Visitor Information
The Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo Tourism Office (tel. 755/554-2001) sits in the municipal palace on the main square at Av. Zihuatanejo Poniente 21; it's open Monday through Friday from 8am to 6pm and provides basic tourist information. The Convention and Visitor's Bureau in Ixtapa is another source of information; it's in the Plaza Zócalo building behind Plaza La Puerta (tel. 755/553-1270; www.travelixtapazihuatanejo.com) and open Monday through Friday from 9am to 2pm and 4 to 7pm. A tourist kiosk on Paseo Ixtapa in front of the plaza is open daily from 10am to 6pm.
City Layout
The fishing village and resort of Zihuatanejo spreads out around the beautiful Bay of Zihuatanejo, framed by downtown to the north and a beautiful long beach and the Sierra foothills to the east. The heart of Zihuatanejo is the waterfront walkway Paseo del Pescador (also called the malecón), bordering the Municipal Beach. Rather than a plaza, as in most Mexican villages, the town centerpiece is a basketball court, which fronts the beach. It's a point of reference for directions. The main road for cars is Juan Alvarez, a block behind the malecón. Sections of several main streets are designated zona peatonal (pedestrian zone).
A cement-and-sand walkway runs from the malecón in downtown Zihuatanejo along the water to Playa Madera. The walkway is lit at night. Access to Playa La Ropa (Clothing Beach) is by the steep, winding Camino a Playa La Ropa. Playa La Ropa and Playa Las Gatas (Cats Beach) are connected only by boat.
A good highway connects Zihua to Ixtapa, 6.5km (4 miles) northwest. The 18-hole Ixtapa Golf Club marks the beginning of the inland side of Ixtapa. Tall hotels line Ixtapa's wide beach, Playa Palmar, against a backdrop of lush palm groves and mountains. Access is by the main street, Bulevar Paseo de Ixtapa. On the opposite side of the main boulevard lies a large expanse of small shopping plazas (many with air-conditioned shops) and restaurants. At the far end of Bulevar Ixtapa, Marina Ixtapa has excellent restaurants, private yacht slips, and an 18-hole golf course. Condominiums and private homes surround the marina and golf course, and additional exclusive residential areas are rising in the hillsides past the marina on the road to Playa Quieta and Playa Linda. Ixtapa also has a paved bicycle track that begins at the marina and continues around the golf course and beyond Playa Linda.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
