HISTORY
Zihuatanejo's azure waters attracted attention
long before Columbus. Local legend says the Tarascans (whose
emperor ruled from now - Michoacán and who was never
subject to the Aztecs) built a royal bathing resort on Las
Gatas Beach in Zihuatanejo Bay.
That was sometime around 1400. People had been
attracted to the Costa Grande much earlier than that: archaic
pottery has been uncovered at a number of sites, left by artists
who lived and died as long as five thousand years ago. Later,
around 1000 B.C., the Olmecs (famous for their monumental
Gulf coast sculptures) left their unmistakable stamp on local
ceramics. After them came waves of settlers, including the
barbaric Chichimecs (Drinkers of Blood), the agricultural
Cuitlatecs, and an early invasion of Aztecs, perhaps wandering
in search of their eventual homeland in the Valley of Mexico.
None of those peoples were a match for the
armies of Tarascan emperor Hiripan, who during the late 1300s
invaded the Costa Grande and established a coastal province,
headquartered at Coyuca, between Zihuatanejo and present-day
Acapulco.
Three generations later the star of the Aztec
emperor Tizoc was rising over Mexico. His armies invaded the
Costa Grande and pushed out the Tarascans. By 1500 the Aztecs
ruled the coast from their provincial town capital at Zihuatlán,
the “Place of Women” (so named because the local
society was matriarchal), not far from present-day Zihuatanejo.
Conquest and
Colonization
Scarcely months after Hernán Cortés
conquered the Aztecs, he sent an expedition to explore the
“Southern Sea” and hopefully find a route to China.
In November 1522 Captain Juan Alvarez Chico set sail with
boats built on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and reconnoitered
the coast to the Río Básas, planting crosses
on beaches, claiming the land for Spain.
An oft-told Costa Grande story says, when Chico
was exploring at Zihuatanejo, he looked down on the round
tranquil little bay, lined with flocks of seabirds and women
washing clothes in freshwater spring. His Aztec guide told
him that this place was called Zihuatlán, the “Place
of Women”. When Chico described the little bay, Cortés
tacked “nejo”(little)on the name, giving birth
to “Zihuatanejo”, which later got shortened to
the present Zihuatanejo.
Cortés, encouraged by the samples of
pearls and gold that Chico brought back, sent out other expeditions.
A shipyard and town were established at Zacatula, at the mouth
of the Río Balsas in 1523; then, in 1527, Captain Alvaro
Saavedra Cerón set sail for China from Zihuatanejo
Bay. Not knowing any details of the Pacific Ocean and its
winds and currents, it is not surprising that (although he
did arrive in the Philippines) Saavedra Cerón failed
to return to Mexico. A number of additional attempts would
be necessary until finally, in 1565, Father André de
Urdaneta coaxed Pacific winds to give up their secret and
returned, in triumph, from the Orient.
By royal decree, Acapulco became Spain's sole
port of entry on the Pacific in 1561. Except for an occasional
galleon (or pirate caravel) stopping for repairs of supplies,
all other Pacific ports, including Zihuatanejo, slumbered
for hundreds of years.
Zihuatanejo was one of the last to wake up.
The occasion was the arrival of the highway from Acapulco
during the 1960s. No longer isolated, Zihuatanejo's headland-rimmed
aqua bay attracted a small colony of paradise-seekers.
Zihuatanejo had grown to perhaps 5,000 souls
by the late 1970s when Fonatur, the government tourism-development
agency, decided Ixtapa (which means (White Place”, for
its brilliant sand beach five miles north of Zihuatanejo)
was a perfect site for a world-class resort. Investors agreed,
and the infrastructure-drainage, roads, and utilities-was
installed. The jetport was built inseparable twin resorts
of Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo (combined pop.70,000) were attracting
a steady stream of Mexican and foreign vacationers.
