Zihuatanejo

[PrairieGirl]

I am at a loss for words! TUG, my fountain of knowledge, is mysteriously dry!

We are planning an exchange to Grand Pacifica Zihuatanejo in January, and while there is one review by someone who owns there (thank goodness) a search of simply "Zihuatanejo" turns up nothing for previous threads!

This is a locale in Mexico that I have wanted to visit for many years, and I would love ideas from anyone who has been there previously.

Thanks guys, I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

 

[wilma]

We have stayed at the embarq/club intrawest in zihuatanejo and reviewed t. I am not familiar with the "grand pacifica in zihua" unless it is the pacifica in ixtapa. Not crazy about ixtapa but really enjoyed zihua, the resort is on the beach and you canwalk to many restaurants.

 

[Passepartout]

My only experience at Zihuatanejo is limited to a cruise ship stop there 25 or more years ago. I remember walking the beach. It was a quiet little Mexican beach town, some distance from Ixtapa. We could see the high rises of Ixtapa from the ship. I enjoyed Zihua a LOT, but was glad to miss Ixtapa. I went fishing that day and caught a sailfish. I'd LOVE to go back.

Jim

 

[PrairieGirl]

I am not familiar with the "grand pacifica in zihua" unless it is the pacifica in ixtapa.

Sorry, it is actually called Pacifica Grand Resort & Spa (not Grand Pacifica) and is a sister resort to the Pacifica in Ixtapa, although much smaller from what I understand. Yes it IS in Zihuatanejo (I would pass on Ixtapa) and it looks to be fairly close to the Embarc (Club Intrawest) in location but up high on a hill so about a 5 or 10 minute walk to the beach.

So far all I have heard about Zihua is that it has a wonderful, low key ambiance so I'm truly looking forward to this trip!

 

[kcgriffin]

We stayed at Club Intrawest a couple of years ago, walked into town on many nights for dinner and shopping. Wonderful little town, fishermen bringing in their catch to the restaurants that line the waterfront. Always felt safe, locals in the market were extremely helpful with my bad Spanish. Interesting bars, one in particular run by a group of expats that caters to the gringos, with music for the beach boys generation. You are going to love it.

Almost forgot...massages on the beach, I think they were $20 US, and pretty good as well.

 

[zentraveler]

Reviving this thread because we are planning a trip in May. This is 2021, not 2017 so I wonder if anyone who has been lately can report. I always expect that places that used to be low key will get discovered at some point and become overcrowded so hope this place is still sweet, as I always have heard. Have wanted to go for years.

 

[JoeWilly]

Reviving this thread because we are planning a trip in May. This is 2021, not 2017 so I wonder if anyone who has been lately can report. I always expect that places that used to be low key will get discovered at some point and become overcrowded so hope this place is still sweet, as I always have heard. Have wanted to go for years.

We were there in 2019 and had been there once before. We love Zihuatenajo. The first time we stayed at Pacifica Grand and the second time at the Embarq. I think Pacifica was more luxurious but I like the Embarq (very nice) better because it is closer to town and easier to get to the beach. We did a market tour and cooking demo from the Embarq--very fun and delicious. As KCgriffin stated, $20 massages that were great. Catch a panga and go across the bay for a day--lovely beach, gentle water, and restaurants for lunch. We felt safe and found some great restaurants and bars. We used a driver that I'd highly recommend. We did a day trip with him, used him to get around town and to get back to the airport. He's not allowed to pick you up from the airport. He is a very nice man with great english and a clean, air conditioned car. He took us to a basically "locals only" place for pozole Thursday--absolutely delicious! Let me know if you'd like the driver's name and/or some restaurant recommendations.

 

[Tacoma]

We also really liked the quiet town of Zihuatenajo. We stayed at the worldmark which is up on the hill about a 15 minute walk into town. The resort was not all that fancy but perfect for us especially since it was our first trip here so we generally went out exploring during the day and then walked into town for dinner at night. We also enjoyed the quiet pool overlooking the bay and the fact that they had a restaurant if we were hungry. I would like to get to stay at the embarc because the location is excellent. Right on the beach. I have been to lots of the tourist areas in Mexico and really enjoyed the vibe of Zihuatenajo. If it had snorkelling like the Mayan Riviera it would likely be our number 1 choice. I think it would be an excellent spot to spend an entire winter.

 

[PrairieGirl]

We have been to Zihua 3 times now, most recently in January of 2020. Had to skip Jan 2021 but hope to return in Jan of 2022!

The vibe on our most recent trip was the same, still very low key. This time we took a day trip over to Ixtapa - totally apples and oranges only a few miles apart.

Tip - when in Zihua, be sure to visit Rosies on Thursday, Friday or Saturday between 4:00 & 7:00 if Steve and Friends are still playing. It is at the far end of La Ropa (the end towards Pacifica Grand).

Enjoy your trip!

 

[bjones9942]

I was there last November. Visually it was a very pretty town, and there's a long paved walking path that can be used if you need some exercise. Prices in the tourist areas were similar to Puerto Vallarta, and it was a more relaxed and slower town. I stayed in town and not at a resort - but really enjoyed the vibe. All the business employees were wearing masks, but only about 50% of the tourists. It was annoying, but the only annoying thing, and another thing Zihuatanejo had in common with Puerto Vallarta.

Here's my blog entry if you want pictures: Trip down México's pacific coast.

