Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa Message Board - 1st time to Zihuatanejo

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Planning on 1st time visit in April to spend time fishing and spend time looking around in the area. Initially this visit was intended to be a birthday gift for a special lady but changes were on the horizon. I would appreciate any of you seasoned visitor would give me some direction on things to do and variously places to see.

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You might contact Pedro Moreno 672-119-2398 or pedro.91477@gmail.com for transportation. He speaks perfect English. He was our manager when we had a house in Zihua and drives cab. He could show you around.

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Planning on 1st time visit in April to spend time fishing and spend time looking around in the area. Initially this visit was intended to be a birthday gift for a special lady but changes were on the horizon. I would appreciate any of you seasoned visitor would give me some direction on things to do and variously places to see.

There are many great options for dining, from the various street vendors, fondas in and around the Mercado Municipal, fabulous restaurants with many years of experience and great prices, up to very fine dining with fairly hefty prices. In my opinion, the best food and best prices are not found in the restaurants that are on the beaches, although having your feet in the sand while dining is an experience in and of itself. Just search the forum for restaurant recommendations.

Day trips to Barra de Potosi (to the south) or Troncones/Majahua (to the north) are welcome diversions. Barra de Potosi has a lagoon that affords some adventures. Majahua is the most beautiful beach in the area, in my humble opinion. However, all the beaches in the Zihua area are desirable. The one beach that seems to be the least favorite is the Playa Principal downtown Zihua. I like it but others turn up their noses because you can walk 10 minutes to La Madera or take a 10-minute combi ride to La Ropa or a 10-minute boat ride to Las Gatas.

If history and ruins are something that would interest you, contact the husband of the chef at Las Adelitas in La Ropa. (Sorry, can't remember his name.) He can take you to the ruins. They are impressive. It is likely that Frostbite's driver will be able to take you there, also.

The streets kiosks by the downtown cancha (basketball courts) are available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. On Sunday nights, the municipal government sponsors some type of cultural event.

Last, even if you are not an early riser, you owe it to yourself to wander down to the docks some morning to see the fishermen and their catches splayed out for sale. They will fillet them for you and you can ask around as some of the restaurants will cook the fish for you.

Ooops! Forgot to mention the Saturday morning mercado next to the elementary school by the path to La Madera from downtown. Some awesome food and produce!

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As Padrino mentioned, there are many excellent restaurants in Zihua. I'll mention two of our favorites: on the less expensive side, we like to go to Papa Loca. They make excellent twice-baked potatoes, along with standard Mexican fare. Pricey, but worth the expense, because it has the absolutely best view of the town, mountains, bay and ocean: Amuleto. Closed Tuesdays. Reservations required: 544-6222. They keep the front door locked, so you need to ring the bell. Another eatery we like for lunch: El Manglar at the far end of La Ropa. Closed Wednesdays. One can often eat in the company of crocodiles, hanging out in the lagoon next to your table. Your toes are safe; there's a low fence.

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Great recommendations, you make our home sound as great as it is! Thanks

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Thursday is Pozole day in Zihua. You definitely should give Pozole a try when you are in Zihua. Lots of good pozolerias in Zihua. Do a search on here for recommendations. A unique Pozole experience is Santa Prisca. https://santaprisca-pozoleria.negocio.site/

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Hi! I am also making my first trip to Zihua. Coming in March. I have booked a place up from La Ropa beach called Natura Hotel and Villas. It's adjacent to Las Adelitas restaurant. Anyone here familiar with it?

Also wondering if it is possible to take a bus from the Zih airport into this part of town or do the buses just go to Centro?

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Hi! I am also making my first trip to Zihua. Coming in March. I have booked a place up from La Ropa beach called Natura Hotel and Villas. It's adjacent to Las Adelitas restaurant. Anyone here familiar with it?

Also wondering if it is possible to take a bus from the Zih airport into this part of town or do the buses just go to Centro?

You would take two "combis." They are large minivans, usually Nissans but some are Toyotas. Walk through the airport parking lot to the entrance/exit. The combi on the right is the one you want. Just yell, "Centro?" and the locals will help you. Take the combi all the way to the end (downtown) and then ask the driver for the "La Ropa" combi. It will be just a few steps from where they drop you off. Look for the Mercado Municipal and walk along the main street. La Ropa combis are blue. The La Ropa combi will take you directly to Las Adelitas. Be sure to tell the driver you want Las Adelitas.

