Agua Azul La Villa Huatulco

My wife and I stayed at the Agua Azul in Jan 05...or should I say we experienced the Agua Azul. What a way to start the new year. This is no ordinary B&B... it's somewhere between Fantasy Island and Fawlty Towers.

Your fantasy begins when you enter through the front arched doorway and run smack dab into one of the most fabulous views anywhere as you gaze past the flowers and lush vegetation and onto the blue green waters of Conejo Bay. We woke up to this picturesque scene every morning before freshening up and enjoying Brooke Gazer's delightful continental breakfast which always included an array of fresh fruits with tasty breads and pastry and granola if you chose. As coffeee lovers we really appreciated the Oaxacan coffee that husband Richard poured while we listened to his often humorous stories as well as his descriptive knowledge of the Huatulco area. What ever your interests Richard was always willing to provide you with the information you needed to make the most of your stay. If you like breath taking scenarios, enjoy meeting interesting people and want hospitality well beyond average this is the place. We'll be back.

If you are looking to forget that the snow and cold of winter even exists, this is the place to go. And, being from Wisconsin, we know a thing or two about winter!



Upon our arrival we were immediately overwelmed by the view. The whole wall in the main room, facing the Pacific, is open and the view is breathtaking. Our room (and all of the other rooms) have the same view.



Brooke and Rick were very helpful. We had a short amount of time to spend there, and they recommended the perfect sights to see to give us a real feel for Huatulco. They also provided us with a list of local restaurants to try. The trip to LaGloria coffee plantation is well worth the long bumpy ride into the mountains. Swimming in the waterfall was amazing! Don't miss sitting in the plaza in LaCrucecita in the early evening enjoying some ice cream, it is a great spot to watch the world go by. The beaches in Huatulco are the real attraction and are a sun worshipper's dream.



From waking up in the morning and watching the sun rise, to sitting on our private terraza at night looking up at more stars than we knew existed in the sky, this was a perfect vacation.



We'll definately be back!

The place is clean, the view is good, breakfast is simple but good. But there is something odd about it. We never felt totally welcome here. There were the directions: "don't use those stairs; close the screen door or you will let the dog out; put the fan on in the bathroom, etc., etc, etc. We were spoken to as if we had never travelled. Am not sure the hosts are totally engossed in hosting. The smiles from them felt forced.

The "private" beach turned out to be public with big constuction project...the earth moving equipment went on all day. And the beach is not adjacent to the hotel....it is around the bend then down a street. In spite of this there are few alternatives in Hualtuco.

If you stay here find the beach up the road; Conejos. Walk about 1 1/2 miles to sign for restaurant; walk down narrow path to the most wonderful beach. Walk over to the fisherman's shack and order a fish and a beer. We convinced the fishermen to boat us back at four o'clock to Aqua Azul for 150 pesos. Two terrific days at Conejos.

Rick and Brooke were fantastic hosts, who quickly and painlessly introduced us to Huatulco. The accommodations could not be matched by any measure, be it personal attention, locale, or privacy. I could easily recommend this B&B to anyone, whether they were an experienced traveler(like the other guests we met) or just a couple of novice travelers on thier honeymoon (like us).

Huatulco is a wonderful desitanation, and thanks to Agua Azul, it will be one of the greatest romantic vacations of our lives. We will remember it forever.

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Agua Azul after two weeks of visiting the interior of Mexcio. Our work schedules are hectic, and as young professionals, we were looking for some rest for at the end of our vacation. Agua Azul exceeded our expectations. The owners, Rick are Brooke, are perfect hosts, very kind and considerate-willing to help us plan day trips sailing and help us organize a golf game at the Tangolunda golf club. The beach near the villa, is beautiful and very secluded. The pool at the villa is wonderful for a leisurely dip. The rooms are immaculate and have a lovely terrase to enjoy (including hammock). The breakfasts include fresh fruit, pastries and wonderful coffee. The small, intimate setting is perfect for a quiet rest. We had read previous reviews on trip advisor prior to planning our trip, and we must agree with all the positive reviews.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would love to return to the Agua Azul.

