Huatulco: Land and People of Abundance

N A T U R E. C U L T U R E. P A S S I O N. C O N S E R V A T I O N.

humanINature Gamaliel from Huatulco, Mexico

I recently met fellow human in nature, Gamaliel, in Hualtulco, Mexico. He was a tour guide in training for two tours we did. Immediately, his youthful exuberance shone through — his passion for the history, culture, and nature of this extraordinary region of Mexico.

CONNECTION

Seemingly, we connected almost instantaneously — the main guides were knowledgable, but every opportunity I got I would talk with Gamaliel to get his enthusiastic insight.

NATURE

For this “humanINature” project, I planned to ask people what nature means to them, their story, their connection with the outdoors, why it matters to them. I confess the plan is still evolving.

With Gamaliel, I didn’t need to ask specific questions. I could simply see and hear the passion when he spoke quite animated about the uniqueness of Huatulco — the land, the people, how the two are connected, and how they strive to conserve nature.

HUATULCO — THE “ANTI-CANCUN”

[wah-TOOL-coh]

This Pacific-coast resort area of Huatulco with a small-town fell is in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca (wah-hah-kah). The weather is near perfect — consistent, reliable, at least during tourist season.

There are over 30 beaches, situated along nine distinct and scenic bays. One of our excursions was to Huatulco National Park, located just west of La Crucecita and Santa Cruz (not Santa Cruz, California where my beloved mountain bike Penelope is from!) covering 29,400 acres, some of which can only be reached by boat.

From ancient archaeological sites and tropical jungle paths to charming towns to national parks to the Sierra Madre Mountains, this area is a hidden gem to explore. Parts of Huatulco are in an ecological preserve that received the Green Globe award for social and environmental management.

The area known as Chahué translates to “land of abundance”, for good reason. But it’s not just land that has abundance.The peoples are descendants of indigenous civilizations such as the Zapotecs, which date back over 2500 years.

Gamaliel excitedly explained all this in great detail as his eyes lit up. He told me of his travels all over Mexico, but he knew, in his heart, there was no place like Huatulco.

The mezcal sampling wasn’t bad either!

“It makes you cry, sing, dance, hug the neighbor you just met an hour ago — and then your soul rests.” — The New Yorker on Mezcal

This post can also be read over at Medium.