Huatulco entertainments center on the Crucecita plaza. Although the hubbub cools down on weekdays and during low season (and hot clubs seem to change as often as the Huatulco breeze), many spots heat up significantly during the winter high season.

A growing platoon of visitors and local expatriates gather for a little bit of Ireland in Huatulco at Café Dublin (Calle Carrizal, noon–after midnight daily low season, 6 a.m.–2 a.m. daily high season), a block east and half a block south of the Crucecita plaza’s southeast corner. Good imported beer, Irish coffee, spaghetti and meatballs, hamburgers, satellite TV, and good fellowship keeps the customers happy. In a cozy upstairs room, patrons settle in for the evening, socializing, enjoying recorded music, and watching videos.

Next door to the Café Dublin is the very worthy low- to medium-volume jazz, guitar, and vocal nightspot La Peña (Carrizal 504, cell 044-958/587-6986, 7–11 p.m. Mon.–Sat.).

One of the longest lasting Crucecita nightclubs is the La Crema Restaurant-Bar (on Carrizal, across from Café Dublin and La Peña bar, tel. 958/587-0702, 6 p.m.–2 a.m. Tues.–Sun.). In high season, it’s open nightly, with food and drink, videos, flashing lights, and high-volume salsa music for dancing.

A pair of promising new nightspots have opened up in Chahue. The original was the cleverly decorated disco La Mina (in the basement of the Hotel Real Aligheri, on Zapoteco, about a block north of main Boulevard Benito Juárez, tel. 958/587-1242), fixed up to resemble a coal mine. Programs include mostly salsa, tango, and 1970s and 1980s rock.

Newer and hotter is Disco Papaya (on main east–west Bulevar Benito Juárez, beach side, approximately two blocks east of the intersection to Crucecita, tel. 958/587-2589, 9 p.m.–3 a.m. Thurs.–Sat.).