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.

Getting There

By Plane

Flights are available year-round from U.S. gateways, but they operate less frequently in the summer. Aeroméxico flies daily from Mexico City; InterJet flies daily from neighboring Toluca (about an hour from Mexico City). Here are the local numbers of some carriers: Aeroméxico (tel. 755/554-2018, -2019), Alaska Airlines (tel. 755/554-8457), Continental (tel. 755/554-4219), InterJet (tel. 01-800/011-2345 toll-free in Mexico), and US Airways (tel. 755/554-8634). Ask your travel agent about charter flights and packages.

The Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo airport (tel. 755/554-2070; airport code: ZIH) is about 11km (6 3/4 miles) and 15 minutes south of Zihuatanejo. Taxi fares to the Ixtapa Hotel Zone are 350 pesos and to Zihuatanejo centro 300 pesos. Transporte Terrestre (tel. 755/554-3298) colectivos (minivans) transport travelers to hotels in Ixtapa for 170 pesos and Zihuatanejo for 120 pesos; tickets can be purchased just outside the baggage-claim area. Rental-car agencies with booths in the airport include Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131 in the U.S., or 755/554-2952) and Budget (tel. 800/527-0700 in the U.S., or 755/553-0397).

By Car

From Mexico City (about 8-9 hr.), you can take Hwy. 15 to Toluca, then Hwy. 130/134 the rest of the way. On the latter road, gas stations are few. Another route is the four-lane Hwy. 95D to Iguala, then Hwy. 51 west to Hwy. 134. A new toll road, Hwy. 37 from Morelia to Ixtapa, cuts an hour off the total trip time.

From Acapulco (4 hr.) or Manzanillo (9 hr.), the only choice is the coastal Hwy. 200. You'll pay a 24 peso cuota (toll) at Tecpan de Galeana, though unlike other toll roads, it's the same old tope-studded highway. The ocean views along the winding, mountain-edged drive from Manzanillo can be spectacular, although there are many speed bumps along the way that make for slow going. Warning: You should not drive this route at night, both because it is dark and curvy and because there are ongoing problems with drug-related crime through the state of Michoacán, where you will encounter numerous military checkpoints.

By Bus

Zihuatanejo has two bus terminals: the Central de Autobuses Estrella Blanca (tel. 755/554-3477), Paseo Zihuatanejo at Paseo la Boquita, opposite the Pemex station and IMSS Hospital, from which most lines operate; and the Estrella de Oro station (tel. 755/554-2175), a block away. At the Central de Autobuses, several companies offer daily service to and from Acapulco, Puerto Escondido, Huatulco, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta, and other cities. At the other station, first-class Estrella de Oro buses run daily to Acapulco.

The trip from Mexico City to Zihuatanejo (bypassing Acapulco) takes 9 hours; from Acapulco, it's 4 to 5 hours. From Zihuatanejo, it's 9 or 10 hours to Manzanillo, and it's an additional 6 hours to Puerto Vallarta.

Getting Around

Taxi fares are reasonable, but from midnight to 5am, rates increase by 40%. The average fare between Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo is 55 pesos. Within Zihua, the fare runs about 50 pesos; within Ixtapa, it averages 50 to 70 pesos. Radio cabs are available by calling tel. 755/554-3680, -3311; however, taxis are available from most hotels. A shuttle bus (8 pesos) runs between Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa every 15 or 20 minutes from 5am to 11pm daily but is almost always very crowded with commuting workers. In Zihuatanejo, it stops near the corner of Morelos/Paseo Zihuatanejo and Juárez, about 3 blocks north of the market. In Ixtapa, it makes numerous stops along Bulevar Ixtapa.

The road from Zihuatanejo to Ixtapa is a broad, four-lane highway, so driving between the towns is easier and faster than ever. Street signs are becoming common in Zihuatanejo, and good signs lead in and out of both towns. Both locations have an area called the Zona Hotelera (Hotel Zone), so if you're trying to reach Ixtapa's Hotel Zone, signs in Zihuatanejo pointing to that village's Hotel Zone might be confusing.

Fast Facts

Area Code -- The telephone area code is 755.

Currency Exchange -- Ixtapa's banks include Banamex, at the corner of Las Golondrinas (bordering the golf course) and Ixtapa, and HSBC, in front of Hotel Emporio. The most centrally located of Zihuatanejo's banks is Banamex, Calle Ejido at Vicente Guerrero. Banks change money during business hours, generally Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm, Saturday from 10am to 1pm. Note: Banks are persnickety about exchanging U.S. currency; bills with any stray ink marks or the most microscopic tears will be rejected.

Climate -- Summer is hot and humid, though tempered by sea breezes and brief showers; September is the peak of the tropical rainy season, with showers concentrated in the late afternoons. The coast, while humid, gets less rain than the inland mountains. Dry season is November through May.

Consular Agents -- The U.S. has an office in Ixtapa at the Hotel Fontan, Boulevard Ixtapa s/n (tel. 755/553-2100; Mon-Fri 1-5pm).

Drugstores -- A branch of Farmacías Coyuca (tel. 755/554-5390) at Nicolas Bravo and Vincente Guerrero in Zihuatanejo, is open daily from 8am to midnight. Ixtapa has several FarmaProntos (tel. 755/553-5090); the most central one faces Paseo de Ixtapa in Plaza La Puerta; it's open Monday through Saturday 8am to 10pm, Sunday 9am to 9pm.

Hospital -- Hospital de la Marina Ixtapa is at Bulevar Ixtapa s/n, in back of the artisans' market (tel. 755/553-0499). In Zihuatanejo, there's the Clinica Maciel, Las Palmas 12 (tel. 755/554-2380), or Hospital Hernández Montejano, Juan Alvarez s/n (tel. 755/554-5404). Dial tel. 065 (Red Cross) from any phone for emergencies.

Internet Access -- Ixtapa hotels generally have Internet access. Access is cheaper in Zihuatanejo; the most popular is Zihuatanejo Bar Net, Agustín Ramírez 2, on the ground floor of the Hotel Zihuatanejo Centro (tel. 755/554-3661). High-speed access is 20 pesos per hour; it's open daily 9am to 11pm.

Post Office -- The correo is in the SCT building, Edificio SCT, behind El Cacahuate in Zihuatanejo (tel. 755/554-2192). It's open Monday through Friday from 8am to 6pm, Saturday from 8am to noon.

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