Zihuatanejo

Getting there

By plane 1 Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo International Airport (ZIH IATA), Carretera Zihuatanejo-Acapulco s/n, Col Aeropuerto (12.5 km (7.8 mi) southeast of town via Carretera Zihuatanejo-Acapulco Hwy 200 past the turn-off towards Playa Larga in Col Aeropuerto). Non-stop air service is available from Mexico City, Puebla and Tijuana; and seasonally from Monterrey in Mexico. From Los Angeles and Houston in the United States. International flights from Canada and from additional cities in the United States are offered on a seasonal basis from November through March. Check with the airline you're flying with to determine seasonal flight schedules. All domestic and international airlines share the same boarding gates (Puertas 1-4) which are assigned only minutes prior to arrival. Arriving passengers are directed to passport control & customs (international) or direct to luggage reclaim (domestic) and then come out into the public arrivals zone (llegadas), where there are desks for car rental and ETASA Taxis (see below) for transport into town. The following airlines offer regular service to Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo:

Domestic Airlines/Aerolineas Nacionales Aeromexico Connect, VivaAerobus and Volaris. International Airlines/Aerolineas Internacionales Alaska Airlines and United Express offer regular year round service to Zihuatanejo from the U.S. The following carriers offer seasonal flights from the U.S. and Canada (Nov-Mar): Air Canada, American Airlines, Air Transat, Sunwing, Sun Country, Swift Air and Westjet. The carriers that offer regular year round service offer seasonal flights from additional cities in the U.S. or Mexico. From the airport Elances Terrestre Aeroportaurio SA de CV (ETASA) provides the shared shuttle and airport taxis into town. The shared ride shuttles cost M$160 to most parts of town and M$180 to Club Med, Melia and Playa Linda. Private taxis (in small cars for 1-3) cost M$550 to Zona Centro or M$600-650 to Ixtapa and other surrounding areas; and M$1100 for a

Getting around

Most of the transportation is done on foot. There are plenty of taxis to take you out to the airport or the bus station. At the muelle, dockside, there are lanchas, open boats, to various points along the coast, most notably the Playa Las Gatas across the bay. Getting to the flashy sister resort of Ixtapa can be done easily by bus.

See

Zihuatanejo is a self-grown little resort on the Bahía Zihuatanejo. The feel of the place is very relaxed and Mexican, and it is very unlike its sister resort of Ixtapa, a planned resort to attract the gringo dollar. Expect to find backpackers and other individual travelers along with Mexican holidaymakers. The latter are also among the more relaxed, as the Mexico City jet-set fresas of course intermingle with the estadounidenses in Ixtapa.

The main attraction of Zihuatanejo is the sheltered Bahía Zihuatanejo with safe swimming. Several lovely beaches surround the bay, including the Playa La Ropa ("Beach of the clothes") and the Playa Las Gatas ("Beach of the she-cats"), the first named after a shipwreck including Chinese silk, the latter named after little, harmless sharks called "she-cats" because of their whiskers. Playa Las Gatas, across the bay from town, is reached by lanchas, open boats. You buy the tickets at the ticket counter, and queue up at the pier. This is usually a quick affair. The beach itself has white sands and plenty of palapas (thatched umbrellas). You sit down under one for free, as long as you order your drinks and your lunch from the owner of the palapa. Snorkeling is recommended from the snorkel shop located just off of the boat dock. A very nice artificial reef was created in precolumbian times. The small community amphitheater and basketball courts provide great evening weekend events. Located along the pier near the fish market local families will attend Friday night basketball games (summer timeframe) and Sunday celebrations to watch folkloric dancing on the stage.

Do

Vicente Guerrero National Park is one of the newest Mexico national parks, having been created in 2023. The park preserves an area of 724 hectares between the Pacific resort destinations of Ixtapa and Zihuatenejo. The park includes the rocky hills of Cerro La Hedionda as well as 35% dense dry jungle and 26% mangrove swamp, along with coastal plains and savannah. The park provides natural habitat for thousands of plant species as well as 293 birds native to the state of Guerrero, 33 reptile species (mostly snakes and iguanas, but also crocodiles in the swamps) and several amphibian species (including several kinds of frogs). The park lies between Ixtapa to the northeast, Zihuatenejo to the southeast, and the Pacific ocean to the west (although the park does not include any beach area as it is developed. The park lands are east and north of Blvd Playa Linda, where you will find park entrance areas. There is no cost to enter the park.

Buy

A true Mexican tourist resort (i.e. a lot of vacationers from Mexico City), there are loads of things to buy in Zihuatanejo. In addition to swimwear and other beach accessories, you can buy a lot of Mexican handicraft. There is of course anything from cheap junk to high-quality artworks. Visit the shops and market close to the Playa Municipal, fanning outward from the pier. There is an excellent textile shop right along the water.

Eat

If you've never tried pozole, you've never been to Zihua! Pozole is a regional favorite, and in Zihua you'll find it being served up anytime, anywhere, but especially on Thursdays, everywhere. There's usually 3 kinds of pozole available:

blanco - white pozole is the tradition classic. It's simply pozole served in a clear chicken broth. Simple and wholesome. verde - green pozole is flavored with a rich mole sauce made from ground pumpkin seeds with a simmering heat of pipian chiles. rojo - red pozole is what you'd typically find in most of Mexico, or at Mexican restaurants outside Mexico. It's got a little bite to it from ancho and guajillo chiles (which is the foundation of menudo spice mix, which some cooks use as a shortcut) Regardless which color of pozole you choose, top it off with shredded cabbage (never lettuce---Guacala!), cilantro, onions, radishes, and a crushed tostada. Many street vendors pop up around Zihua every Thursday. Fans of street food will find them on Avenida Benito Juarez, between Calles Nicolas Bravo and Juan Alvarez.

1 Fonda Doña Licha, Calle Cocos #8 (southeast of the Mercado Municipal). 08:00-18:00. The best restaurant in Zihua, according to one who lived there for a year and tried just about everything. Homestyle regional dishes, including the traditional pozole on Thursdays and rica pancita" (tripe) on Sundays. Serves breakfast and lunch only. Good-sized portions. M$40-120. 2 Sirena Gorda, Paseo de Pescadores 90, ☏ +52 755 554 2687. Th-Tu 14:00 - 22:00, closed W. Intimate restaurant specializing in fresh seafood including ceviche, swordfish, and octopus. M$200. (updated Jun 2026) 3 La Terracita, Playa Pri