Agua Azul is a little piece of heaven with the serenity to enjoy and step back to realize that 'life is good´. This perfect B & B far surpassed our expectations and met all of our needs and so much more. The picturesque view has a calming effect even for two busy parents´ (2 year old twin boys and a 4 year old girl-left with grandparents in Canada) lives such as ours´. The waves crashing against the ocean rock, the sound of the surf on Playa Tejoncito, the colourful sunrise at dawn and moonrise after a perfect Mexican day were all pieces that contributed to the second best view that we have ever experienced in our lives right after the cliffside of Santorini, Greece.

At Agua Azul, Richard & Brooke place your needs first and can read your individual needs before you can. The attention to detail in the design, decorating, breakfast, local information, flora and availabilty of hosts is impeccable and was always beyond our expectations.

Staying as a respected guest at Agua Azul as it is situated so conveniently to the amenities and numerous offerings of Huatulco allowed for us to choose our daily itinerary whether it be relaxing by the cascading waterfall pool, taking an easy three minute walk to 'our' beach, taking in one of the many beautiful beaches of the area, siteseeing and shopping in La Crucecita or just ordering a scrumptious pizza while listening to Brooke and Richard share amusing anecdotals of their lives and travels. Whatever we chose to do on any given day at Agua Azul was just what the doctor ordered some SERENITY NOW.

we just came back from a fantastic trip to Huatulco. Before going we researched on accomadation using trip advisor and other sites. From what we read Agua Azul was the place to stay. How true that was. From the moment we arrived we knew we made the right choice. The beautiful entrance, Palapa roof and amazing view from the dining Salon and rooms took our breath away. Rick and Brooke were the most amazing hosts. Their hospitality from the first moment and wealth of information they had about anything you want to do there, made our stay even more relaxed and memorable. Everything is so tastefuly decorated in the rooms. The rooms have beautiful view of the ocean. You can watch moonrise and sunrise right from your bedroom. The beautiful private swimming pool is very convenient for an afternoon dip in the water. The breakfast is excellent. The way they arrange the breakfast table with plate of fruits and oaxacan coffee, you feel you are in a 5 star hotel. The location is great very close to everything and they can help you arrange any tours you plan to do. This place was simply magnificent.

We stayed there for 11 days in December 2003 and found it to be a fantastic place for a vacation. Brook and Rick Gazer are a Canadian couple who built it as a bed and breakfast, yet it has some of the best features of a hotel. The rooms are big and clean. Each room has a terrace with a view of the ocean. Although the Agua Azul is not right on the beach it is in a safe, upscale, gated neighborhood known as Residencial Conejos on the farthest east of the 9 Huatulco bays, known as Bahia Conejos. Most of the neighbors own large houses and villas.

The closest beach, Playa Tejoncita, is about a 3 minute walk down the hill over paved sidewalks. The beach is sandy, wide and safe, very calm and swimmable most days. It is shaded by large trees. The Gazers have beach chairs available to take down to the beach. Most of the time, there will be no more than 10 people on the whole beach, and it is only that crowded on weekends when local families have the day off. Another fine beach, Bahia Conejos, is perhaps a 3k walk (or an inexpensive taxi ride) from the Agua Azul, and is a long, beautiful crescent of sand on from which the pescaderos depart each morning and return with their catch. At one end of the beach, and a short walk from still another beach across a small peninsula, is a terrific palapa which serves fresh fish for lunch along with tostadas, extremely hot salsa, beer and sodas. The fish there is the best I have ever had, it is inexpensive (perhaps 70 pesos, less than $7 US dollars for two.) If you buy a beer or soda, you can sit at the palapa, or lie in their hammocks and stare at the impossibly blue ocean all day long. Once and a while there even will be other beachgoers around. Each room in the Agua Azul has its own bathroom with a hot shower, more than adequate lights, a ceiling fan as well as an air conditioner (rarely necessary, at least in December when we were there.) The rooms are immaculately clean. They are tasefully decorated with Mexican tiles, lighting fixtures, fabric, etc. Although you enter the facility through a common dining room, each room is private and has its own outside entrance from its terrace. Each terrace has chairs and a hammock. Additionally, there is a small double pool with lounge space. The Agua Azul is attractively landscaped. The Gazers also maintain a small library of books to take, read and return. Each morning Brook and Rick serve a continental breakfast of juice, coffee, granola, fruit, yoghurt, and bread in the dining room which itself has a great ocean view. There are only six rooms, and we found the other guests, during our stay to be friendly and engaging. Rick and Brook can help you plan outings to other beaches, boat trips, horse riding etc.

