Two Approaches to Tourism: Huatulco and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

"And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came. " — President John F. Kennedy

From about 400 BC until somewhere around the early 1520s, the Mixtec and Zapotec cultures lived and thrived in what is now the state of Oaxaca, including a town of more then 2,000 people at the mouth of the Rio Copalita near the modern-day city of Huatulco (pron. wa-TOOL-co). 

About 30 years ago, the Mexican government decided that the Huatulco location, on nine bays on the Pacific coast, would be an ideal location for a resort.  So they displaced the inhabitants of the tiny fishing village located there, and set about to build an eco-friendly resort very different from the likes of the ones in Cozumel, Cancun or Puerto Vallarta.   No building can be more than five stories, and all must respect the environment.

In the course of building that resort, they uncovered what was soon recognized as the ruins of a town.  In came the archaeologists, and eventually what emerged from the jungle was the ancient town of Copalita. The dig at this 200-acre site continues, and about 10% of it has been opened to the public as the Eco-Archeaologic Parque Copalita. 

 What is most interesting about the civilization here is that, while they had a writing and calendar system, and a complex social and religious structure, they had no wheel, iron or horses—items all quite typical elsewhere in the world, including in Central America—during the time frame of their inhabitance. 

Part of their religious and social structure was the “ball park” (pictured).  Here, an elaborate game involving vertical rings and a heavy rubber ball was played. The prize for the winner was the opportunity to offer himself to the gods—he’d be put to death in an elaborate ceremony that would enable him to go to live with the gods.  Only the very elite could participate or observe, and of course, no women were allowed.

Perhaps every civilization has its own forms of martyrdom.

Other buildings unearthed include a temple and a home for the priests, built over the course of several generations. Since there are no signs that this civilization had the wheel, the mere fact of building such elaborate structures seems an accomplishment of great proportions.

One of the unsolved mysteries is why the town was abandoned.  Given the timing—around the early 1520s—it is generally thought that the disappearance was caused by the appearance of the Spaniards. Either a violent attack by the Spaniards, or a retreat in fear by the townspeople upon seeing wagons, men on horses, and armor—all things new to them and, it is theorized, seen as the arrival of the gods. The kind of gods one wants to avoid.

This whole area—the city of Huatulco, the eco-archaeological park, the beautiful bays—seems well-thought out and is astoundingly clean.  Downtown Huatulco features a church, shops and restaurants, and a town square that are inviting and reflective of Oaxaca’s arts and culture.  The resort seems more popular among Mexicans than North Americans, though the Mexican government is trying to publicize it more to its northern neighbors. One barrier is the unrest in recent years within Oaxaca, making North Americans reluctant to visit. We could see the visible security while we were there, though perhaps more for show than anything else.  Still, it was interesting that there was a U.S. Coast Guard ship docked next to us while we were they.  I was told that it always arrives the day before a cruise ship does, and leaves shortly after the cruise ship departs.

Our next port was Puerto Vallarta, one of the more traditional and better-known (at least in the U.S.) resorts.  A pretty area with comfortable temperatures (something we haven’t had in a while), it was nice for walking around and just enjoying the day. I will admit, as a site for several of AILA’s mid-winter conferences over the years (and given that this is the week of said conference this year), I kept half-expecting an AILA member at every turn (even though the conference is NOT in PV this year).

Next up: Back in the U.S. (at least for a bit)