The Museo de Arqueología de la Costa Grande (tel. 755/554-7552) traces the history of the area from Acapulco to Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo (the Costa Grande) from pre-Hispanic times, when it was known as Cihuatlán ("the Land of Women" in the Náhuatl language), through the Colonial Era. Most of its pottery and stone artifacts give evidence of extensive trade with far-off cultures and regions, including the Toltec and Teotihuacán near Mexico City, the Olmec on the Pacific and Gulf coasts, and areas known today as the states of Nayarit, Michoacán, and San Luis Potosí. Local indigenous groups gave the Aztec tribute items, including cotton tilmas (capes) and cacao (chocolate), representations of which can be seen here. This museum, in Zihuatanejo near Vicente Guerrero at the east end of Paseo del Pescador, easily merits the half-hour or less it takes to stroll through; signs are in Spanish and English, and an accompanying brochure is available in English. Admission is 10 pesos (children 11 and under are free), and it's open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm.
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