GETTING ORIENTED
Both Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo are small and easy
to know. Zihuatanejo's little Plaza de Armas town square overlooks
the main beach, Playa Municipal, just beyond the palm-lined
pedestrian walkway, Paseo del Pescador. From the plaza looking
out toward the bay, you are facing south. On your right is
the muelle (moo-AY-yay), and on the left, the bay curves along
the outer beaches Playas La Ropa, Madera, and finally Las
Gatas beneath the far Punta El Faro (Lighthouse Point).
Turning around and facing inland (north), you
see a narrow waterfront street, Juan Alvarez, running parallel
to the beach past the plaza, crossing the main business streets
(actually tranquil shady lanes) Cuauhtémoc and Guerrero.
A third street, busy Benito Juárez, one block to the
right of Guerrero, conducts traffic several blocks to and
from the shore, passing the market and intersecting a second
main street, Av. Morelos. There, a right turn will soon bring
you to Hwy.200 and, within five miles, Ixtapa.
Nearly everything in Ixtapa lies along one
three-mile-long boulevard, Paseo Ixtapa, which parallels the
main beach, hotel-lined Playa del Palmar. Heading westerly
from Zihuatanejo, you first pass the Club de Golf Ixtapa,
then the big Barceló on the left, followed by a succession
of other high-rise hotels. Soon come the Zona Comercial shopping
malls and the Paseo de las Garzas corner on the right. Turn
right for either Hwy. 200 or the outer beaches, Playas Cuata,
Quieta, Linda, and Larga. At Playa Linda, boats continue to
heavenly Isla Ixtapa.
If, instead, you continued straight ahead back
at the Paseo de las Garzas corner, you would soon reach the
Marina Ixtapa condo development and yacht harbor.
GETTING AROUND
In downtown Zihuatanejo, shops and restaurants
are within a few blocks' walking distance of the plaza. For
the beaches, walk along the beachfront andador (walkway) to
Madera, take a taxi ($2) to La Ropa, and a launch from the
pier ($3) to Las Gatas. For Ixtapa or the outer beaches, take
a taxi (about $5) or ride one of the very frequent minibuses,
labeled by destination, which leave from the east corner of
Juárez and Morelos. A taxi ride between central Ixtapa
and Zihuatanejo runs about $4. In Ixtapa itself, walk or ride
the minibuses that run along Paseo Ixtapa.
Museo Arqueología
de la Costa Grande
The small Museo Arqueología de la Costa
Grande on the beachfront side of Alvarez, near the Guerrero
corner, details the archaeological history of the Costa Grande.
Mapas, drawings small dioramas, and artifacts-many donated
by local resident and innkeeper Anita Rellstab-illustrate
the development of local cultures, from early hunting and
gathering to agriculture and, finally, urbanization by the
time of the conquest. Open Tues.-Sun.9a.m.-8p.m.
BEACHES AROUND
ZIHUATANEJO BAY
Ringed by forested hills, edged by steep cliffs,
and laced by rocky shoals, Zihuatanejo Bay would be beautiful
even without its beaches.
Five of them line the bay. On the west side
is narrow, tranquil Playa el Almacén (Warehouse Beach),
mostly good for fishing from its nearby rocks. Moving past
the pier toward town comes the colorful, bustling Playa Municipal.
Its sheltered waters are fine for wading, swimming, and boat
launching (which fishermen, their motors bussing, regularly
do) near the pier end.
For maximum sun and serenity, walk away from
the pier along Playa Municipal past the usually dry creek
outlet where a concrete andador winds about 200 yards along
the beach-front rocks that mark that beginning of Playa Madera.
If you prefer, you can also hire a taxi to take you to Playa
Madera, about $1.
Playa Madera (Wood Beach), once a loading point
for lumber, stretches about 300 yards, decorated with rocky
nooks and outcroppings, and backed by the lush hotel-dotted
hill, Cerro Madera. The beach sand is fine and gray-white.
Swells enter the facing bay entrance breaking suddenly in
two-or three-foot waves, which roll in gently and recede with
little undertow. Madera's usually calm billows are good for
child’s play and easy swimming. Bring your mask and
snorkel for glimpses of fish in the clear waters. Beach side
restaurant/bars Kau Kan, La Bocana, and the Hotel Irma, above
the far east end, serve drinks and snacks.
