New Rules at Las Gatas & Isla Ixtapa

The municipal government is trying to get the beaches at Las Gatas & Isla Ixtapa "certified". I think this is a STUPID IDEA and a huge WASTE OF MONEY, but some of the New Rules are rules that should have been in place decades ago as they are simply GOOD COMMON SENSE, though having good sense is apparently not so common.

Some of the new rules I like are:

• No destruction or removal of shells, sand, coral, rocks, flora or fauna
  
• No bothering or harassing wildlife
  
• No loud music
  
• No styrofoam products
  
• No fishing in swimming zones
  
• No leaving garbage
  
• No sky lanterns

These seem like good common sense rules for obvious reasons.

New rules I definitely don't like are:

• No pets
  
• No glass containers
  
• No camping
  
• No bonfires

Beaches are places where people like to have FUN and be with their families and friends, and many of those families include pets, and oftentimes that fun includes camping out or sitting around a bonfire. Some of my best beach memories include bonfires, sleeping on the beach, being with my pets, and consuming things from glass bottles that my beverages and foodstuffs come in (because glass is much more environmentally friendly than plastic).

Folks who have driven long distances and brought along their own pets must now either not go to those beaches or leave their pets in their vehicles.

So now I have one more reason NOT to visit Las Gatas or La Isla Ixtapa because where I go so does my chihuahua.

And NOT ONE public servant or anyone in the tourism industry has been able to demonstrate that even ONE additional tourist has visited us because of any beach being designated as "certified".

All the restaurants have glass containers so what would be different? I am not sure about La Isla but many of the people who actually LIVE at Las Gatas have animals. Give it the test.

Rob, I agree. The no pets rule seems especially ridiculous. Many people who live at Las Gatas have dogs (and probably cats). As long as owners pick up after their pets, they are not a problem. If these rules are actually put in place we will definitely not be going to either of those beaches. But somehow, I have a feeling that some rules will be ignored.

What the heck is a Sky Lantern?
Sounds like something that I need, whatever it is.

"owners pick up after their pets, they are not a problem. "

Yeah just like if they pick up their cigarette butts there is no problem. The problem is They Don't in many cases,

It's a flying incendiary device used by unthinking mouth breathers. They are responsible for property losses to many people as well as fires in many grasslands and wooded areas.

Globo de cantoya causa incendio en Copacabana: dueño
Los infernales globos de cantoya

From your post re: Playa Principal Closed
Playa Principal is the ONLY beach in the country reported as a health risk. The entire coastline from Isla Ixtapa to Zihuatanejo Bay reports the highest levels of pollution in the entire country according to the latest report from Cofepris (Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios). Not unexpected in my view since the 8,000 homes of Casas Geo (La Puerta de Ixtapa, Morrocoy, Flamingo, etcetera) have no wastewater treatment plant, and neither does Barrio Viejo (aka San José Ixtapa) or Barrio Nuevo or Pantla or any other community. All their wastewater goes into the rivers of Ixtapa and Pantla respectively."

You'd think getting a certified beach next to the most polluted areas in Mexico would be a big WASTE of time & money, as well as impetus for tourists to choose to vacation in other places, other countries. Next thing you know we'll all have to wear shoes and shirts in the beachside restaurants, all whilst sitting on the dirtiest beach in Mexico.
Thank you all for allowing me my Monday morning rant!

Some of my my best budget vacation memories are of camping at Puerto Peñasco as a young adult. Bonfires and all. Not allowed there anymore from what I understand. Change really sux in a lot of cases.

They tried to stop us with our dog in the beginning of March when getting on the boat, we told them to forget it, she came with us every week to Las Gatas. Another guy stopped us when we got off the boat, we told him the same thing and walked away. I didn't get to go back again that trip so I don't know what would have happened the next time??? I figured it was something like this, same as the beach in Ixtapa. I'll bring my dog the next trip, just will be a little more careful when getting on and off the boat. She sits under my chair in the restaurant and does her business in the back, she's not hurting the beach.

This is the new sign at the pier, warning folks WAY TOO LATE what they are supposed to be able to take with them to Playa Las Gatas.

Some of these are great rules that should have been in effect here decades ago (and that I have been personally enforcing every time I saw them broken at every beach I've been to for most of my life). Others suck like a mouthful of sand and will only convince more folks not to return to Zihuatanejo at a time when we should be pampering our visitors more instead of making new rules that limit their freedoms.

Regarding glass, yes folks need to be careful with glass on beaches, but glass is much more environmentally friendly than plastic, the most common alternative for many beverages, and I prefer a little PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY instead of a stupid poorly thought-out mandate in this case. If someone breaks glass on the beach, make them clean it up and/or fine them.

Same with doggie doo. So are birds, fish, insects and babies also to be banned for crapping on beaches? Then some of the crap folks eat and drink should be banned for the same reason, too, for that matter!

Who is going to enforce the rules? I'm all for keeping the beaches clean and safe and rules are needed but they have to be enforced, otherwise it is just wasted ink on paper.

Who is going to enforce the rules? I'm all for keeping the beaches clean and safe and rules are needed but they have to be enforced, otherwise it is just wasted ink on paper.

The Guardians Ecológicos are the people entrusted with watching over the beaches. Up until recently they only took care of Playa El Palmar in Ixtapa. They are locally respected people empowered by the city to call for the use of public force should it be necessary. Please don't be rude to them for doing their jobs. One of them is my consuegro.

ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Never saw a fish crap on the beach Rob. Guess it must be them "Walkin Catters"?

Could that mean.....No fishing where there is swimming? Would make sense to me.