Zihuatanejo
is located in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific
Coast of Mexico about 240 km (approx. 144 miles)
northwest of Acapulco. The modern tourist resort
of Ixtapa is only 5km distant. Zihuatanejo is
the original settlement and the actual town.
Ixtapa is a government-planned tourist resort
that was begun in the early 1970's and constructed
on what was once a coconut plantation. Zihuatanejo
has the old-fashioned charm of traditional Mexican
culture while Ixtapa is more akin to a transplanted
miniature of modern Acapulco. There you'll find
high-rise hotels lining the beach, modern condominiums
(including time-shares), pricey shops, discoteques,
and flambouyant restaurants.