Zihuatanejo Bay's favorite resort beach is
Playa La Ropa (Clothes Beach), a mile-long crescent of yellow-white
sand washed by oft gentle surf. The beach got its name centuries
ago from the apparel that once floated in from a galleon wrecked
offshore. From the bay’s best mirador (viewpoint) at
the summit of Paseo Costera, the La Ropa approach road, the
beach sand, relentlessly scooped and redeposited by the waves,
appears as an endless line of half-moons.
On the 100-foot-wide beach, vacationers bask
in the sun, Jet Skins buzz beyond the breakers, rental sailboats
ply the waves, and windsurf outfits recline on the sand. The
waves, generally too gentle and quick-breaking for surf sports,
break close-in and recede with little undertow. Joggers come
out mornings and evenings. Restaurants at the several beachfront
hotels provide food and drinks.
Secluded Playa Las Gatas (Cat Beach), reachable
by very rough shoreline rock-hopping or easily by launch from
the town pier, lies sheltered beneath the south-end Punta
El Faro headland. Once a walled-in royal Tarascan bathing
pool, the beach got its name from a species of locally common,
small, whiskered nurse sharks. Generally calm and quiet, often
with super-clear offshore waters, Playa Las Gatas is both
a snorkeling haven and a jumping-off spot for dive trips headed
for prime scuba sites. Beach booths rent gear for beach snorkelers,
and a professional dive shop, Carlos Scuba right on the beach,
instructs and guides both beginner and experienced scuba divers,
For many more diving details, see Sports and Recreation later
in this chapter.
For a treat, pass the beach restaurant lineup
and continue to Owen's palapa restaurant, visible on King's
Point, the palm-shaded outcropping past the far curve of the
beach. There, enjoy some refreshment, watch the surfers glide
around the point, and feast on the luscious beach, bay, and
hill view.
IXTAPA BEACHES
Ixtapa's 10 distinct beaches lie scattered
like pearls along a a dozen miles of creamy, azure coastline.
Moving from the Zihuatanejo direction, Playa Hermosa comes
first. The elevators of the super-luxurious clifftop Hotel
Westin Brisas Ixtapa make access to the beach very convenient.
At the bottom you'll find a few hundred yards of seasonally
broad white sand, with open-ocean (but often gentle) waves
usually good for most water sports except surging. Good beach-accesible
snorkeling is possible off the shoals at either end of the
beach. Extensive rentals are available at the beachfront aquatics
shop. A poolside restaurant serves food and drinks. Hotel
access is only by car o taxi.
For a sweeping vista of Ixtapa's beaches, bay,
and blue waters, ride the teleférico (cable tramway,
open daily 7a.m. – 7p.m.) to El Faro restaurant, at
the south end of Ixtapa's main beach, Playa del Palmar, tel.
755/310-27. Open daily 8a.m.-10p.m. (hours may be seasonally
shortened).
Long, broad, and yellow-white, Playa del Palmar
could be called the “Billion-Dollar Beach” for
the investment money it attracted to Ixtapa. The confidence
seems justified. The broad strand stretches for three gently
curving miles. Even though it fronts the open ocean, protective
offshore rocks, island, and shoals keep the surf gentle most
of the time. Here, most sports are of the high-powered variety-parasailing
($15), Jet Skiing and water-shiing ($40), banana-boating ($10)-although
boogie boards are rentable for $5 an hour on the beach.
Challenging surfing breaks roll in consistently
off the jetty at Playa Escolleros, at Playa del Palmar's far
west end. Bring your own board.
Ixtapa Outer
Beaches
Ixtapa's outer beaches spread among the coves
and inlets a few miles northwest of the Hotel Zone. Drive,
taxi, or take a “Playa Linda” minibus along the
Paseo de las Garzas (drivers, turn right just past the shopping
mall), then fork left again after less than a mile. After
the Marina Golf Course, the road turns toward the shoreline
winding past a trio of development-blocked beach gems, Playa
San Juan de Dios, Playa Don Rodrigo , and Playa Cuata.
