There are various issues to do in Zihuatanejo, resembling lounging on the seaside, swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving, together with exploring the tiny however charming city of the identical identify.
It’s an excellent factor that Zihuatanejo often doesn’t seem on the shortlist of well-known Mexican seashores. This low-key fishing village on the Pacific coast doesn’t get practically as a lot consideration as Cancun, Acapulco, or Puerto Vallarta, giving it a extra relaxed and off-the-beaten-track vibe.
15 Greatest Issues to Do in Zihuatanejo
Not solely are there beautiful seashores and lots of different issues to see in Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa, but additionally fantastic meals, pleasant folks, and good climate year-round. This is likely one of the prime locations to see in all of Mexico!
On airplane tickets and tour brochures, Zihuatanejo is usually paired with neighboring Ixtapa, known as Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. A visit to 1 doesn’t robotically imply that you simply’ll be seeing each.
The 2 are roughly 10 kilometers from one another and slightly completely different: Ixtapa is extra fashionable and unfold out, with tall motels and massive resorts, and its seashores are on the open ocean, not like sheltered Zihuatanejo Bay.
I’ve visited Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo many instances over time, often to scuba dive, and I used to be at all times shocked by the nice issues I discovered — each above and beneath the water.
You possibly can benefit from a visit to Mexican paradise by trying out this record of the 15 greatest issues to do in Zihuatanejo.
1. Dangle Out at Playa la Ropa
Giant and shielded from the large waves of the Pacific Ocean, Zihuatanejo Bay incorporates a number of seashores, together with Playa Principal (actually, the Essential Seashore) proper subsequent to the city and secluded Playa Las Gatas on the opposite aspect of the bay.
Between these two is the most important and nicest, Playa la Ropa (Clothes Seashore — the place this identify comes from, I’m undecided). There’s good swimming and snorkeling, particularly close to the big rock on the far northeastern finish.
It’s additionally a improbable place for watching the sundown. You could find yourself sharing the view with a tranquil flock of pelicans floating on the water after their lengthy day of diving into the ocean for fish.
Playa la Ropa is a 30-minute stroll from the village, so if hanging out on the seaside comes first in your record of issues to do in Zihuatanejo, contemplate getting a resort there.
2. Wander Round Downtown
Apart from tourism, the first exercise within the village of Zihuatanejo is fishing.
The east finish of Playa Principal is jammed with fishing boats pulled onto the sand. Earlier than sundown, anglers return with contemporary fish to promote to eating places or to anybody proper there on the seaside.
Playa Principal has stunning surroundings, however sadly, the water may be fairly murky. You’ll find higher swimming elsewhere, like at Playa la Ropa.
As a substitute, exploring the city is likely one of the greatest issues to do in Zihuatanejo if you don’t really feel like swimming or laying within the sand.
The core vacationer space occupies two or three blocks immediately behind the seaside. There are slim pedestrian streets, busy eating places, quirky cafes, and rowdy bars. Search for the stage close to the seaside, which frequently has performances and dwell music, particularly throughout Mexican holidays.
You’ll find some good eating places blended in with the touristy ones within the downtown core. Attempt to discover a crowded spot that has extra Mexican vacationers and locals than worldwide vacationers to get the tastiest and most consultant meals.
After darkish, the bars get noisy and the streets get crowded, making it a superb space to search for issues to do in Zihuatanejo after darkish.
When you’d favor some peace within the late hours as an alternative, search for a resort outdoors this central space. When you cross Benito Juarez Avenue to the east of downtown, issues get rather a lot calmer and extra authentically native.
The municipal market is positioned on Benito Juarez road simply north of the vacationer space. Go there to browse for souvenirs, purchase contemporary fruit and greens, and eat an affordable lunch of real Mexican meals within the tiny eating places there.
3. Stroll Down the Paseo del Pescador
Between Playa Principal and Playa Madera is a protracted concrete path constructed into the rocks and cliffs known as the Paseo del Pescador — the Fisherman’s Path.
