Huatulco: 3 May 2009 to 5 May 2009

Bahias de Huatulco, or Huatulco for short, is a beautiful expanse of nine indigo bays set beneath the dramatic backdrop of Sierra del Madre del Sur. Until the 1980s, life centred around the small fishing village of La Crucetia. Slowly, the government began developing the region, building a range of hotels and luxury resorts to attract vacationers to coastal Oaxaca.

Three dozen beaches line the nine bays, providing plenty of space to relax or participate in a range of aquatic activities. Ecotourism is increasingly popular, with jungle hikes, river rafting, diving, rappelling and the like among the options. Venture inland to one of the nearby coffee plantations or sample Oaxacan cuisine—the local lobster is especially succulent.