Hello all. We have a group of 3 to 5 couples that might be heading to Ixtapa. We're all in our 30s. I have several questions related to lodging, daytime activities, and nightlife.

Lodging - we'd like to stay at Villa del Sol, but because of the price difference we have settled on Las Brisas. Any opinions on Las Brisas. Is the hotel within walking distance to Ixtapa or Zihua?

Daytime activities - We don't know much about snorkeling/diving possibilities around Ixtapa. Any suggestions? How is the fishing? I've heard something about an island close to Ixtapa that has good snorkeling.

Nightlife - We're a pretty good group of partiers, so we'd like a decent nightlife option, bars, etc. How's the nightlife in Ixtapa/Zihua.

I appreciate any thoughts.

I stayed at Las Brisas in Ixtapa for a long weekend last March. The rooms are not huge but are quite nice and having your own balcony is great for when you want some privacy. There are two large swimming pools, one for all ages and one for adults only. Even though the beach is not legally private, it is difficult to reach without going through the hotel, which means few vendors (a plus to me). The surf is quite strong. The hotel is on a peninsula between Ixtapa and Zihua - you could probably walk to Ixtapa, but not to Zihua.

So overall we really liked the hotel and had a nice relaxing weekend. The downside was that the restaurant activity and nightlife in Ixtapa was definitely lacking. Maybe we were there the wrong week? At least with 6-10 people you're a big enough group to make your own fun. We are late 30s/early 40s and were easily 15-20 years younger than the average visitor. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it was just weird.
I'm more used to Acapulco, where the restaurants are full of people of all ages at 11pm.

Others can give you more info on Zihua.

The island your referring to is Isla Ixtapa; a short water taxi ride from the Ixtapa hotel zone. Fair, but not great snorkeling.....was told it was the best in the area. Island has a few bars/restaurants, beach rentals and facilities. We spent about a half a day on the island and enjoyed it.

We are also trying to decide between Villa del Sol & Las Brisas. There is such a price differential but I am not sure we would be happy with the rooms at Las Brisas. They look a little small & motel-like in the photos. Can anyone who has stayed there provide more info about the rooms -- the beach & pool look beautiful.

At Las Brisas Ixtapa we stayed in one of the junior suites on the top floor. It is essentially two standard rooms combined, the bedroom on one side and a sitting/dining area on the other. The virtual tour photos on the Las Brisas website are pretty accurate. The rooms are comfortable but not large and by no means luxurious in the Ritz-Carlton way, although the bathroom was gorgeous.

I haven't stayed at Villa del Sol, but based on the photos on their website there is no comparison on the rooms. In my case, I was looking to spend a few days at the beach and was very pleased with Las Brisas. The architecture is interesting, the pool and beach are great, and the price is reasonable.

But Las Brisas is a big, fairly bustling resort hotel. If you are looking for a romantic, "once in a lifetime" type of place to stay you might be disappointed.