you will relax this weekend and sip on the sweet nectar of your choice.  And while you are doing so, let me educate you on something that often gets confused.  Down here it's called Mezcal...don't call it tequila!

Just as Champagne can truly only be called Champagne if it is from this particular region in France, so to is Tequila only from the region of Tequila, Mexico .  While there are some similarities between Tequila and Mezcal, there are also numerous things that set them apart from one another.

Summer in Huatulco - Part 1

Today's post is from Renée Netzel

The Chicatanas are back!


When the first rains occur in Oaxaca during the months of May and June, not only do they provide welcome relief from the humidity and heat but it also marks the time when the flying ants, called Chicatanas,  begin to leave their nests to mate. There are lots of winged male ants and only a few winged females - the queens. Once mating takes place the females fly off to start a new ant colony, but the males simply die...and they can be seen all over the sidewalks and streets in Huatulco. They are the size and shape of wasps but when you look up close they are clearly ants, despite their inch-long wings.

Selva Zoque

The Selva Zoque is an area of great ecological importance to Mexico.  Most of this forest lies in the state of Oaxaca but there are parts that also extend into Chiapas and Veracruz.

The Selva Zoque includes the Chimalapas rain forest and is the largest expanse of tropical rainforest in Mexico and contains the majority of the terrestrial biodiversity in the country.  Included in this area is the Selva El Ocote, a federally protected biosphere reserve, but the vast majority of this region remains unprotected.

Mexico Ad Campaign To Target U.S. & Canada

 

It is great to see that Mexico is finally taking a stand to help promote the country as a safe and compelling travel destination...after all, as the third largest source of foreign revenue for the country, how could the government afford not to!

The advertising campaigns contain both print and television pieces, and the tagline, "Mexico, The Place You Thought You Knew."  This is great news and we all hope a step in the right direction for winning back the people who love coming to this country so much.

Connections

Today's guest post is by Sue McClam

Connections are one of the most important things in my life.  I value the big connections that include my family and friends but I savor the unexpected connections I make each day.  For me, knowing how to speak Spanish increases opportunities for connections and makes my life in Huatulco all the more rich.

Huatulco Striving To Go Carbon Neutral

For those of you who managed to catch my blog from yesterday about Huatulco receiving the Earth Check Gold Certification, today's post is a follow up to that story...that article has mysteriously disappeared from the system!

Huatulco's Green Team continues to push forward with impressive initiatives when it comes to the environment. 

Oaxaca Committed to the Environment

Environmental issues continue to be a hot topic, so it is great to see when a place you live really gets on board with environmental initiatives.

Earth Check is the organization responsible for setting the high standards of environmental mandates of which Huatulco adheres to.

Huatulco is truly a beautiful place, and it is great to see that the same standards that earned Huatulco the first Green Globe award in 2005, will continue into the future.
 
The Minister of Tourism and Economic Development, Jose Zorrilla de San Martín Diego, said that protecting the environment requires attention, responsibility and commitment to society and government to ensure the future of new generations.

Mother's Day in Mexico

In Mexico, Mothers Day is always celebrated on May 10th.

Mothers Day in Mexico is celebrated in a colorful fashion. Children honor their mothers and thank them for their efforts in bringing them up. According to a custom in Mexico, sons and daughters come to the Family Home on the eve of Mothers Day on May 9.

The official recognition of Día de las Madres” or Mothers Day, started in 1922 when a journalist, Rafael Alducín wrote an article suggesting the celebration of Mother's Day throughout Mexico. The practice had already become a part of Mexican society but, Alducín’s article solidified this holiday throughout the nation.

Huatulco Annual International Fishing Tournament

The annual fishing tournament wrapped up this weekend in Huatulco and judging by the number of fish caught, the waters are plentiful right now.  Let's hope we can promote a little more catch and release however.

The sun was out as usual, the beer was flowing, and the music was loud!   I ran down just long enough to get a couple of photos and experience temporary hearing damage.

The winning catch is pictured below with a couple of kids for scale.

Next year I bring my ear plugs!

The Safest Places in Mexico

Today is not so much a blog but to pass along an article I found while going through the Lonely Planet website. It is dated as of yesterday, and it's always great to see Huatulco mentioned, especially when it comes to issues of safety.

Please pass this along to your friends.  We need to start painting Mexico in a positive light...there are plenty of great destinations that have not been affected by the drug wars on the northern border, and Huatulco is definitely one of them.

Click the link to read the story.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/travel-tips-and-articles/76638

Have a great weekend!

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo, or the 5th of May is an official civic holiday in Mexico that celebrates the Mexican Army's unlikely defeat over the French forces in the Battle of Puebla.

Many people confuse this day with the Mexican independance.  Cinco de Mayo has a somewhat limited significance in Mexico and celebrations occur mainly in Puebla.

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo celebrations occur mostly to recognize Mexican heritage and pride.  Mexicans and Latinos living in California during the American Civil War are credited with being the first to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the United States.

Day of the Holy Cross

Today's post is from Renée Netzel

We are lucky to have the privilege of living in a condo with a beautiful view of the cruise ship dock and the marina...and even a little bit of a view of the ocean beyond. However this very lovely condo also happens to be quite centrally located in our little town of Huatulco and the area can quite often become a busy place full of activity...

In the early, wee hours of the morning today I was quite rudely awakened at 5:30am by what initially sounded like gunfire but I soon realized it was the sound of firecrackers. A little early for a celebration, I thought to myself, but hey it’s Mexico and these things sometimes happen.

A Day on the Water

I am embarrassed to say that it had been almost a year since I was on a boat.

I'm here to say that it won't be that long again.  To be out on the water for a day visiting many of the secluded beaches, fishing, and just generally relaxing, is to say that it recharges the mind.

Our day started as it usually does on Sunday...slow!  Once we finally extracted ourselves from bed, managed to slap together a little breakfast, and then collected our things, it was 11:00am, but we were off to the marina.

We met up with our friend Bruno who arranged for a small boat and driver, just the two of us.  Our goal was to visit each and every beach between the bay of Santa Cruz, and the most westerly of the Huatulco beaches, San Agustin.