Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo & the Costa Grande

IXTAPA, ZIHUATANEJO & THE COSTA GRANDE 169 ( p171 ), ( p171 ), © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © El Rancho Ixtapa ( p174 ), Barra de Potosí Zihuatanejo Troncones Playa La Saladita Escolleras ( p176 ) La Saladita La Boca Playa Linda El Rancho AVERAGE JULY DAILY HIGH: 32°C | 90°F DAILY JULY AVERAGE Playa Escolleras ( p171 ), ( p179 ) and ( p176 ) or ( p188 ) Troncones ( p183 ) in Zihuatanejo ) in Zihuatanejo p183 ( Zihuatanejo Playa Linda sailboat Barra de Potosí ( p171 ), ( p174 ) Ixtapa before heading out for a day of surfing, before snorkeling or suntanning sleepy beachside town of the day to explore the mangrove-fringed the mangrove-fringed the day to explore lagoon at discotheques of for an afternoon of sailing and snorkeling for an afternoon La Boca

surf Slipping into a peeling roller at great spots like Chartering a Chartering of buying a second home in the Dreaming Ixtapa resort your all-inclusive for Leaving loose at the hopping bars and Letting AVERAGE JANUARY DAILY HIGH: 29°C | 84°F DAILY JANUARY AVERAGE

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

Just a half-hour drive northwestJust a half-hour drive buxom and beau- Troncones and Majahua of Zihua, offer Most folks visiting this region will begin their adventures from the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo area. from the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo area. their adventures will begin Most folks visiting this region This lightly developed coast extends southeast from the Río Balsas at the Michoacán southeast from the Río Balsas at the coast extends lightly developed This

sweep of development. sweep of development. deserted beaches, bird-choked estuaries and fishing villages forgotten by time and the by time and the deserted beaches, bird-choked estuaries and fishing villages forgotten dig. Southeast from Zihuatanejo on your way down to Acapulco, travelers will delight at Southeast from Zihuatanejo on your way down to Acapulco, travelers dig. tiful beaches, good waves for surfingtiful beaches, good waves Miles Davis could and a laid-back cool that even spots, an intimate downtown area and some top-flight clifftop hotels and restaurants. and restaurants. and some top-flight clifftop hotels downtown area spots, an intimate regret, while her demure sister, just miles away, hides an interesting history, great swimming swimming history, great just miles away, hides an interesting sister, while her demure regret, resort that kicks, screams, parties and purges all day and all night without feeling a drop of resort that kicks, parties all day and all night without feeling screams, and purges These twin cities – alike in geography alone – couldn’t be more different. Ixtapa is a beach different. twin cities – alikein geography alone – couldn’t be more These tions and a handful of estuaries in the southeast. tions and a handful of the tropical forests of the northwest corners of this region, giving way to coconut planta- giving of the northwestthe tropical forests corners of this region, border all the way down to Acapulco. The verdant hills of the Sierra Madre del Sur protect del Sur protect hills of the Sierra Madre verdant The to Acapulco. border all the way down it-all escapists, this could be the entrance to the ‘Pearly Gates.’ Gates.’ escapists, this could be the entrance to the ‘Pearly it-all firma, tawny resorts like Ixtapa and Troncones strut their wares. For beach lovers and chuck- For beach lovers firma, tawny resorts like Ixtapa strut their wares. and Troncones beach, small islands rocket from the azure-dream waters like angel’s tears, while on terra while on terra like angel’s tears, waters beach, small islands rocket from the azure-dream Guerrero state’s Costa Grande. Beyond the ‘Great Coast’s’ heavenly crescent of beatified of beatified crescent heavenly Coast’s’ the ‘Great Beyond Costa Grande. state’s Guerrero A glowing halo of bleached-blonde sand shimmers brilliantly along the 325 kilometers sand shimmers brilliantly of bleached-blonde A glowing halo of

the Costa Grande the Costa Grande Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo & Zihuatanejo Ixtapa, IXTAPA, ZIHUATANEJO & THE COSTA GRANDE century, the region controlled by wasloosely and his many wives. something of aswimmingpoolforCalzontzin artificial reef (still there) constructed to form are Iftales Gatas. true,theretreat includedan a winter ‘retreat’ onthepointatPlayaLas somuch thathedecided tobuild Zihuatanejo de wholikedking namedCalzontzin Bahía until thearrivalof theSpanish,hadanearly is nowMichoacán fromtheearly15thcentury The Purépecha (akaTarascos), who ruledwhat remained smalland widely dispersed. later withTeotihuacán. Still,settlements always the region withtheOlmecsand hadcontact archaeological markersnorth, these indicate areas foundalongthecoastal those tothe and PuertoMarqués (nearAcapulco).Unlike remnants atSoledaddeMaciel (nearPetatlán) have foundceramicshards andarchitectural largely leftunprotected, been archaeologists while thearea’s archaeological sites have And Grandesince2500BC. on theCosta Humans have living(andvacationing) been 170 History 18ºN MEX 37 IXTAPA, ZIHUATANEJO&THECOSTAGRANDE Arteaga Cayacal When theSpanish arrived intheearly16th backalongway. Tourism, sotospeak,goes Punta Cárdenas Lázaro IXTAPA, ZIHUATANEJO &THECOSTA GRANDE••History

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