Memories of Zihuatanejo and Mazatlan, Mexico

Zihuatanejo was once a sleepy little fishing village located in a sheltered bay on the Pacific Coast about 150 miles (240 km) north of Acapulco. When theTravelsketcher and I first visited in January, 1988, the population of Zihua, as it is affectionately called, was barely 7,000 residents. Turns out we visited just before a population boom which increased the population to close to 38,000 residents by the early 1990s. By 2020, the population had swelled to 126,000 residents. The boom was mostly caused by Mexico’s efforts to increase tourism by building a luxury resort just a few miles north called Ixtapa. Zihua is now the third most visited city in Mexico after Cancun and Puerto Vallarta.

The photos in this post are from old snapshots; I apologize for the quality.

As mentioned above, Zihua is in a protected cove and has many beaches with the four most popular being; Playa Principal, Playa Madera, Playa la Ropa and Playa las Gatas. We spent ten days here which included lots of snorkeling, swimming and enjoying the little village.

We stayed at a wonderful hotel on Playa Madera, you can see it in the upper right hand corner of the photo below.

We had a beautiful, two level suite with a deck, a view of the ocean and geckos on the walls all for about 18 USD per night.

We were awakened one morning to the toilet flushing over and over again. We went to the front desk, as there wasn’t a phone in our room, to let them know. Shortly after, a little old man showed up at our door with a wrench and all I could think of to say was: el baño está enfermo, the toilet is sick. A big smile slowly spread across his face as he headed to the bathroom to repair the sick toilet.

At one point, theTravelsketcher lost his prescription sunglasses in the surf. Well shoot; they’re gone forever we thought. A few hours later, I was walking in the surf when I felt something bump my foot. I looked down, and miraculously, there were his sunglasses. Talk about finding a needle in a haystack!

We took a ferry to Ixtapa Island one day to enjoy an afternoon of snorkeling and beach combing.

On the way back, the engine stalled several times and the old skipper went to the engine compartment with nothing but a few rusty tools, attempting to get it running again. We drifted closer to the rocky shore as he worked, the tension in the air among the passengers was almost palpable. Luckily, we eventually made it back to port, avoiding the rocky shore.

One morning, we rented a jeep and toured the area. It was interesting to see the rural area near Zihua.

We eventually ended up at a quiet, nearly deserted beach.

After ten tranquil days in Zihua, we flew to Mazatlan where we met up with theTravelsketcher’s father and step-mom. At that time, they spent the winter months there, returning to Oregon in the spring. We strolled the streets, markets, and enjoyed an evening at a fiesta.

One day at lunch, in a very lively restaurant, theTravelsketcher joined a conga-line as they danced through the restaurant. My sweet father-in-law whispered to me that I’d need to keep that under control. Little did he know that I would have joined the conga line too, but restrained myself since I wanted to make a good impression on my in-laws.

After two weeks in the warmth and sunshine of Mexico’s Pacific coast, it was back to the cold, rainy PNW. We took several other trips to Mexico, and came to thoroughly love this beautiful, welcoming country. Even though it has changed drastically over the decades, it is still a friendly place with tremendous beauty.

This is the last of my posts about Mexico; here are the links to the others if you’re interested:

A Few Hours in Puerto Vallarta

Some Memories of Mexico

Releasing Endangered Baby Sea Turtles

San Jose del Cabo, Mexico

More on San Jose del Cabo, Mexico

Sea Turtle Encounter

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

As always, I would love to hear from you, so feel free to leave a message.

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia