My friend Janet and I on our day off from the Spanish Immersion School, arranged at last minute a morning kayak tour of the Manialtepec lagoon. Our guide Alex Valdivivia picked us up at the school early in the morning to beat the heat and drove us out to the lagoon where he rented the kayaks. He then led us on a great paddle around the circumference of the main lagoon, pointing out the many birds and lecturing about the ecology of the lagoon and the dangers of encroachment by real estate developers. We are both in our 70s (but in good shape), and the tour was hard work, but it was a great getaway from town. Alex brought his teenage daughter along, who took some nice photos. We thought he was a great guide.

Huatulco, Mexico Celebrity Eclipse stop On December 12, 2023 our Celebrity cruise docked on a very long dock in Huatulco. My wife and I were planning to spend time without any sightseeing. We had the opportunity to see the area on our previous cruises. We just wanted to spend some time swimming. So instead of purchasing excursions with visiting multiple beeches, we made decision to stay on the beach right the left of the ship. We selected one of the sea shore restaurants which offered chairs and umbrellas. Server offered for us to stay on condition that we will purchase a coupling of drinks. We were not in the mood for drinks and agreed to $15 payment with no drinks. Spent a good time swimming, even saw few small fishes though my snorkel, but this is not good beech for snorkeling, but good for relaxing and swimming. Good Travels

Disappointing, most advertised attractions like museum archeological sites were closed. Paths were taped off. Guards forbade picture taking of ruins. Nice view of the ocean from mirrador. Saw a few lizards and butterflies . Could not get down to the swimming areas because all access was taped off.

Lovely small cove beach where water is calmer than Zicatela. Small restaurants crammed alongside one another. Food is fair and overpriced. Not sure about sanitation, looks non existent. Beach chairs and umbrellas crammed up against dining tables shoulder to shoulder. Proprietors not very friendly like other Mexican beach towns and the cost of chairs is highway robbery. Some places want 200Pesos per person, no food included . We did not enjoy as it was too crowded.

Tour to Manialtepec Lagoon in night time to see the bioluminiscent. Alex is a wonderful guide and we all loved him. The bioluminiscence, not so much. Everyone in the group had high expectations after seeing the photos of what it could be like, but it was not at all like that. February is not the month to go. Alex recomends in the rainy season is the best. February is the dry season. Even though the tour was a disappointment, Alex was fantastic. He told us stories of the local area. I highly recomend him for any tour. He will take good care of you.

This is not the type of review that I like to write, however tourists need to know that Alejandro Valdivia is not to be trusted. We were booked on a tour out of Puerto Escondido, which was cancelled due to lack of bookings. Alejandro contacted us and suggested that we should take the Chacahua Lagoons National Park Day Trip instead. He said not to book the trip with Trip Advisor/Viator and that he would pick us up the next morning. We had an excellent trip, for which Alejandro charged us MXN 2,160. When I went to review the trip I noted that the Trip Advisor price was only MXN 1,762. When I contacted Alejandro about the MXN 398 X 2 = MXN 796 over charge he responded that the website information was incorrect and that he would look into it. He never did anything and the current Trip Advisor price is MXN 1,675. Given that we had booked the original trip through Trip Advisor and that he was the guide who contacted us we trusted him as we would have trusted Trip Advisor. Unfortunately this trust cost us MXN 796.

This is truly an experience of a lifetime. Unbelievable bio diversity, rich geological and cultural history, mixed with the most knowledgable, delightful guide, Alejandro. We lost count of species of birds we encountered, so abundant in the dense and magical mangroves. Spending time in the difficult to reach, friendly, beautiful and culturally important afro mestizo community of Chacahua was utterly delightful…and delicious! But the highlight was after sunset on our leisurely trip back through the mangroves. We were absolutely giddy to experience the magical bioluminescence that allowed us to sparkle and shine under an especially dark new moon sky. We were surrounded by flashes of light caused by jumping fish, all under a staggering star filled sky. Don’t hesitate to go on this trip if you have the chance! It bolstered our hope for this amazing earth!!

Alejandro was phenomenal and made our trip to Huatulco beyond memorable. We left the day feeling as if we had experienced authentic Huatulco culture theough snorkling, seeing the breathtaking coast and exploring the city center. Would 100% recommend this and other tours with this agency.

We had an excellent day! Our tour guide Alejandro was very knowledgeable and SO nice! Everything went smoothly from pick up to drop off. We rented snorkeling gear and had a nice lunch of fresh seafood. Then off to sightseeing and a little shopping. I would highly recommend this tour for a relaxing tour that incorporates a little of everything. Be prepared for a bit of a (beautiful) drive if coming from Puerto Escondido; we were out all day. Thanks for everything!

Alejandro defied my expectations of what was possible on a tour! His authentic knowledge and heart touched moved and inspired our entire trip.

This tour was amazing! Alejandro treated us like family, and it was a pleasure to hear his explanation of the history of black people in Mexico, and particularly in the state of Oaxaca. We had so much fun and Alejandro made sure everything was taken care of. It was also very clear that Alejandro loved his community and wanted to make sure it stays protected. The food at Chacahua was incredible! The cooks really outdid themselves. Also, the people working there were so sweet, and some of the lil kids hung out with us and asked us sooo many questions. It was so sweet! Swimming in the lagoons with the bioluminescence was spectacular! What an amazing thing to experience! It was also amazing hearing the science of the plankton too! So thankful we chose this trip and that Alejandro was our guide!

We did this trip in February, and it was truly one of the best things we did in 5 weeks of being in Mexico! A fantastic day, finishing with a stunning sunset whilst we were on the boat. Would highly recommend!

My family and I had a truly remarkable experience traveling to San Juan Lachao and zip lining. Our tour guide Alejandro was exceptional and provided a history of not just the surrounding region but Mexico as a whole. With his guidance we got to experience the mountains and local communities up close and he made us feel at home. He spoke perfect English which really helped us connect and learn invaluable knowledge about Mexico. If you go on any tours definitely ask for Alejandro!!!

Our guide, Alejandro, was fantastic and showed us amazing sites in Huatulco. The tour was packed with amazing sites and activities. Couldn’t have asked for a better time.

Alejandro was knowledgeable about Colotepec history, agriculture, etc.. We visited 2 towns east of Puerto Escondido: San Francisco and Santo Domingo. The town fair was tents of vendors of plastic household wares and cheap clothing. No artisanal crafts, local fruits; no food except some home-made sherbet. We drove over flowing water in the river; we saw the town meeting, 2 churches, met some local friends of the guide. In a dusty farmyard with skinny dogs and turkeys and chicks underfoot. The mother of the house served us pollo con mole con arroz for us with hibiscus drink. The son gave us each a fresh coconut with a straw for juice. The pigs (including the sow with 5-day old suckling piglets) were tied to plastic chairs. My Facebook photos prompted several animal protection friends to cry foul. It underscored the subsistence living of the people even though they owned large watermelon fields full of melons.There were no toilets for us to use. We washed our hands in a communal tub. I have traveled in Southeast Asia & southern India and shared meals in peoples' homes in all. In comparison, this visit the people seemed to have much less pride in receiving us: plastic littering the ground, clothes falling off clothesline, etc. The new dining table from the home workshop was an exception. We were promised to see the REAL Mexico. I guess this is it; however, my husband, my friend and I thought we had over paid. Alejandro is very enthusiastic and perhaps, he " over- sold" the tour.