Untitled by Raiveran
Ixtapa has about 340 days of sunshine a year.
Ixtapa is a government/company-built resort town for older people. DOn’t mistake me; it’s still beautiful and all, but unless you’ve got people to go with, most of the tourists there are 50 and up, and come with friends. I ran out of things to do after 4 days. :( Get a hotel by the ocean, and KEEP IN MIND that their “3 star hotel” is a Canadian 1.5 star hotel. I got very sick from the over-processed food at my cheap, reasonable, oceanfront 3 star.
If you want to see Mexico and have no ability to travel wisely or take care of yourself in foreign places, Ixtapa is for you. The Army is the police, so don’t stare when you see people riding around in pickups with assault rifles. The company that built Ixtapa makes very sure their bread and butter is well-guarded. If you want to see what every employee in Ixtapa lives like, go to Zihuatenejo next door. It’s a lesson in capitalist-induced poverty.
On the other side is Playa Linda, or, Linda Beach. It’s small, has very nice sand, and you can take a ferry to a nearby island for snorkelling and eating. The vendors are pretty much the same no matter if you’re in Ixtapa, Zihua or Playa Linda. There’s horseback riding and a free (but very smelly) crocodile pit. Playa Linda seems to have far fewer tourists, so it’s worth the $2 bus fare.
There is a constant stream of buses running between and through Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Playa Linda. I believe the last one leaves Zihua at 1AM, and they start around 8AM. Keep an open mind and you’ll be less rocked by the stark differences between visiting this area and visiting an average small American city. I strongly suggest taking a “cultural tour” approved by your tourism agency representative. Mine was very educational; we did a lot of interesting things in one day.
over 3 years ago










