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The Complete Zihuatenejo, Mexico Travel Guide
Hola! I am so excited to share with you the beautiful land of Zihuatanejo located on Mexico's Pacific Coast, northwest of Acapulco. Known as the fourth largest city in the Mexican State of Guerrero, Zihuatanejo is full of beautiful beaches, the sweeping Playa La Ropa, and boasts of bright colorful buildings and stunning accents.
I recently traveled to Zihuatanejo and immediately fell in love with the people, their culture, the beautiful views, and the amazing food.
Zihuatanejo is a beautiful island - surrounded by gorgeous beaches, friendly people, delicious food, stunning sunsets, and an unforgettable experience I won't soon forget.
Where To Stay:
Embarc Zihuatanejo - Hands down my favorite resort to date! The views from Embarc are insane, the staff make you feel at home, and it's just a few steps away from the beach!
The view from our room was gorgeous, our room was clean, and spacious as a 3 bed and 3 bath condo. Our room also had a dipping pool on the deck with chairs to lay out in the sun.
Check out my "Zihuatanejo" Highlight here to see a tour of the room.
At Embarc Zihuatenejo the staff greet you by name and say "Welcome Home", after a day full of adventures. There are no elevators at this resort, but they offer a golf cart ride to and from your room to the front lobby. They also work with a local taxi service to get you to and from your adventures to downtown Zihuatanejo and beyond.
The resort features 2 beautiful pools with lounging chairs and a swim up bar that hosts Happy Hour everyday from 2-4. You can find Huber blowing the trumpet to alert guests of Happy Hour start and end times. All of the food you can order at the swim up bar is made from the resort restaurant Acopio.
Casa del Cielo La Ropa - Casa del Cielo La Ropa features a pool, terrace, and garden area. Guests who stay at the house can enjoy a continental breakfast.
Where To Eat:
Acopio - One of my favorite places to eat while there! Located within the Embarc Zihuatanejo Resort, Acopio is a great place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! I personally met the chef, Antonio Giles and I cannot speak highly enough of his abilities to create an impeccable meal. The service here is provided by the staff at Embarc and is nothing short of impressive. The view during breakfast is breathtaking. We stayed here for a week and tried each item on the menu, some twice!
Bandidos - Authentic Mexican food (hard not to find in Mexico) great Shrimp tacos, delicious guacamole, beautiful presentation and outstanding flavor. Located in the downtown area of Zihuatanejo. Friendly staff and outstanding service.
Il Mare - BEST ITALIAN FOOD, yes I wrote that in all CAPS because it was literally the best Italian food I have had, and who knew it would be in Mexico? The view alone is worth the trip, paired with their insanely delicious food!
Los Braseros - Low-key, delicious array of sauces with guacamole and chips to start, Al pastor tacos, make sure you order up to 5 tacos as they are tiny, but SO good. Great place to start off your trip into Zihuatanejo. Friendly staff. Be sure to ask for Botella De Agua (Bottled Water.)
Where To Go:
Barracruda: If you love live music and dancing, this is the place for you! The owners are friendly and very hospitable. Friday nights are normally when they have live bands. Any other day or night of the week you can request any type of music to be played.
Downtown Zihuatanejo: During our stay we would taxi to and from our resort to the Downtown area. Full of shops and local cuisine.
Ixtapa: While I did not travel to Ixtapa, this is known as the "city" destination of Zihuatanejo. Here you will find malls and places to shop. (not local)
Playa Las Gatas: I highly recommend a trip across the water to Playa Las Gatas. From Embarc Zihuatanejo we took a taxi. You can only reach this area by walking the rest of the way or taking a boat across the water. We walked about 10 minutes to Playa Las Gatas and took a water trip back to Embarc, which was located directly across the water. We specifically went here to visit our friend Franco who is the waiter at Otilia's Restauraunt.
I highly recommend you go here, he will treat you like family and serve you the BEST coconut shrimp you have ever eaten in your life.
What To Do:
Cooking Class - I highly recommend the cooking class at Embarc Zihuatanejo each Wednesday. This class is AMAZING. The chef at Acopio, Antonio Giles accompanied us to the market in Downtown Zihuatanejo. At the market he taught us all about the different types of food they prepare in Mexico. The tour lasted a few hours, upon our return to the resort we had private cooking lessons with the chef himself. He taught us how to make a 5 course meal and even sent us home with the recipes! Check out my Zihuatanejo Highlight for videos.
Deep Sea Fishing: Head down to the docks in Zihuatanejo (Zihua) and find Bernie! He will take you deep sea fishing and snorkeling (all in one trip) During the right times you can expect to catch Marlin, Mahi Mahi, Tuna, and sometimes a Barracuda!
Massage: In Mexico you can get an hour deep tissue massage for $15. Highly recommended! I got a massage every other day and nothing compares to the sound of the waves crashing in when you're getting a little muscle TLC.
Snorkeling: On your trip to Playa Las Gatas, be sure to bring your snorkel gear! You can swim right out and start seeing colorful fish immediately. PSA: Beware for jellyfish anytime you are in the water (I did not see the one that stung me.)
I hope my guide inspires you to take a trip to Zihuatanejo, and if you visit I would love to see your photos! Be sure to tag #nomadicniche on your next adventure!
Til next time my fellow travel friends,