Taxi's cost perhaps 35-40 pesos into the local towns, La Crucecita and Santa Cruz, which is betwen $3-4 US dollars. Some outlying beaches cost more, but taking taxis is far less expensive than renting a car. The Gazers also will recommend restaurants and other places of interest.

They are a very engaging couple who go out of their way to make your stay pleasant. I highly recommend the Agua Azul. You should know that it does not accept children.

We've been from one end of Mexico to the other and I understand that people's needs and expectations of each time away may differ depending on your mental state (how fried are you this time?). If you're really fried and need time to just 'be' and maybe spend a relaxing day on the water or enjoy great food on the beach and you'd like to do this in a clean, quiet, safe environment.... Huatulco's the place to go and Aqua Azul La Villa is where you want to be when you get there. Rick and Brooke are great hosts who's enthusiasm for life (theirs and yours) never lets up. The Villa itself (built as a B&B) is stunning, peaceful and open to the breezes. It sits in the crook of a hillside the shape of which acts like an ear to funnel the sounds of the sea directly to your private terrace. Bring lots of books, binoculars (if you're lucky, you'll see and hear the manta rays hitting the water a hundred yards of shore....) I really miss that place!

I have two separate experiences with the Aqua Azul, and I doubt that any other guest knows this villa better than I, nor is it likely that the innkeepers, Brooke & Rick Gazer, know any of their guests better than they came to know us. I was married in the sala of this wonderful home on a rainy Thursday, the 8th of August, 2002. Also, we were guests at the villa in late Spring 2002, while we were in town putting the final touches on our wedding plans.

The inn itself is beautiful, has a fabulous view, and gives one the feeling of being in the tropics the moment they step inside it's doors. One gets their first hint of the attention to detail that Rick & Brooke put into the design and building of their home as they walk across the pond over stones to the front door. Brooke is an apt story teller and artist: ask her about her experiences having a potter custom make the lamp covers, or about her trips to Central America to have the bedspreads and upholstery fabric woven to order.

Fabulous breakfasts of luscious fruit are served each morning (along with breads, yogurt, and the unspeakably delicious Oaxacan coffee) in the palapa sala, with the wooden and glass folding walls pulled back so that the space is open to the gardens and the bay below. Exotic birds and an iguana frequent the trees bordering the garden, and little crabs scurry across the walk into the colorful flowering shrubbery, to clear a path to the pool for the night swimmer. Fireflies create an almost fairytale like feeling in the evenings, and, if you are lucky, electrical storms in clouds over distant mountains will entertain you on a romantic evening.

The rooms are well appointed, each a little different, but all with a tropical feel. I found the Agua Azul on the internet, and I must say that photos do not do justice to the interiors. One of the reasons for this, is that the rooms are a little dark (a blessing in the tropical climate) and the ceilings are high in several, making them a challenge to photograph. I took many pictures myself, but I couldn't get one to really show off the fabulous feel of the rooms. Outside each room is a small palapa covered porch with a hammock hanging, handy for an afternoon nap. (I don't know why none of the other villas in the neighborhood have hammocks, they're missing the boat.)

The villa is situated on a hill above a small private beach in a residential neighborhood filled with lovely vacation homes owned mostly by foreigners. Huatulco itself is an affluent area, but the community of Resedential Conejos is the crème de la crème. The entire area is spotlessly clean, and fastidiously cared for. The drive from the airport to the bays takes you through a National Park and Ecological Reserve that surrounds the Bay of Conejos on the north side. Looking westward one sees the bay of Tangolunda with it's resort hotels, and eastward, the deliciously deserted Conejos Bay and beach, where you must go for an afternoon snack of iced cold beer, and shrimp "mojo de ajo" under the palapa at the end of the beach. Go at sunset. In fact, get Carlos Ramos (aka Charlie diver) to take you snorkeling at "his ranch" and he'll show you his "three [sea] horses." (Tell him you heard he's a rancher.) Then ask him to take you to Conejos Bay afterwards, for sunset, and buy him and "el agiula" (the eagle) a couple of beers and some shrimp (it's cheap). He'll drop you back at the little beach in front of the Villa Agua Azul when you're done. The residential neighborhood known as "Conejos Resedencial" is situated on the small peninsula that separates these two bays from each other. It is on this western side of the peninsula that the Villa Agua Azul sits.

