Ixtapa Zihuatanejo Travel Information
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Zihuatanejo (aka: Zihuatanejo de Azueta) is located in the municipality of José Azueta in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico about 240 km (approximately 145 miles) northwest of Acapulco. The modern tourist resort of Ixtapa is only 5 km away.
Zihuatanejo is the seat of government for the municipality and the principal community in the region. Ixtapa is a government-planned tourist resort that was begun in the early 1970s and constructed on what was once a coconut plantation and mangrove estuary. The approximate population of Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa is 85,000 inhabitants (source: INEGI (external)).
Zihuatanejo is the dream "getaway" talked about in the movie "The Shawshank Redemption" although the scene in the movie that supposedly takes place there was shot in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is an old-world Mexican fishing village nestled around a small bay dotted with beautiful protected beaches and no high rises. It is hoped that Zihuatanejo's location at the water's edge will not discourage tourists who fear the occurrence of tidal waves. (source: zihua.net (external))
Zihuatanejo has the old-fashioned charm of traditional Mexican culture. It is a town that sprang up from a handful of families who were mostly fishermen. Fishing continues to be a way of life for a large number of families, and the increasing popularity of the area as a sportfishing destination has given new impetus to their livelihood. (source: zihuatanejo.net (external))
Ixtapa Guide
Pacific Mexico - Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo & the Costa Grande (Chapter
This is the Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo & the Costa Grande chapter from Lonely Planet's Puerto Vallarta & Pacific Mexico guidebook, available to Pick & Mix.The Costa Grande, Guerrero state's 'Big Coast', stretches 325km from the Río Balsas at the Michoacán border southeast to Acapulco.
Merchant: Lonely Planet Travel Guides