Panama Canal - Huatulco

17-20 November, 2023 

Not much to report from our stop in Huatulco, Mexico. It is a small, developing cruise ship port about 300 miles down the coast from the more well-known port of Acapulco (regular destination for The Love Boat and home of the world famous cliff divers) and 450 miles from Zihuatanejo, where Andy and Red set up their fishing charter business after leaving Shawshank. 😄

Huatulco

Huatulco is an established resort area that consists of nine separate bays and thirty six beaches. The area is beautiful, with a focus on eco-tourism and sustainable development. Unfortunately there are limited options available for those who are mobility-challenged other than a bus tour, shopping, dining, or bar-hopping. The SCUBA diving is reported to be exceptional and resort reviews range from "good" to "luxurious" while still on the affordable end of the spectrum. The local restaurant scene appears to be well developed and worthy of exploration.

Based on what we observed from the ship I sincerely hope they are able to maintain this focus and preserve the natural beauty while managing the popularity and prosperity of the region. We heard multiple reports that the locals were delightful and the area was pristine. A strong police presence tends to keep crime above petty theft almost non-existent and the are has a reputation of being quite safe for visitors.

It's on our list of potential future vacations, but that list keeps getting longer, so who knows?

The next three days were a smorgasbord of our traditional sea-day activities, with a bit more pool time mixed in. Knowing that my mornings of having my coffee poured and eggs cooked were growing short, I made sure to visit the dining room for breakfast, even if it meant I'd need to squeeze in an afternoon nap at some point (and, let's face it, a nap in the fresh air in a shady spot by the pool is pretty amazing!) 

Packing for our return home was uncomplicated, thanks to our restrained shopping and the only organizational concern being suitcase weight.

Our last three days aboard were idyllic, and served as excellent therapy for my wife's upcoming ankle surgery, scheduled just two weeks after our return.

Artificial ankle joint