The paved road that forks right toward Bahía Cacaluta ends at a steel barrier, about 0.7 mile (1.1 km) past the fork, at an unsigned sandy but firm track, negotiable by car, bicycle, or on foot. It continues past the barrier and winds and bumps ahead through the shady tropical forest, past two signed forks that, if you bear left all the way, will lead you to Playa Cacaluta after about 1.2 miles (1.9 km) from the pavement’s end.

There, the bay spreads along a mile-long, heart-shaped beach, beckoningly close to a cactus-studded offshore islet. Swimmers beware, for waves break powerfully, surging upward and receding with strong undertow. Many shells—limpets and purple- and brown-daubed clams—speckle the beach. Surf-fishing prospects, either from the beach itself or from rocks on either end, appear excellent.

Bahía Chachacual (chah-chah-KOOAHL) past the Río Cacaluta, about four miles farther west from Bahía Cacaluta, is a sand-edged azure nook accessible only with a guide, via forest tracks.

Bahía San Agustín, by contrast, is popular and easily reachable by Pochutla-bound bus, then by the good dirt road just across the highway (one-way taxi from the highway runs about $8, colectivo van $2) from the fork to Santa María de Huatulco (at Km 236, a mile west of the airport). After about seven miles along a firm track, accessible by all but the bulkiest RVs, bear right to road’s end to a modest but very crowded village of palapas at the bay’s sheltered west end. From there, the beach curves eastward along two miles of forest-backed dune.

Besides good swimming, sailing, sailboarding, and fishing prospects, Bahía San Agustín offers some self-contained RV or tent camping options. On your way in, follow the first of two left forks immediately before the road’s end. After about a mile, you arrive at El Playon (Big Beach). Facilities, besides a long, lovely curving beach, include several beachfront palapa restaurants and several sandy lots, ripe for RV and tent camping.

Back on the entrance road, if you follow the second left fork, after a soccer field, you arrive at El Sacrificio, a sheltered, family-friendly beach, lapped by gentle waves, lined by palapa restaurants, and picturesquely decorated by big, friendly rocks.

Another choice is to turn right about 100 yards before the end of the road and explore the wild, rough, and very fishable, campable, and surfable open-ocean beach.

A few small stores and the road’s-end village palapas can, at least, supply seafood and drinks and maybe some water and basic groceries.