Our interests are photography, touring, shopping. Z sounds like it has the photography/scenery but Ixtapa, the shopping.

Which would you choose to stay?
Which hotel ? Would like a hotel with the Mexican feel but not to the point of discomfort.

Acapulco too big-city like ? Maybe it's Mexico City on a beach ?

Zihuat is the original fishing village and Ixtapa where they built up the resort hotels a la Cancun. They are only a few miles apart with taxi and bus service connecting them so you can easily go back and forth.

Definitely Zihuatanejo. As the previous post said, they are only a couple of kilometers apart, so you can easily go between the 2. Ixtapa has the big hotels, etc. and didn't feel much like a 'real' town. Zihuatanejo has some really nice smaller accommodation, good restaurants, etc. We also found some very good shops in Zihuatanejo (and they were cheaper than Ixtapa).

I'm not sure who told you that Ixtapa has better shopping than than ZIH; but they are wrong. You can find so much more in ZIH. As far as hotels go....the Las Brisas is the winner hands down. It has its own beach and is just 3 minutes from Ixtapa and 8 or 10 from ZIH.

I picture Zih as a small version of Puerto Vallarta. Would that be right? Most of the shopping is close to the water, safe to walk around, etc.?

This area does not seem to generate much in the way of "talk." Is that because it's not too popular yet ? Too small? Too expensive? Too quiet? Sort of looking for some quiet but don't want dead. What do you think?

We've been to Ixtapa twice but that was several years ago, so I imagine Zihuatanejo has grown some since then. Both times, we walked between the two towns. It was a pleasant walk, stopped along the way at a restaurant overlooking the ocean and had a snack (wonderful ceviche) and beer, and we felt perfectly safe. Sorry I can't give you more up-to-date information, but I think if I were going today I would check out staying in Z. The suggested Las Brisas sounds inviting.... eb from Texas

One other suggestion - you might want to check out the rants and raves area on this website to check out hotels and restaurants for Z and I.

Jamie:
It really does not matter where you stay in X or in Z.
The bus ride is 50 cents (US) and it seems to come every 5 minutes.
The bus is the cheapest and almost the best way to move back and forth from X to Z or vice versa.
There are nice places in Z and also nice (some all inclusive places in X.)
Yes the Las Brisas is nice but it is isolated if that is what you want.
In Ixtapa a few block further down the Ixtapa Blvd from the Brisas is the Barcelo and the Dorado Pacifico, both are also very nice.
In Z there are many quaint nice places.
Acapulco is nice. Yes it is city like but there are many tours to other places and then you get the Mexico flavour of both, the famous Acapulco strip and the countryside.
You know we are the tourist,we want the comfort we have back home and at the same time want some Mexican charm as long as not much distress is accompanied during this blend.
That is why Acapulco became so famous once and now it is Cancun..and next will be ........
Percy

We were in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo last year. stayed at Las Brisas. I would go back had a great time nnice view from room and beach lots of stairs. However we went into Ixtapa once, and did not return. There is no soul there. Zihua was much better, as it is real not prefab. When we were there in Oct the place was deserted. We shared the beach at Las Brisas with two or three couples, more staff than people. I enjoyed this area better than PV or Mazatlan

Have Fun
GP

I know there are at least a couple BB's or sites specific to Zihuat/Ixtapa area. Does anyone have their web addresses? Gracias.

[email protected]

Here they are (courtesy of a kind poster on a PV board):

www.zihuatanejo.net/wwwboard/

http://www.zihua-ixtapa.com/agora/in...te=zihuaixtapa