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After Hernan Cortes had defeated the Aztec nation, from his base near the present day Caribbean port of Veracruz, he marched across the mountains to the Pacific Ocean. He selected Huatulco as a safe harbor from which to support the lucrative Pacific Coast trade. Cortes claimed the coastal area, set up fortifications, and began exporting locally grown farm goods. Unfortunately, the export traffic attracted frequent pirate raids. There are no monuments to Cortes in Mexico today, though he is honored as a hero in Spain - of course, history and “historical fact” is dependent upon the author.
After the pirates left, the port reverted to a fishing village and remained so until the government-sponsored redevelopment project began in 1983. At that time, the planned resort was begun.
The “new” resort town of La Crucecita (adjoining Santa Cruz de Huatulco) is not really new at all. The tiny fishing village slept on the Tehuantepec shore for centuries, and as the rest of the world raced forward in a whirlwind, relaxed tradition governed the villages of Huatulco. In the 1990’s everything changed. The secret resort was targeted by Fornatur, the Mexican development corporation, and building began. To their credit, the designers kept the look and feel of a seaside Mexican village and even though La Crucecita is the center of the attractive modern resort area. Change is always in the air as modern shopping complexes, resorts, and restaurants go up in response to increasing popularity. Visitors are confused when people refer to the community as “Santa Cruz”, but the names “Santa Cruz” and “La Crucecita” are used interchangeably. The zocalo is the main plaza adjacent to the marina, and although developers have tried very hard to make the town look “authentic”, you really never escape the feeling of being in a tourist resort. Nevertheless, there is something to suit anyone’s taste and hedonistic desire.
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