Zihuatanejo

Zihuatanejo is the poverty-stricken airport town down the road from Ixtapa, a government-planned resort town n the state of Guerrero. Despite the “5000 rooms” available for tourists in Ixtapa, or the fact that cruise ships stop there, or that the staff for Ixtapa probably comes exclusively from there, the people of Zihua live in abject poverty, which apparently is “normal”. Zihua is a good lesson for tourists who don’t usually spend a lot of time thinking about where their services come from. There are many shops and artisans. Beware the haggling of vendors – the prices are inflated. The prices are not in perspective, they’re in American dollar values. This means that you won’t get very much at rock bottom prices – goods are just as expensive as in any American resort town.

Beware the conversion problem you’ll have; prices are listed EVERYWHERE in pesos, then American dollars. If you’re using Canadian money, you’ll get confused. 500 pesos is $5.00. 5000 pesos is $50.00. Look at the bills you have and make sure you understand how much you really have left.

There are some places of subdued beauty in Zihua. I suggest the beach. The town itself is crowded, low-rise and decrepit. The people are mostly polite, though I personally wondered how they felt about their lives and town being invaded by white tourists. Keep in mind that 95% of the population is Catholic; try not to walk around in your bikini top, wear a shirt or tank over it. The families seem happy as units, and the community does plays (I think mostly morality plays) and other types of things.

I think the last bus to Ixtapa leaves at 1AM. If you miss it, it’s a $15.00 cab ride for you. Wander in the tourist district down side streets between the “tourist” market and the military base. There are lots of small, nice, bars and restaurants.

Zihuatanejo is a really cute beach town that is not overrun with tourists but still has great infrastructure to support tourism. Pretty beaches, great hotels at a reasonable price, access to the town if you want to be on solid ground for a bit of your stay.

Zihuatanejo is a magical little town with cobblestone streets and a boardwalk where lovers make out as you pass by. It had such charm and still not overrun with tourists – the reason it is still a great place to go!

I really liked our vacation to Zihua. It’s a nice alternative to commercialized spring break type areas. It’s much more low key and relaxing. If you want the resort/all inclusive type of vacation Ixtapa is a better fit, but both cities are close enough where you could do a bit of both.