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The bay in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo bay offers a safe haven from storms and is a favorite with boaters of all types.
PLAYA EL PALMAR
The main beach in Ixtapa is called Playa El Palmar and if you like a beach lined with high-rise hotels then this is for you. There is a smaller somewhat secluded beach fronting the Las Brisas Hotel called Playa Vista Hermosa which is semi-private and accessible through the hotel's property.
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Very near Ixtapa is an island called Isla Ixtapa which is accessible by water-taxi for $35 pesos round-trip from the pier at Playa Linda or the one at Playa Quieta next to the "Club Med." It's a little crowded with restaurants and boaters, but I would still recommend it for snorkeling. There is a restaurant at the far end of Playa Varadero, the second beach on the north side, called "El Paraíso Escondido" which I recommend as much for its food as its serenity. Be sure to keep an eye out for the small deer which inhabit the island.
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LA PLAYA DEL PUERTO
(located in front of the town itself),
La Playa del Puerto (aka La Playa Principal and La Playa Municipal) is the beach in front of downtown Zihuatanejo. At one end there is El Muelle Municipal (the Municipal Pier) where you can catch a water-taxi to Playa Las Gatas or charter a fishing boat, and at the other end is El Museo Arqueológico de la Costa Grande where you can learn about local pre-Columbian history.
The beach isn't the best place for swimming due to the proximity of so many fishing boats and their associated pollution, as well as drainage from the pluvial canal, though it's not that bad usually except after rainstorms. You'll find a walkway running the length of the waterfront called "El Andador del Pescador" (Fisherman's Walk) where many good seafood restaurants (and a few bad ones) can be found. Please see the RESTAURANTS page for recommended eateries.
PLAYA LA MADERA
(a 5 minute walk from town)
The waves are usually good for bodysurfing at Playa La Madera where you can wade out quite a distance before reaching the breaking waves. There is a waterfront walkway from the Playa del Puerto that passes several small picturesque coves. There are several restaurants where you can enjoy fresh seafood and cold refreshments. Enjoy the shade under their palapas and get serenaded by passing mariachis.
PLAYA LA ROPA
(5 minutes from town by car or about a 25 minute walk)
The main beach for swimming in Zihuatanejo is Playa La Ropa which is about a mile long with usually mild waves making it perfect for swimmers and non-swimmers alike. It's usually possible to bodysurf the 1 to 3 foot waves there on a normal day. Along with a few hotels, small inns and various vacation rentals, there are several restaurants on Playa La Ropa: Rossy's being one of the favorites as much for its fresh seafood as for its sundeck and beach palapas. Dine with your toes in the sand
PLAYA LAS GATAS
(at the extreme southern end of the bay; accessible by water taxi from the pier or a footpath along the rocky coast from La Ropa, there is no road),
If you like snorkeling then Playa Las Gatas is ideal whether you're a beginner or an old-hand. It has a reef that, according to legend, was built by the Tarascan king Caltzontzín, and which forms a haven from the waves, although surfers can sometimes be seen catching waves as they curl around the entrance to the bay. Las Gatas has over a dozen restaurants specializing in seafood, so it can be a little confusing trying to decide where to throw your towel. Near the beginning of the beach is a great little place called "Chez Arnoldo" where my friend Noyo and his family run a tight ship! Good service, great food, and an unbeatable view of Zihuatanejo with the Sierra Madre Del Sur as a backdrop. Rather breathtaking even for the locals! At the very end of Las Gatas Beach you'll find the Las Gatas Beach Club: a nature preserve in a South Seas style setting. It feels very much like paradise there all the time! Be sure to ask about the paved walkway to the lighthouse (El Faro) if you want to see a really spectacular view from its cliffs of the coastline from Ixtapa to Los Morros De Potosí.
PLAYA CONTRAMAR
(at the northwestern end of the bay: accessible by boat or footpath).
Playa Contramar is a beautiful place to snorkel but the beach is made up of surf-polished rocks and not sand. It's recommended to go there by boat and take a lunch. There is no reliable restaurant there but the coral and rock formations underwater are well worth seeing (look for the tunnel!).
PLAYA MANZANILLO
Another fairytale beach is Playa Manzanillo which is between Playa Larga and the bay of Zihuatanejo. It's possible to walk there but only for the stout and sturdy adventuresome. It's much more convenient to hire a boat at the pier. If my friend Hector Olea is available he'll prepare a lunch right on the beach for you with either what he catches on the way over, or a fresh market-bought fish (usually the former). The bay at Manzanillo is perfect for snorkeling or simply enjoying the unspoiled beauty of millions of years of evolution with the spectacular view of the guano-covered islands called Los Morros De Potosí which resemble a pair of half-submerged elephants (with a little imagination), a favorite hiding-place for pirates in days of yore.
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