This stroll supplies nice views of Zihuatanejo Bay and passes cozy artisanal retailers, seafood eating places with thatched roofs, and swanky worldwide eateries with intensive menus and classy decor.
A stroll down this path is undoubtedly among the finest issues to do in Zihuatanejo, particularly at sundown. After darkish, you’ll have views of the lights on each side of the bay. However in any respect hours, this stroll is likely one of the compulsory Zihuatanejo actions.
4. See the Shows on the Costa Grande Archaeological Museum
On the Paseo del Pescador is the Costa Grande Archeological Museum, one of the fascinating locations to go to in Zihuatanejo if you’ve had sufficient of the seaside.
The museum incorporates six exhibition halls with artwork and artifacts present in close by archeological websites from the Olmeca, Teotihuacan, Mexica, and Tarasca cultures.
The museum is open from 10:00 AM to six:00 PM every single day besides Monday.
Handle: Paseo del Pescador 1, Centro, 40890, Zihuatanejo, Gro., Mexico
5. Catch a Boat to Playa Las Gatas
Though Playa la Ropa is the most important, many individuals favor Playa Las Gatas (the Seashore of the Cats.) It’s in a tiny cove close to the top of Zihuatanejo Bay, and though it will get crowded, it’s extra secluded than the opposite seashores close by.
Playa las Gatas additionally has a few of the greatest snorkeling within the space. Apart from coral and different sea life like starfish and countless sea urchins, there’s additionally a four-meter bronze statue of Jesus Christ erected beneath the water.
Attending to Playa las Gatas is half the enjoyable. It’s potential to stroll all the way in which from Playa la Ropa, and it’s a fairly stroll too, on twisting paths that go over and beneath the rocky bluffs alongside the ocean.
The quicker and extra scenic method, nevertheless, is to take a ship from city.
From sunup to sunset, boats depart the docks positioned on the far east finish of Playa Principal. When you’re there, you possibly can hire snorkel tools and eat at a number of first rate eating places alongside the seaside.
Or, you possibly can prepare a tour from Zihuatanejo. Some excursions embody snorkeling and kayaking, whereas others mix with different locations to see in Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa.
6. Scuba Dive at Los Morros de Potosi
A few of the greatest diving on the Mexican Pacific coast is positioned at a rocky cluster of barren islands known as Los Morros de Potosi, which is positioned about an hour south of Zihuatanejo by boat.
The shallow waters surrounding the islands of Morros de Potosi are filled with coral reefs, faculties of fish, sea turtles, and different aquatic life like octopuses.
When you’re fortunate, chances are you’ll even see a whale on the boat journey there.
This occurred to me as soon as when two humpback whales cruised previous the dive boat, making it the primary time on a scuba diving journey that essentially the most fascinating creatures I noticed had been above the floor of the water as an alternative of beneath it.
There are different nice dive websites round Zihuatanejo, with some within the small coves positioned simply outdoors the bay and others on the many small islands offshore from Ixtapa.
Zihuatanejo has a number of dive retailers, all with related costs. I went with Dive Zihuatanejo and extremely advocate them.
7. Break Out the Binoculars for Some Whale Watching
Yearly from late December to late March, round 20,000 humpback whales migrate by means of the world. Throughout that point, a whale watching journey is likely one of the most fun issues to do in Zihuatanejo on the water.
Apart from humpbacks, you’ll have an excellent likelihood of seeing minke whales, beaked whales, a number of species of dolphins, manta rays, sea turtles, and plenty of birds.
Bilingual whale watching journeys are usually guided by a marine biologist. They preserve observe of the whales passing by means of, providing you with an excellent likelihood of seeing them. You may also be part of a whale watching tour with Dive Zihuatanejo.
8. Devour Scrumptious Mexican Fashion Contemporary Seafood
Mexican meals is rightly thought-about one of many world’s most interesting cuisines, and consuming seafood is crucial if you go to a seaside city and fishing village like Zihuatanejo.
Excellent seafood eating places abound, and discovering them is likely one of the prime issues to do in Zihuatanejo. Typically, fancier locations have ocean views, touristy locations are a block or two from the seaside, and native hangouts with essentially the most scrumptious meals are simply outdoors the downtown core.
