Located on the Pacific coast of the state of Guerrero, Zihuatanejo is a quiet coastal village in a sheltered bay near the resort of Ixtapa.
The bay extends far inland, leaving the beaches of Zihuatanejo mostly soft turquoise water for swimming and snorkeling. Inland are the last peaks of the Sierra Madre del Sur and the ruins of Mesoamerica near Sihuacan.
Zihuatanejo’s accommodations are more boutique than Ixtapa’s high-rise, independent hotel resorts, allowing you to admire the bay via your own steam and water taxi from the main pier. If you know anything about The Shawshank Redemption, you know that Zihuatanejo is a tropical idyll at the end of which Red meets Andy Dufresne.
Top Things To Do In Zihuatanejo Guerrero
- Playa la Ropa
- Playa las Gatas
- Ixtapa Island
- Xihuacan
- Diving
- Water Sports
- Paseo del Pescador
- Playa el Palmar
- Playa Quieta
- Costa Grande Archaeological Museum
Playa la Ropa
At over 1.5 kilometers long, Playa la Ropa is the longest beach in Zihuatanejo Bay and has a gentle crescent of fine sand.
The surf can be intense but rarely gets out of hand and the slopes are low so kids are safe. The warm waters are ideal for swimming and snorkeling, or you can try bodyboarding on the thigh-high rolling waves.
You can see a lot of fish underwater, and if you’re just relaxing on the shore, pelicans will catch your eye from time to time. Playa la Ropa has many beach bars and restaurants offering sun loungers and water sports equipment hire.
As with almost all beaches in Zihuatanejo, Playa la Ropa has spa tents with masseurs cruising along the shore offering their skills.
Playa las Gatas
Playa las Gatas is located in a small corner on the south side of Zihuatanejo Bay and can be reached on foot.
It’s best to catch a small boat from the main pier on the resort’s waterfront, which sails across the bay five times an hour. Every inch of this narrow beach is lined with umbrellas and sunbeds, and tucked behind palm trees are 12 beach bars and restaurants.
Playa las Gatas is opposite Zihuatanejo and you can see the resort surrounded by the last peaks of the Sierra Madre del Sur. Playa las Gatas is one of the best beaches for swimming or swimming, with low waves and small waves that attract surfers in the summer.
Ixtapa Island
In Playa Linda, you can take a water taxi to this uninhabited island (P50 round trip). Ixtapa has four beaches, each facing a different direction, but all sheltered from the Pacific Ocean. A popular beach choice is Playa Cuachalalate, which faces the mainland and features a shallow stretch of dark sand, palm umbrellas, lounge chairs, and five beach bars serving burritos, tacos, and cold beer.
Just a short walk away is Playa Coral, a large cove with a coral reef and vibrant underwater life, so don’t forget to bring your snorkeling gear. The secluded Playa Carey is popular with nudists, while Playa Varadero is a good alternative to Cuacalate Beach with its calmer waters.
Xihuacan
Sihuacan, also known as La Soledad de Maciel, is an archaeological site near the southeast coast.
The settlement was inhabited by three different cultures (Tomirs, Kutakos and Dipoztecas) for more than 3000 years and excavations only started in 2007. A small museum has been established at the site to provide background information on the monuments discovered so far and to display artifacts such as stelae, basketball hoops, jewelry, and burial items.
The site contains a huge ball court, possibly the largest of any site in Mesoamerica, a pyramid with a base covering one hectare, and petroglyphs above that may have been altars.
Diving
With its warm seas and lively marine life, it’s no wonder Zihuatanejo is a great diving destination.
There are seven dive centers in the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo area. If you’re new to this class, you’ll want a better place to take your first open water dive.
You can earn your PADA certification in days, while kids can learn the ropes in a bubble maker class. You may have many hours of diving experience, in which case Zihuatanejo is a two-tank diving playground.
Water Sports
If you have a snorkel and fins, you can slip into the rocky part of Zihuatanejo Beach and see an incredible variety of underwater life just a few meters from the shore.
Equipment can also be rented, and almost every beach on the list offers a variety of equipment, from jet skis to kayaks. The current in the bay is weak and you can go on a guided kayaking excursion for lunch.
You can combine this with snorkeling to see sea urchins and sea cucumbers nesting in the sea wall that protects the bay.
Paseo del Pescador
This promenade surrounds the bay of Zihuatanejo and starts at the municipal pier on the east side of Madeira Beach.
As you walk, you’ll come across craft shops, restaurants and bars, all nestled in the shade of coconut trees. If you want to really experience local life, go early in the morning between 06:00 and 08:00 when the fishermen put their catch on the tarpaulin. It can be anything from snapper to shrimp, crab, swordfish or tuna.
Playa el Palmar
No two beaches are the same in the Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa area, and Playa el Palmar on Ixtapa’s main street is the most commercialized of them all.
This has its advantages, especially if you stay at one of the all-inclusive hotels nearby and are just steps away from the beach. Playa de Palma is closer to the Pacific Ocean than other places on this list, so children should be supervised as the back currents can be strong.
The bonus is that if you can control yourself in the water, you can surf the waves and from November to April you can see a humpback or gray whale off the coast.
Playa Quieta
Located away from the tourist attractions, 15 minutes west of Zihuatanejo, Playa Quieta overlooks the island of Ixtapa.
Unlike most of the other projects on this list, the impact of the tourism development is so low you might not even know it’s there. The southern end of Playa Quieta is little more than a Club Med branch.
The rest of the beach is just open sand with small palm shacks at the back where people come for picnics.
Costa Grande Archaeological Museum
A small museum on Paseo del Pescador documents the pre-Hispanic settlement and culture of the Costa Grande, which includes 325 kilometers of coastline and much of the interior.
Six rooms display Mexica, Olmec, Tarascan and Teotihuacan cultural works. Among the fascinating artefacts are a bracelet of brass bells and a decorated conch that would have been used during ceremonies.
You can also get a closer look at obsidian tools, clay figurines and pottery, and learn about the complex trade network that connected modern-day Costa Grande to the rest of Mesoamerica.