Although Mexican law theoretically allows free
public oceanfront access, guards might try to shoo you away
from Playa Cuata, on the open-ocean side, even if you arrive
by boat. If some-how you manage get there, you will discover
a cream-yellow strip of sand, nestled between rocky outcroppings,
with oft-gentle waves with correspondingly moderate undertow
for good swimming, body surfing, and boogie boarding. Snorkeling
and fishing are equally good around nearby rocks and shoals.
On the peninsula's sheltered northern flank,
Playa Quieta (Quiet Beach) is a place that lives up to its
name. A ribbon of fine yellow sand arcs around a smooth inlet
dotted by a regatta of Club Med kayaks and sailboats plying
the water. Get there via the north-end access stairway from
the parking lot, signed Playa Quieta Acceso Publico.
Playa Linda
Playa Linda, an open-ocean yellow-sand beach,
extends for miles beyond the road's end. Flocks of sandpipers
and plovers skitter at the surf's edge; pelicans and cormorants
dive offshore, while gulls, terns, and boobies skim the wave-tops.
Driftwood and shells decorate the sand beside a green-tufted
palm grove that seems to stretch endlessly to the north.
The friendly downscale La Palapa beach restaurant,
at pavement's end, offers beer, sodas, and seafood, plus showers,
toilets, and free parking. Neighboring stable Rancho Playa
Linda, managed by friendly “Spiderman” Jorge,
provides horseback rides at about $15 per hour.
The flat, wide Playa Linda has powerful rollers
often good for surfing. Boogie boarding and body surfing-with
caution, don't try it alone-are also possible. Surf fishing
yields catches, especially of lisa (mullet), which locals
have much more success netting than hooking.
Isla Ixtapa
Every few minutes a boat heads from the Playa
Linda embarcadero to mile-long Ixtapa Island daily 9a.m. –5p.m.
; $3 roundtrip. Upon arrival, you soon discover the secret
to the preservation of the island´s pristine beaches,
forests, and natural underwater gardens. “No trash here”,
the palapa proprietors say,, “We bag it up and send
it back to the mainland”.
It shows. Great fishy green orchids and bromeliads
hang from forest branches, multicolored fish dart among offshore
rocks, shady native acacias hang lazily over the shell-deco-rated
sands of the island's little beaches. Boats from Playa Linda
arrive at Playa Cuachalatate (koo-ah-chah-lah-TAH-tay), the
island’s most popular beach, named for a local tree
whose bark is said to relieve liver aliments. Many visitors
stay all day, splashing, swimming, and eating fresh fish,
shrimp, and clams cooked at any one of a dozen palapas. Visitors
also enjoy the many sports rentals: water skis, banana boat
rides, boats for fishing, aquatic bicycles ($6/hour), snorkel
gear ($3/hour), and kayaks ($5/hour).
For a change of scene, follow the short concrete
walkway over the west-side (right as you arrive) forested
knoll to Playas Varadero and Coral on opposite flanks of an
intimate little isthmus. Varadero’s yellow-white sand
is narrow and tree-shaded, its waters are calm and clear.
Behind it lies Playa Coral, a steep coral-sand beach fronting
a rocky blue bay. Playa Coral is a magnet for beach lovers,
snorkelers, and the scuba divers who often arrive by boat
to explore the waters around the offshore coral reef.
Scuba diving is so rewarding here the Escuela
de Buceos (Diving School) Oliverio maintains headquarters
near the west end of Playa Cuachalatate. Other shops in Zihuatanejo
(see Sports and Recreation, below) are better equipped to
provide the same services, however.
Isla Ixtapa's fourth and smallest beach, secluded
Playa Carey, is named for the sea-turtle species (see the
special topic Saving Turtles). For access, hire a boat from
Playa Cuachalatate.
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