One in all these is Mariscos El Tiburón de la Costa, which you’ll find in entrance of a visitors circle after strolling a number of blocks east from the top of Playa Principal. Their intensive menu has every kind of contemporary seafood, some land-based choices, and tropical drinks like piña coladas and margaritas.
9. Expertise a Loopy Potato
Loopy potatoes are an anomaly of Mexican meals that aren’t well-known outdoors of northern Mexico. Though Zihuatanejo isn’t precisely north, it’s north sufficient for a lot of native eating places to have them on the menu.
A big baked potato is full of no matter you need: completely different sorts of meat, seafood, or greens, after which it’s smothered with cheese, salsa, and bitter cream. Principally, no matter might be put in a taco will get put within the potato.
There’s a transparent winner for the primary loopy potato on the town: Papa Loca Zihua.
It’s outdoors of the downtown core and is unquestionably a favourite of locals. And if you happen to’re not within the temper for a potato, Papa Loca serves glorious tacos and different Mexican specialties as nicely.
10. Chill out All Day at Playa El Palmar in Ixtapa
In case your concept of a seaside trip is an all-inclusive resort with swimming swimming pools and a number of buffets, then the Playa Palmar (Palm Seashore) space of Ixtapa is unquestionably for you.
Not like Zihuatanejo, which is a functioning fishing village, Ixtapa is totally dedicated to tourism. Situated in Ixtapa’s foremost zone, Palmar Seashore is extensive and on the open ocean, that means nonstop waves and good bodyboarding.
Eating places, bars, and small retailers are clustered behind the row of motels on the seaside.
Centro Mercado is likely one of the prime locations in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo for procuring, particularly at night time, when the shops and slim walkways between them are lit up in colourful lights.
There are even excursions accessible that take you to the retailers and handicraft markets of Ixtapa. And for meals, you possibly can’t go unsuitable with some nachos and large glasses of beer at Señor Frog’s, or pizza and cocktails at Frank’s Bar and Grill.
Ixtapa continues to the north of Palmar Seashore, the place there are extra seashores, like Playa Quieta and Playa Linda. These zones are much less developed than Playa Palmar, however additionally they have many eating places, motels, and vacationer locations.
11. Journey a Bicycle By way of the Rainforest
The Ixtapa Bicycle Path begins within the Vaso de Miraflores neighborhood on the far northern fringe of Zihuatanejo, passes by means of the Playa Palmar space in Ixtapa, and continues over the mountains to Playa Linda.
Alongside the way in which, it passes the Parque Aztlán ecological reserve, the place you possibly can see caimans, parrots, and curious teams of coati, an unique tree mammal from Mexico and Central America.
Using this path and exploring the park is unquestionably among the finest issues to do in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo to get pleasure from nature. To hire a motorcycle, you possibly can search for a motorcycle store close to the trail or ebook a personal tour like this one.
12. Take within the Views from the Mirador Playa Linda
At kilometer 5 on the bicycle path, a smaller path branches off that results in a viewpoint excessive within the mountains above Playa Linda.
Biking down the path takes you thru the luxurious vegetation of the native rainforest, and it’s simply one of many prettiest sights in Zihuatanejo.
The highest of the picket platform supplies panoramic views of the forest beneath and the lengthy twisting shoreline past. There’s little question that this viewpoint is likely one of the most stunning locations to go to in Zihuatanejo.
That is a kind of actions in Zihuatanejo that you simply’ll should be in good condition to get pleasure from as a result of it’s a steep journey as much as the point of view. Don’t neglect to convey numerous water, sunscreen and a hat.
13. Gawk at Crocodiles within the Playa Linda Cocodrilario
On a small peninsula on to the south of Playa Linda is the cocodrilario (crocodile reserve).
Dozens of the large beasts float within the water or lounge within the mud whereas large turtles, iguanas, and birds cross amongst them. It’s a small website, however there’s no payment to enter.