The villa's large palapa sala is just off the entryway and on ground level as you enter the house through the front door at the top of the hill. The rooms meander down the side of the hill, and the unique design allows each room good privacy, great views, and most have their own little garden areas as well. The entire house is very tastefully tiled in a mixture of dark terracotta and hand painted traditional Mexican tiles with an emphasis on dark blue. This dark blue is carried into the fabrics on the beds, furniture and windows as well. It give the place a simple, clean, yet rich feel that is very comfortable and relaxing. It has far more character than the posh, overly decorated luxury hotels in the next bay, and a far better view, as well as access to a less crowded, and far more charming beach than those of the hotels.

My dad and step mom, my brother, my mom, and three sets of close friends stayed at the Villa Agua Azul for the week of my wedding, while the rest of our group occupied two other villas in the small, exclusive neighborhood. Brooke and Rick cared for my guests like they were family, and they will have repeat business from many of them. We were all in walking distance of each other, as well as the terrific little private beach, Playa Tejoncito, that you see featured in photos on the Agua Azul websites.

This beach is a great place for a night swim, or a day of sun and soaking, along with a picnic, or even a barbeque (use the pit) right on this quiet little beach. It was on this beach that I had planned to get married, and indeed began a beautiful wedding ceremony under the trees in the sand with a light tropical rain beginning. Ask Brooke to tell you the story of how we all grabbed our things and ran to the sala of her villa when the deluge began. It was also in Rick and Brooke's sala that I had a beautiful candlelit rehearsal dinner the night before. Brooke has a gentle, elegant touch when it comes to very tastefully setting her tables, and entertaining. She and Rick were indispensable in the planning and execution of my wedding and the week-long extended family vacation that preceded it.

In late Spring of 2002 my fiancé and I made a trip to Huatulco to check on our wedding plans, which, up until that time, had all been made over the internet and telephone. Mike and I stayed at the Agua Azul, in the Pelicano room for three days, and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The Pelicano has the best view as it sits higher on the hill than even the sala, and had the effect of making feel like a kid again, due to the little flight of stairs that lead up through a little door to get to the room. In fact, my 10 year old son, when he first saw the villa on the night of the rehearsal dinner, loved the place as much as I did, and for the same reason: there are stairs that go everywhere giving it an almost mysterious feel, like you might discover a secret room if you explore all the stairways. During that stay, there was one other couple who arrived the same day we did, and another couple who arrived as we were leaving.

Brooke & Rick are gracious and attentive hosts, making the Agua Azul an especially excellent place for first time travelers to Oaxaca, or travelers that don't speak Spanish. If you are reading this, and are considering staying in one of the hotels in Tangolunda Bay, or in town (Santa Cruz, or La Crucecita), don't do it! Especially not Tangolunda. Stay in Conejos instead. It is a quick, cheap taxi ride (5 minutes) down a pristine highway to get into town for shopping or nightlife, and the taxi's are very clean, and extremely prompt when called. All of the activities that are to be had through the big hotels can also be found on your own, or with assistance from your hosts if you wish. Rick & Brooke make a small fee, in the form of a mark-up, for the services they book for you, but they often negotiate a better rate than you would have gotten on your own, so it usually evens out. Huatulco is broader geographically than it is socially, truly a small town where everybody knows everyone else. With very few exceptions, everyone who volunteers to introduce you to someone who might provide you a service is making a small cut for his or her efforts. This is true of many innkeepers as well. However, the convenience of this service, and the confidence that it provides is perfect for many travelers who are not experienced traveling in Mexico, or don't speak Spanish.

The Villa Agua Azul is a B&B, and Rick and Brooke created it from the beginning to be just that. It is there home, and they are conscientious hosts, who will do all they can to make you feel at home as well.