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Not to be rude, but if you can afford the airline ticket, surely you can afford the ride from the airport via Transporte Terrestre, which has a desk just past Customs and the vehicles just outside the exit.

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Hey, I certainly can afford a taxi ride, but sometimes I just enjoy hanging out with regular people on the bus! I've stayed in bucerias twice and the second time I knew the lay of the land well enough to just hop on the bus, get off at right stop and walk a few blocks down the hill to the place I was staying. I took a taxi back to the airport to be more confident in my arrival time, but it was fun to take the bus!

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Hey, I certainly can afford a taxi ride, but sometimes I just enjoy hanging out with regular people on the bus! I've stayed in bucerias twice and the second time I knew the lay of the land well enough to just hop on the bus, get off at right stop and walk a few blocks down the hill to the place I was staying. I took a taxi back to the airport to be more confident in my arrival time, but it was fun to take the bus!

Right on!
I feel the same way.
It's a great intro to be in Zihua- with the locals.
I would love to see any one who posts "well if you can afford to..."
Pay my taxi fare...

actually I have never done that because I usually have too much luggage with me and it would be unwieldy to board the bus

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Ever notice when someone says “not to be rude” they follow it by being rude?

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I am still wiping tears , made my morning, thank you

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Not to be rude, but if you can afford the airline ticket, surely you can afford the ride from the airport via Transporte Terrestre, which has a desk just past Customs and the vehicles just outside the exit.

Aha! Obviously, you are unaware of what I normally pay for the direct flight from TJ to Zihua! Using either of the Volaris subscription services, v.pass or the Pase Anual, I typically pay less then US$100 for a round-trip ticket. Check 'em out at Volaris.com. Before the peso rose against the dollar, it was typically around US$80.

We Official Tightwads must make every penny count! Also, as others have commented, I still get a thrill exchanging greetings with the locals on the combis. The culture is such that it is customary to issue a greeting when you board or leave the combi. The passengers already on board respond. Sometimes, you can strike up a conversation, giving you a chance to practice your Spanish. I will sometimes ask a question that I already know the answer to just to see if I can understand what they say.

Speaking of 1st times in Zihua, when I arrived at the airport for the first time, I surveyed the prices for the official taxis. They were quite expensive, I was certain. I asked a female security guard about buses or other transportation to Centro. She insisted that this was the only way to get downtown. I looked her in the eye and said in my poor Spanish that I was absolutely sure that the locals did not use these taxis at these prices. She blushed and quietly said that I should just walk across the parking lot to the exit and a combi on the right would take me downtown Zihua. Gotta' love Mexico!

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So THAT'S the name of that little hotel behind Las Adelitas.

We live just up the street from restaurante Las Adelitas and it is one of our favorite spots for breakfast. The hotel was completed, at least part of it just a few months ago. The pool is as pretty as the pictures. It's about a 10, 15 minute walk to the beach, no private beach like it says in the listing. It's right on the combi route, just get off at Las Adelitas.

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Thanks! I found the place on Airbnb. It looks like a pretty basic hotel but was reviewed incredibly highly on the app. Almost too high...felt a little suspicious. Anyway, maybe they've just done a great job of setting their guests expectations and training them to leave 5 star reviews. If you are near by and feel like doing a little more investigating, I'd appreciate any more insight you have into it, but since you said the pool matches the pictures, that gives me some confidence. Thanks again!

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We live permanently a couple of hundred meters away. What information do you want? We eat at Las Adelitas at least weekly, so are right there.

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Good question. On AirBnB everyone described it as very clean and well cared for so I mostly want to know if the word on the street matches the positive reviews.

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The on line photos seem to be honest and acurate. The "private beach" not so much. They are a 10 to 15 minute walk to the beach.

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Thank you all for all the helpful info. I am looking forward to my stay in the area and exploring the country side. Thank you again for your super generosity, I will follow your recommendations. Incidentally,’ should you observe a fit gringo walking the area in dire need of a tan “like the majority of Pacific North Westerns” . Do not hesitate to say hello. Warmest Regards Rudy.

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