 

[easyrider]

I was there last November. Visually it was a very pretty town, and there's a long paved walking path that can be used if you need some exercise. Prices in the tourist areas were similar to Puerto Vallarta, and it was a more relaxed and slower town. I stayed in town and not at a resort - but really enjoyed the vibe. All the business employees were wearing masks, but only about 50% of the tourists. It was annoying, but the only annoying thing, and another thing Zihuatanejo had in common with Puerto Vallarta.

Here's my blog entry if you want pictures: Trip down México's pacific coast.

@bjones9942 Your blog was a very decent read. I really haven't thought about heading to Aculpoco . Have you bused from PV to Aculpoco ?

Bill

 

[zentraveler]

I was there last November. Visually it was a very pretty town, and there's a long paved walking path that can be used if you need some exercise. Prices in the tourist areas were similar to Puerto Vallarta, and it was a more relaxed and slower town. I stayed in town and not at a resort - but really enjoyed the vibe. All the business employees were wearing masks, but only about 50% of the tourists. It was annoying, but the only annoying thing, and another thing Zihuatanejo had in common with Puerto Vallarta.

Here's my blog entry if you want pictures: Trip down México's pacific coast.

Thanks bjones9942. Am really looking forward to the trip (though not especially this particular birthday ). Think I will skip the pork knuckles, but the rest looks like it will be fun. Weather looks like it should be lovely.

 

[bjones9942]

@bjones9942 Your blog was a very decent read. I really haven't thought about heading to Aculpoco . Have you bused from PV to Aculpoco ?

Bill

Thanks for the comment! Honestly, the blog is more to boost my memory later than anything else!

I bussed from Mazatlán to Puerto Vallarta, then to Manzanillo, then Zihuatanejo, then Acapulco. I had to fly to Puerto Escondido because the bus company changed my bus time and I would have arrived around 1:00 am ... check in time for my room was 12 hours later. After a long ride on the bus, even granting that they're comfortable, I need to decompress in my room for a few ... not sit in a bus station for hours! I've bussed from Mazatlán to Puerto Vallarta several times now, and have used the system to get to Guadalajara and México City too. When you consider that you need to get to the airport two hours in advance, and perhaps wait for luggage, the extra time the bus takes shortens dramatically. And you get to see a lot of the countryside. Plus, I'm a resident in México and have an INAPAM senior card so I get a 50% discount on the bus.

edit: I did bus from Mazatlán to Acapulco 2019. It was 24 hours and I don't recommend it. There are several stops in between, and driver changes too - if your Spanish is limited it can be fun trying to figure out what's going on (you'll pull into a bus station and everyone gets off the bus AND takes their luggage. An hour later you all schlep back on another bus and away you go). It's seven to nine hours from Mazatlán to Puerto Vallarta, so that would make it 17 to 19 hours from Puerto Vallarta to Acapulco. It's do-able, and many of the buses run at night so you just sleep, but even though the seats are comfortable the bathrooms get pretty rank about halfway through (bring plenty of toilet paper!). If you haven't done it before, you might want to give it a try ... it's an experience! Flights are pretty cheap though

 

[bjones9942]

Thanks bjones9942. Am really looking forward to the trip (though not especially this particular birthday ). Think I will skip the pork knuckles, but the rest looks like it will be fun. Weather looks like it should be lovely.

Mmmmmm. Pork knuckles!!!! Just ask for chamorro de cerdo! Not as good as what you get in Europe (I have a craving to go **here**), because there isn't any crackling skin ... but still pretty tasty! You really need to try them!

 

[zentraveler]

Thanks for the comment! Honestly, the blog is more to boost my memory later than anything else!

I bussed from Mazatlán to Puerto Vallarta, then to Manzanillo, then Zihuatanejo, then Acapulco. I had to fly to Puerto Escondido because the bus company changed my bus time and I would have arrived around 1:00 am ... check in time for my room was 12 hours later. After a long ride on the bus, even granting that they're , I need to decompress in my room for a few ... not sit in a bus station for hours! I've bussed from Mazatlán to Puerto Vallarta several times now, and have used the system to get to Guadalajara and México City too. When you consider that you need to get to the airport two hours in advance, and perhaps wait for luggage, the extra time the bus takes shortens dramatically. And you get to see a lot of the countryside. Plus, I'm a resident in México and have an INAPAM senior card so I get a 50% discount on the bus.

edit: I did bus from Mazatlán to Acapulco 2019. It was 24 hours and I don't recommend it. There are several stops in between, and driver changes too - if your Spanish is limited it can be fun trying to figure out what's going on (you'll pull into a bus station and everyone gets off the bus AND takes their luggage. An hour later you all schlep back on another bus and away you go). It's seven to nine hours from Mazatlán to Puerto Vallarta, so that would make it 17 to 19 hours from Puerto Vallarta to Acapulco. It's do-able, and many of the buses run at night so you just sleep, but even though the seats are comfortable the bathrooms get pretty rank about halfway through (bring plenty of toilet paper!). If you haven't done it before, you might want to give it a try ... it's an experience! Flights are pretty cheap though

bjones9942 and easyrider, your last birthdays ending in 0's must have been WAY before mine this May . Have lots of stories like this from a several decades ago (buses in Turkey all up the coast in the old days, alone as a blond woman etc). But feel to hijack the thread!