Ixtapa

Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo are unique sister resort towns a few miles apart along Mexico’s deep-blue central Pacific Coast known as the Mexican Riviera. They share an international airport and miles of beaches. Zihuatanejo is the original settlement and actual town. Ixtapa was built as a resort on a former coconut plantation by the Mexican government in the early 1970s. Zihuatanejo has the traditional charm of an authentic Mexican fishing village, while Ixtapa is more similar to modern Acapulco. It can be hot and humid during monsoon season (June to September), when the rain really pours down.

Ixtapa’s main beach, Playa El Palmar, is lined with high-rise resorts and small hotels, dozens of restaurants, nightclubs, live entertainment, shopping, golf and tennis. A short water taxi ride from Ixtapa is an island called Isla Ixtapa, which is accessible from the pier at Playa Linda. Activities abound, from snorkeling, diving, surfing and sport fishing to cave exploration, skydiving, swimming with dolphins and horseback riding on the beach.