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Where In The World Is Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo?

And How Do You Pronounce It?

By Ron Kapon

That was my question as I boarded the American Airlines inaugural flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. I left New York on a very cold winter morning at 6AM to connect with the first of two weekly American Airlines flights to Iztapa/Zihuatanejo. Balloons, a Mexican band and dancers, food, drink and a few speeches greeted our intrepid band of five travel writers and American representatives as we departed on time. In 2 ½ hours we arrived to more balloons, music and a ribbon cutting ceremony. I even made the local newspaper cutting the ribbon.

These are two beautiful but different resorts although they are only 4 miles apart along the Pacific Coastline. Acapulco is 150 miles southwest and Mexico City is less than an hour by plane. Zihuatanejo is a sleepy fishing village, founded in 1522, along a picturesque bay only 2.6 kilometers long with 16 miles of beautiful tropical beaches. There are cobblestone streets and a rustic atmosphere filled with small hotels, restaurants, shops and guest houses and no high rises permitted. This is where the locals live who works in Ixtapa.

Ixtapa is a man-made city begun by the National Tourism Development Council in 1968. The hotels tend to be 4 & 5 Stars and were all built in the 1980’s with modern touches. There are several “Grand Hotels” including Las Brisas in Ixtapa & Villa Del Sol & La Casa Que Canta (see footnotes) in Zihuatanejo.

Our home for 4 nights was the Barcelo set along the beach near a Radisson, Intercontinental and several Mexican hotel chains. The airport was only 20 minutes away and the Barceló was an “All Inclusive” which included three meals, snacks, soft drinks etc. Think cruise ship cuisine. One can enjoy an 18 hole golf course, horseback riding, or sightseeing by motorbike, golf cart or bicycle.

All the major hotels face the semi-open El Palmar Bay and the beach. In Mexico all beaches are public and the hotels can operate concessions in front of their property. They are responsible for the maintenance of their section of the beach. There are also water sport boats, snorkeling, swim with Dolphins, scuba diving, sailing, kayaking and some surfing. Deep sea fishing tournaments are held several times a year for tuna, marlin & swordfish. Of course silver and pottery are sold in artisan markets. There are more than 60 cruise ships and innumerable private yachts that visit annually.

It was 82-86 the five days I was there and even during the rainy season (June-September) it usually is sunny and humid during the day. This is the time that nationals are on vacation and the hotel rates drop sometimes as much as 50%. Besides El Palmar Beach there is Quietor Beach which faces Ixtapa Island and its Cuachalate Beach. The Island is accessible only by boat. Linda beach is 10 miles north of Ixtapa and faces the ocean making it the perfect spot for surfing and Varadero beach is filled with water sport rentals. With so many beaches there is never a feeling of crowds packing the beaches.

Mexican Wine- There is more to alcohol consumption in Mexico than Tequila and beer. Spain was responsible for the introduction of wine to Mexico with the establishment of the first commercial winery in 1593 but had the vines uprooted to protect the Spanish wine monopoly. After Mexico gained its independence in the early 1800’s vines again were planted. In 1888 in Baja California, the long peninsula stretching south from California, Bodegas de Santo Tomas was established. This is the most important wine region as it is cooled by the ocean breezes of the Pacific. Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Barbera, Zinfandel, Riesling, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc grapes are planted here. (Excerpted from Grossman’s Guide to Wines, Beers and Spirits by Harriet Lembeck).

Wineries I tried while in Mexico included: L.A. Cetto, Domecq, Calafia, Monte Xanic, Santo Tomas, Calixa, Chateau Camou and Casa Madero. Coconuts and Villa Del Sol, both in Zihuatanejo, have an excellent selection of wines; the latter won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, one of only 13 in Mexico. Eric Denis is their wine director and he showed me around his temperature-controlled storage facility. “Because of the warm climate it is difficult to serve great tannic Bordeaux wines. After being opened the heat would affect their taste so we have concentrated on Beaujolais, Burgundy, sparkling wines and over 30 Mexican wines. I hold weekly training sessions with the staff and also wine tasting for our guests”.(See sidebar below for more information about the hotel).

We visited two small hotels in Zihuatanejo worth seeing. The above mentioned Hotel Villa Del Sol is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and was built as a 6 room inn in the late 1970’s. It is still privately owned and boosts Orlando who has tended bar here for over 25 years. There are now 35 rooms and 35 suites (with private mini-pools) in two story casitas set amidst tropical gardens, a private beach (one of a handful grandfathered in as the beaches in Mexico are public), four swimming pools, two tennis courts, a fitness center and a new spa. You may remember the movie Shawshank Redemption and Tim Robbins dream scene after escaping from prison. It was set right on the beach outside the hotel. Conde Nast Traveler called the hotel one of the top 4 resorts in all of Latin America. Rack rates are $300-$900 in the winter season from December 19th through March 31st where there is a mandatory MAP ($60) that is optional the rest of the year.

Nearby is the La Casa Que Canta (The House That Sings and named for the sounds of the sea that come right up to some of the rooms) opened in 1992 and also a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. This is an exquisite 24 all suite Cliffside hotel in three buildings with multi-tiered architecture fashioned entirely from natural material (terra-cotta adobe walls, thatched roofs and thick wooden louvered doors/windows) decorated with Mexican handcrafted furniture, handicrafts and folk art.

All the suites face the bay; 10 have private pools. There is a fresh water pool located near the open air restaurant/bar area. Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia snuggled in the pool in the movie When a Man Meets a Woman. There is also a free form saltwater pool and whirlpool set below adjacent to the crashing waves and beach. Rack rates are from $360 to $800 EO. Conde Nast Traveler rated the rooms #1 in the Americas and the #2 resort in Latin America.

BOX- Swim with Dolphins- in Ixtapa we spent 15 minutes listening to a lecture in the evolution and handling of Dolphins and 45 minutes of swimming and interaction with them. You ride them; they push you; they kiss you etc. The cost is a hefty $100 plus $7 per digital photo (no other cameras are allowed; it is all about the money). I bought three photos out of 10.

Snorkeling- The Ultava is a 85 foot windjammer schooner that leaves at 10AM from Puerto Mio Marina in Zihuatanejo Bay to the coral reefs of Playa Manzanillo. We swam snorkeled and collected shells and were back on the dock by 2:30PM. The Sail & Snorkel Adventure costs $65 that includes an open bar, box lunch and transportation to and from your hotel. There is also a Sunset Cruise for $49 that leaves at 5PM and returns at 7:30PM with the same open bar, transportation, hors d’oeuvre but no snorkeling.

MORE INFO-

www.ixtapa-zihuatanejo.org

www.barcelo.com

www.vistmexico.com – (800) 44-Mexico

www.lacasaquecanta.com – (888) 523-5050

www.hotelvilladelsol.net – (888) 389-2645

www.definiti.com – (Dolphins) - 011-52-755-553-2707

www.tristarsailing.com – (Snorkeling) - 011-52-755-554-2694

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