I’ve done that trip twice now; the first time I did it wrong, the second time I did it right. From Uruapan the first time I had an old map, no information, and a devil-may-care attitude. I ended up driving for nine hours in my faithful Chevy through some of the most uninhabited countryside I’ve ever seen until I got to Lázaro Cardenas late at night. The landscape was certainly beautiful, but the last few dark hours battling with hair-pin bends through the sierra with one headlight was scary and exhausting. Such heroic efforts deserved a better prize than Lázaro Cardenas. The second time, better informed, I took my still faithful Chevy down a beautiful highway called ‘Siglo XXI’ to the coast just north of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. That second trip took about four hours and was one of the most beautiful drives I’ve taken. I set off at dawn, a solitary Chevy speeding through the lush mountains and alongside beautiful lakes where you could make out little fishing boats. The highway is in good condition and the toll minimal. And I ended up in a better place. About twenty minutes after coming off the highway the beautiful tropical vegetation was already making me feel good, and just as I was wondering where the coast had got to, a vast vista opened up of a wide green plain framed by the sea and the white dots of the hotels of Ixtapa. A pleasant look-out point had thoughtfully been built there, so I stopped for a while and marveled at my luck. Breath back and onto Zihuatanejo, where I figured I could find cheaper accommodation. I would save Ixtapa for a day trip; the two resorts are only about three miles apart. Zihuatanejo is not a sleepy fishing village. It was once, and probably not too long ago, but now it is a medium-sized town with medium-sized tourism, so try not to be disappointed if it’s bigger and busier than you expected. I blame it all on The Shawshank Redemption. However, Zihuatanejo is a real town, down-to-earth, relatively inexpensive, and it still has charm. It can get hot and humid though, and a cold shower here can actually be a good thing!
There are plenty of really nice beaches, with perhaps the best in an all-round sense being La Ropa, about twenty minutes from downtown. Like all the beaches it is framed by green hills. It is also great for swimming and water sports and there are several palapa restaurants on the beach. I stayed at Hotel Irma, a little out of town, very reasonably priced, has a pool, and fabulous ocean views. Restaurants abound, so you can take your pick – I remember having some great seafood at a place called Café Chuleto. You get to know Zihuatanejo pretty quickly, so I headed off to Ixtapa. What a contrast! I knew it would be, but wasn’t quite prepared for the luxurious surroundings and open, spacious feel. The main beach is very attractive, but obviously lined with big hotels. There are some smaller beaches nearby, an island just offshore (Isla Ixtapa, a short water-taxi ride away) with beautiful beaches, and Troncones beach is only about twenty minutes to the north. If you’re looking to get away from it all, Ixtapa is probably not for you; but if you want fun, entertainment, and luxury in a tropical setting then it probably is. I wouldn’t mind an all-inclusive week there if I could afford it. In the end I spent one night there, at the Villa Paraiso; it didn’t break the bank and was a very welcome luxury break in a pretty setting.
