Where's the best snorkeling around Zihua??

Canadian newbie here. Would like to hook up with some like minded people to enjoy a snorkeling expedition. Will happily pay my share. I'm a mature lady, 39'ish (Oh who am I kidding, lol) but I enjoy most all flora & fauna, especially parrots.

I did try out my brand new prescription snorkel mask at La Ropa beach but while following a school of bait fish I got swamped by a series breakers... c'est la vie. Lol

NOTE: ALWAYS BE AWARE OF ONCOMING WAVES, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DRIFT TOO SHALLOW.

I guess I also need another dive mask & snorkel tube. Any suggestions where to buy a cheap but decent one that'll hold up for the next month? Is it a better bargain to buy in town opposed to buying near/on the waterfront? And if so, where?? This gal loves to find a bargain; wherever I happen to be.

We've enjoyed snorkeling along the bay side of the Las Gatas reef and at Playa Coral on Ixtapa island.

I agree with these recommendations. Great fun snorkeling there. Fun fish!

I would very much like to try Isla Ixtapa. I heard something about reasonably priced ferry/boats rides out there. Where exactly do you catch this boat?(Remember I've never been here so do not know the landmarks, etc.) Do you pay the captain or do you buy a ticket from somewhere? I can get the la ropa bus into town but do I need to find another bus to get closer to this boat dock area?

I was at Las Gatas last Sunday but it was very shallow & footware was a definite necessity. It was really packed that day. I didn't notice any ocean life at all, not even in the mangroves. I walked the beach as far south as I could but I was turned back as it was private property.

So Isla Ixtapa it is. Anyone else in the area care to venture out there (I'm available from now until into March/22. I would gladly take a taxi if anyone else wanted to share it. I've always enjoyed diving or snorkeling in groups. It's fun to share the experience over a beverage afterwards. Everybody has something different to bring to the table.

We like to spend a few hours fishing enroute to Isla Ixtapa and have one of the restaurants on Playa Coral cook some of our catch for lunch while we snorkel there. You might find some skippers on this board; our guy seems to have gone out of business.

Walk north on Playa la Ropa and when you get to the links, the rocks at the end, enter the water. There is a lot to see there, and even more if you go around the corner heading north.

If you enter the water at the south end of the beach, say La Gaviota, just follow the rocks until you get to Las Gatas. Lots to see along the way. When you get to Las Gatas, stay on the outside of the breakwater and check out the great stuff there, and look at the underwater Jesus statue.

There are enough great things to see here in the bay to keep you busy for weeks at least.

The visibility has been terrific for the last week and seems to be continuing. It's always best in the morning just after the sun comes up.

To get to Isla Ixtapa, take the Playa la Ropa combi almost to the end and get off by the q tip dancers. Grab the bus that says Playa Linda and ride it to the OXXO. Walk out to the beach and grab a boat to the island. It's cheap, under 100 pesos, and is currently going off of the beach while the pier is being rebuilt.

At the island, snorkel. It's fine, get a chair and eat and drink. To come back, just reverse the above.

The best snorkeling is off of Playa Manzanillo. The water is clear and the waves are gentle. Many excursions go there, Picante being a favorite of many. Don’t cheap on the gear unless you like the taste of salt water. It’s worth renting high quality fins and mask. As others have posted Playa Coral at Isla Ixtapa is also a good choice but it gets pretty cloudy and the coral can be very close to the water surface making it a real challenge depending on the tide.

We were at Las Gatas yesterday afternoon and I always snorkel on the outside of the rocks - the bay side. There were tons of fish! And, although I looked for the turtle who lives there, I didn't see it, but I did see a lobster!