At Zihuatanejo, Mexico, you find two destinations for the price of one. And two very distinct cultures – one true Mexican, the other international with a Mexican flavor.

Located on Mexico's west coast, about 125 miles north of Acapulco, Zihuatanejo is a picture-perfect, quiet fishing village with small hotels along a gentle beach that’s protected by a semi-circular harbor and where the pace is slow. An easy local bus trip seven miles north is Ixtapa – where a great beach with roaring surf, embraces boutiques having designer fashions, trendy restaurants and high rise hotels. In Zihuatanejo you get guitars and soft, quiet evenings. Ixtapa offers the sort of multi-entertainment and vacation package you get at the finest of large resort complexes.

So, within a short space you have a wonderful combination of the old and the new, traditional and contemporary life styles. And it’s very easy to stay in one place, yet experience fully the character of the other. But, while Ixtapa has many of the elements that you’ll find if you travel to international resort destinations, it’s Zihuatanejo that claims the heart and the mind of anyone who goes and stays there. For this fishing village has retained its charm, its ancient traditions, its congeniality and its friendliness while at the same time catering to the needs and standards of travelers seeking quality.

The main beach area, the Playa la Ropa, is still unspoiled even with a variety of hotels beachside and on the bluffs above – many of which offer magnificent views of the surrounding area from their restaurants and lounges. A perennial favorite of mine is the 75 room, Hotel Irma hotelirma.com situated on the bluff high above the beach and with great views of Zihuatanejo Bay. The hotel is about a 20-minute walk to the main commercial center of town with attractions like the Archaeological Museum and the Mercado des Artesaniast. Next door is the luxurious Club Intrawest, carved out of the sloping mountainside with a cascading, open-air design and designer suites that offer a view of the Bay. And for the ultimate hotel experience, when money is not an object, the Villa del Sol hotelvilladelsol.net is a member of "Small Luxury Hotels of the World" and is one of the loveliest hotels in Zihuatanejo with luxury rooms and suites that have their own private minipools.

But, the beach area has several other hotel options, all of them clean and secure and with a wide range of tariffs. All of the bluff hotels have wonderful viewing of the bay from their bars and restaurants.

The main part of town clings to its old-fashioned character with narrow streets made of paving-stones and where most people still walk to get around. One block from the waterfront and beginning across from the church, the Artisans' Market in downtown is made up of small stalls set in aisles that run for about three blocks. Bargaining is traditional here and is expected.  Most of the arts and crafts are from villages in other parts of Guerrero, but often the finishing work is done there where you can watch.  

Silver jewelry from Taxco is for sale at many of the 150 stalls in the Mercado where you'll find all types of jewelry and wares made with Mexico's finest silver. You’ll find handicrafts, t-shirts, folk apparel and souvenirs, a result of a 1990 Guerrero State Law that removed vendors from the beach. So, unlike many other beach destinations, you’re not pestered by locals hawking their wares along the Play la Ropa.

Small buses run continuously between Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa and for a few pesos you can ride between the two solitudes. While Zihuatanejo specializes in small hotels, Ixtapa has a wide variety of international and national four and five star high-rise chains along spectacular two-mile long El Palmar beach.  At the end of the main road, along which you pass mini-plazas with their clothing and jewelry boutiques, is La Marina de Ixtapa, with capacity for more than 100 yachts, a golf course, luxury condominiums and charming restaurants overlooking the area. Restaurants in Ixtapa range from simple beach eateries to deluxe establishments. Seafood is pre-eminent and fresh with regional seafood favorites.

If you want nightlife, you go to Ixtapa where most discos, clubs & larger bars are mainly in the hotel marina areas. Zihuatanejo is much quieter with most drinking establishments found in the local restaurants or hotels which close earlier than the lively nightspots in Ixtapa.

Ixtapa has two fine 18-hole championship courses. The Campo de Golf Ixtapa designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., is a wildlife preserve that runs from a coconut plantation to the beach. In the evening, as the sun sinks and the lake fountains shoot water 30 ft. into the air, you can watch the crocodiles come out of the lake that borders the fifth and six holes. They're well fed, 10 to 15 foot docile creatures that flee people.
 
Part of the Marina Ixtapa complex, the highly challenging links layout Club de Golf Marina Ixtapa was designed by Robert von Hagge. Each has its own clubhouse with all facilities and a restaurant as well as tennis courts. Green fees run approximately $55; caddies or carts $20. Fishing, deep sea diving, and water sports of all kinds are available through any hotel in both of the two communities.

So, take your pick. It’s a paradise destination to fit any temperament.