Textiles and pottery in Huatulco, Oaxaca

From Puerto Escondido, we drove half a day to Huatulco, in the state of Oaxaca.

This town is bordered by big enclosed resorts and fancy personal properties on the ocean. Jared had to drive and look at nearly every beach possible, of which there were many. We realized this place would be an ideal place to take a relaxing vacation…it is not your typical beach town, as it does not have big hotels and businesses located right on the waterfront. I’m guessing most resorts offer a shuttle service to a beach, perhaps. Resorts include some big names, like Dreams Resort.

Some beaches were more accessible than others. It looks like some required a pretty decent hike. as they are not accessible by car, which made the crowds quite minimal:

The best beach we came across in Huatulco was La Playa de Entrega. Apparently, this is no secret to the locals:

It had some of the best beach access, and gave you some of the closest parking to the beach, as well. Given that it was a holiday weekend, it’s no wonder that it was packed. But I bet on a normal weekday it would be quite quiet in comparison!

We drove into town and discovered a small but bustling little centro. It was Palm Sunday, and the streets and plazas were as busy as any Mexican holiday. People stood outside of the church weaving and braiding palm leaves, but we did not stick around to see what they did with them. Why is it so hard to take good night photos?!

We found a very cheap, basic hotel and available parking on the street outside. Just across the street we found a Textile store,  half filled by old fashioned looms.

One man was hard at work, creating more beautiful wares for their store. (Is it still called a loom when it is this big?)

He used a foot pump to power the machine, and we watched in astonishment as the thread passed from one side of the loom to the other in a little leather pouch that held the spool. I had no idea how these things worked…so I enjoyed watching the magic!

For others who may want to see this magic up close, check out my quick video:

They also had a small collection of Oaxacan black pottery at the textile store. I have always been under the impression that this pottery is actually red clay, made black by “smoking” it over a fire. While writing this post I pulled up Wikipedia and learned that I was wrong. Apparently, the pottery is dark to begin with, then dried (sometimes up to three weeks), and then the surface is rubbed with a round quartz stone before firing it. Apparently this process makes it turn out to be a shiny (and stunning, in my opinion) work of art. I love how they cut out the patterns.

Car hair…

There were also restaurants aplenty! I know I blog a lot about the food that can be found in city we visit…because obviously the two major things we seek out in each town are food and hotels!  Huatulco, however, had some fine dining that you don’t often see in small Mexican towns.

We opted for some cheap food instead, and I purchased a fantastic natural fruit smoothie. Juice shops are fairly common in Mexico, so why in the world have I not been to them before?  I think it’s the high price that has always kept me away…but after enjoying a delicious mango and strawberry shake, I decided the price is absolutely worth it! A new love!

I love how the menu told you what the drinks were good for (for a diuretic and antioxidants, for the prostate, for the heart, etc)…

As I mentioned before, Huatulco is a town I would definitely consider if I was looking for a beach getaway without the typical Mexican beach culture. This place is quiet, refined, and not your typical backpacker’s destination! I would certainly recommend it!