Can you give me your opinion on visiting these places (we like to take pictures and shop). If you choose Ixtapa/Z, which town would you recommend to stay. And if you like Z, then which hotel, Villa del Sol or La Casa Que Canta? I hear Villa del Sol is snobbish but then Que Canta has no beach. Which one is prettier? Does one have prettier/larger grounds to roam around? Can we walk into the town of Z from either of those 2 hotels? Or would we be better off to stay at one of the hotels at Ixtapa and spend most of our time there shopping and taking pictures? Cabs easy to get from one town to the other?

Oaxaca is our other choice because it looks "more Mexican" than other Mexican places we've stayed. We'd miss being by the water but I guess we could give that up one year IF people felt it was definitely a place to visit.

Sizable aircraft service these airports? We're not crazy about those 12 seaters.

I appreciate any info you can give us.

Zihuatanejo is beautiful, as is Oaxaca... they are two very different trips, both would be amazing. If you want a resort feel with shopping and eating options available, choose LCQC, hands down. It's the best. You will not miss the beach for a second, and you're only a beautiful, short walk away from it anyways. But if you are interested in a more colonial trip with a little more culture and don't need the beach, than choose Oaxaca. Both Oaxaca and Zihuatanejo are very Mexican, but Ixtapa is not so I would stay away from there.

You can have the best of bothworlds if you decide on Ixtapa/Zihautanejo.

Ixtapa has the tourist resort alllong the beach front, with shopping across the street from the resorts.

Zihautanejo is the quaint Mexican place where almost all the Mexican live, that work in Ixtapa at the Resorts.

The local bus ride is 50 cents US between both of these places,and the bus runs about every 10 minutes .

If you decide to be in Ixtapa ,you will for sure take the bus to Zihuatanejo ....

and if you decide to stay in Zihuatanejo, then you will also want to take the bus to Ixtapa.

The bus ride is about 20 minutes between these two places.

The two places you asked about in Zihuatanejo are rather expensive...nice but expensive.

A nice place is Casa Sun and Moon .
They have a nice website.
Friends of mine stayed there and they go back each year.

www.casasunandmoon.com.mx/toureng.html

Look at this nice website and pick your room.

Percy

Thank you both for your replies. What a tough decision this is going to be. If we stay at LCQC, is it within walking distance of town (or McDonald's? I'm kind of hooked on their breakfasts when vacationing.) We really like to be able to just walk some place interesting anytime from the hotel and not always need transportation. How do these towns measure up for that convenience?

yes LCQC is within walking distance of town.
It is at the end of Playa Madera.

There is a nice beach walkway in to town

You know I have not seen a MacDonalds there.
I also like an egg McMuffin or their McGriddle for breakfast.

But there are lots of nice quaint little breakfast places along the way...just ask at LCQC, and they will help you out.


Percy

Oaxaca is served with full size aricraft, MD 80's etc. If you went to Oaxaca and wanted to the spend the money you can also include the beach if you want to fly down to Huatulco in 45 minutes. Here's where the small plane comes in. Direct from Oaxaca they fly a cessna carvan on AeroTucanne, or you can fly back to Mexico City then on to Huatulto aboard jets.