Close by is a market with native handicrafts and some eating places. Playa Linda is beautiful too, and strolling down it after trying out the crocodiles is a kind of issues to do in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo if you’d like slightly extra privateness.
14. Go {Golfing} at Ixtapa
When you’re questioning what to do in Zihuatanejo whereas carrying humorous checkered pants, then Ixtapa has two golf programs: the Palma Actual Golf Membership and the Ixtapa Marina Golf Membership.
Each have 18 holes and good surroundings, with ocean views and tall palm timber. Additionally they comprise numerous native wildlife like birds, iguanas, and crocodiles, so suppose twice earlier than reaching into the water to really feel round for a misplaced ball.
Costs range in line with season. When you come at a busy time, it is best to most likely reserve a tee time beforehand, however if you happen to go to in off-season, you could possibly simply present up if you need to play.
15. Discover the Xihuacan Archeological Website
When you loved the shows on the Costa Grande Archaeological Museum, then for positive you’ll need to take a look at the just lately excavated ceremonial heart of Xihuacan.
It’s one of the fascinating issues to see in Zihuatanejo, and positively essentially the most historic.
Xihuacan, also referred to as the Soledad de Maciel Archeological Zone, is probably not as large or well-known as Mayan websites like Chichen Itza in southern Mexico or Teotihuacan close to Mexico Metropolis, nevertheless it’s a formidable space however.
Buildings embody a mud-brick stepped pyramid and an historic ball court docket. The small onsite museum homes quite a few artifacts and offers additional explanations concerning the historical past of the world.
It’s slightly far and sophisticated to get there from Zihuatanejo by yourself, so an excellent choice is to take a small group tour like this one, which takes about 4 hours and contains lunch.
The Xihuacan Archeological Website is open from 10 AM to five PM and is closed on Mondays.
FAQs About Issues to Do in Zihuatanejo
Nonetheless questioning what to do in Zihuatanejo? Try these solutions to some continuously requested questions.
Zihuatanejo is called an enthralling and pleasant fishing village and seaside city. It’s thought-about a extra laid-back different to Acapulco or Puerto Vallarta. It’s additionally well-known for being the ultimate vacation spot of Andy Dufresne within the film The Shawshank Redemption.
Zihuatanejo is a small fishing village that’s now principally dedicated to tourism. It’s positioned on Zihuatanejo Bay, so its seashores have calm, flat water. The seashores at Ixtapa are on the open ocean and comprise principally bigger motels and resorts. Ixtapa is totally devoted to tourism.
The most effective time to go to Zihuatanejo is within the cooler months from November to April. Nonetheless, it’s a good suggestion to keep away from excessive vacationer season in Mexico throughout that point, which is from Christmas to New Yr’s and Semana Santa, the week earlier than Easter.
Sure, the seashores are good for swimming in Zihuatanejo. Most seashores are in Zihuatanejo Bay, so that they’re sheltered from the large waves and rip tides of the Pacific Ocean. As a result of it’s proper subsequent to city, the primary seaside (Playa Principal) could be a little murky, so that you’re higher off heading to Playa la Ropa or Playa las Gatas.
Zihuatanejo is usually protected, though take fundamental precautions, particularly at night time. The state the place it’s positioned, Guerrero, has many harmful areas, however Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa have averted a lot of the state’s issues.
Now You Know What to Do in Zihuatanejo
As you possibly can see, there are a lot of extra issues to do in Zihuatanejo than go to the seaside. Enjoyable actions in Zihuatanejo embody snorkeling, scuba diving, whale watching, kayaking, {golfing}, mountain biking, and even crocodile gazing.
The charming and fairly fishing village is likely one of the prime sights in Zihuatanejo. Good eating places, pleasant folks, and a particularly laid-back vibe make it a terrific base for exploring the world and a worthwhile vacation spot in its personal proper.
Every time I went to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, I had a totally completely different expertise. Whether or not it was after chilling on the seaside, devouring large plates of coconut shrimp, or night time diving amongst neon blue bioluminescence, I at all times left questioning about after I might return for extra.
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