First stop is La Cruz del Monte, ideal for those with special needs and also useful as a point of reference. The road, which cuts through dense undergrowth, is just wide enough to accommodate the four- wheelers; one sees green, green, and more green on all sides. We're not in a hurry, and Julian Posadas, our host, occasionally pauses at a bend in the road to describe the flora in more detail. Soon we find ourselves among huge trees totally covered with a thick growth of vines and can barely see the small paths where animals cross.
Urbanization was once contemplated here and indeed the tourism infrastructure already exists, but the persistence of the tangled vegetation makes any kind of permanent habitation unrealistic.
We continue along the road until we arrive at Cacaluta Bay where, in the silence of the late afternoon, we await the sunset. Julian informs us that nighttime beach parties can be arranged, accompanied, of course, by the requisite ghost stories. En route to Maguey Bay, we pass along the Path of the Hanging Vipers, so named for the dense, dangling vines, and we have to duck our heads; its pitch black and we're suddenly startled as a nocturnal goatsucker bird emerges from the brush. At each new fright, our guide reminds us never to let our feet touch the ground, as this may cause the normally well-balanced vehicles to overturn.
We return in the darkness, our adrenaline still pumping from both the speed and the fear of what we see (or imagine) in the night. Not to exaggerate the former, it should be noted that four-wheeling is appropriate for older persons, those with disabilities, or for anyone who wishes to experience the natural wonders of Huatulco with out spending too much energy.
Monica Garcia