Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo

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  • 1. Isla Ixtapa

    The most popular spot on Isla Ixtapa (and the one closest to the boat dock) is Playa Cuachalalate. An excellent swimming beach, it was named for a local tree whose bark has been used as a remedy for kidney ailments since ancient times. A short walk across the island, Playa Varadero hugs a rocky cove and is also good for swimming, but watch for coral-covered rocks on both sides of the cove. Just behind is Playa Coral, whose calmer, crystal clear water is great for snorkeling. Each of the above beaches is lined with seafood eateries eager to rent snorkel equipment. Playa Carey, toward the island's south end, is small and has no services. Pangas run between the boat landings at both Cuachalalate and Varadero beaches and Playa Linda on the mainland, where you'll find a few all-inclusive, high-rise hotels. The ride costs MXN$40 round-trip, and boats run from about 9 to 5 (later in high season). Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

    Ixtapa, Guerrero, Mexico
  • 2. Playa la Ropa

    "Clothing Beach" apparently got its name hundreds of years ago when a textile-laden ship spilled its silks, which washed up on the sand. The area's most magnificent beach is a 20-minute walk from Playa La Madera and a five-minute taxi ride from town. Parasailers drift above the 1-km (½-mile) stretch of soft light sand; below, concessionaires rent Jet Skis (US$50 for 30 minutes) and Hobie Cats (up to US$50 an hour, depending on the size). Up and down the beach are open-air restaurants—some with hammocks for post-meal siestas—and a handful of hotels. Kids can splash in the calm, aquamarine water or toss a ball or Frisbee on the shore—but not too close to the little stream that empties into the southerly end: it's a crocodile refuge! There's free parking in a lot at the south end of the beach. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: swimming; walking; sunset.

    Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico
  • 3. Museo Arqueológico de la Costa Grande

    The malecón ends at this archaeological museum, a gray stone building identified with a wooden shingle. A permanent display of pre-Hispanic archaeological pieces traces the history of the so-called Costa Grande (Grand Coast) through the colonial era. Beyond the museum, a footpath cut into the rocks leads to Playa la Madera.

    Paseo del Pescador 7, Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, 40890, Mexico
    755-554–7552

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: MX$10, Tues.–Sun. 10–6
  • 4. Playa del Palmar

    Ixtapa's main beach, this broad, 3-km-long (2-mile-long) stretch of soft brown sand runs along the Zona Hotelera. Although you can swim here, small waves break right onshore, and currents are sometimes strong. Each hotel offers shaded seating on the sand. Concessions rent Jet Skis (MX$500 per half hour) and arrange banana-boat rides (10–15 minutes costs MX$100 per passenger with a four-person minimum) and parasail trips (MX$300 for around 5–10 minutes). Licensed guides in white uniforms cruise up and down selling horseback-riding and boating tours. Women offer hair braiding and massage under open-sided tents. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; water sports. Best for: sunset; walking.

    Ixtapa, Guerrero, Mexico
  • 5. Playa la Madera

    This is a small, flat, dark-sand beach with a sprinkling of restaurants on the sand (which provide just about the only shade and facilities) and a few more hotels on or just above it. Bobbing boats and the green headlands make for stunning vistas. Waves are small or nonexistent, and as there's no drop-off it's a great place for the kiddies. Young locals always seem to be kicking a soccer ball around. Get here via a footpath cut into the rocks that separate it from Playa Principal, in downtown Zihua, or by car. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming.

    Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico
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  • 6. Playa las Gatas

    Legend has it that a Tarascan king (from an indigenous, pre-Hispanic community) built the breakwater on Playa las Gatas to create a sheltered area for his daughter's exclusive use. Named for the gatas (cat-whiskered nurse sharks) that once lingered here, this beach is bordered by a long row of hewn rocks that create a breakwater. Snorkelers scope out the rocky coves, and surfers spring to life with the arrival of small but fun summer swells. The beach is lined with simple seafood eateries that provide lounge chairs for sunning, as well as kayak and snorkeling-gear rentals, and guiding services. (You really can't go wrong with any of the concessionaires, but La Red del Pescador, at the far end of the beach, has the best setup with the hippest music; ask for Cruz if you need a kayak guide.) Overlooking the beach is El Faro (the lighthouse); the view from the top is marvelous, but the safe path up can be hard to find—ask any of the waiters to point it out. You can reach Playa las Gatas in about 20 minutes by climbing over the rocks that separate it from Playa la Ropa. But it's much more common and convenient to take one of the skiffs that run from the municipal pier every 10 or 15 minutes between 8 am and 6 pm. Buy your round-trip ticket (about MX$80) on the pier, and keep the stub for your return trip. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: swimming; snorkeling.

    Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico
  • 7. Playa Linda

    Thatch-roof restaurants dispense beer, soda, and the catch of the day just north of the Qualton Inn, in the Zona Hotelera II. Mexican families favor this long, coconut-palm-lined beach, which has marvelous views. It's perfect for walking and is bordered at one end by an estuary with birds, iguanas, and gators. A warren of identical stalls sells souvenirs and cheap plastic beach toys, and concessions arrange banana-boat rides and rent Jet Skis and Boogie boards. Water taxis depart here for Isla Ixtapa, and land taxis wait in the free parking lot for fares. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: walking; sunset; surfing.

    Ixtapa, Guerrero, Mexico
  • 8. Playa Principal

    The less-than-pristine water (water taxis and fishing boats hang out here) may keep you on the sand, but there's plenty going on. Check out the haggling over fish prices, settle into an umbrella-shaded chair with a cool drink and fresh seafood, or shop at makeshift stalls for trinkets and treasures, but save the bulk of your beach-going time for other shores. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: walking; sunset.

    Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico
  • 9. Playa Quieta

    Club Med occupies the south end of tranquil Playa Quieta; the rest of the lovely cove is empty except for a cluster of tables and chairs that picnicking families rent for the day for a small fee, and the equally unobtrusive Restaurant Neptuno, which sells reasonably priced seafood all week. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: solitude.

    Ixtapa, Guerrero, Mexico

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