Mexico Travel Diaries - Leg 6

Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo on Mexico's Pacific Coast

Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo

• See Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo pictures

By 10am, Marguerite arrives at my hotel in Manzanillo with the car, and we load up my rucksack and equipment before heading off. This is the longest drive of the journey; nearly 500Km (300 Miles) heading south on what is a mostly winding coastal road. We worked it out that it would take approximately 6-8 hours to complete, and if we left at 10am, we’d make to Zihuatanejo before dusk.

We take the libramiento (by-pass) out of Manzanillo and rejoin Highway 200 south at the town of Tecoman, south of Manzanillo. Once back on the 200, the road is a single carriageway again and slower, but the scenery improves. As we head south, the coastal road takes us parallel with the Pacific Ocean almost constantly to our right.

We drive past a wealth of flora and fauna on the way which Marguerite points out and freely names as she is much more knowledgeable on these matters than I am. She is impressed with the sheer volume and variety on display. There is a huge assortment of bougainvillea in an array of shades and colours. Local wildlife populates the roads and roadsides; Marguerite sees a black and orange tarantula; a squirrel-like creature rushes across the road in front of us; a goat decides to play chicken – waiting until the last moment before dashing across the highway to join his friends, missing our bumper by an inch; I see a shadow in the road ahead which takes the shape of a rope. I see 'the rope' rise as we get closer and suddenly it glides across the tarmac to the verge faster than I can blink… it was a snake – a big snake – and how it avoided the car’s tyres is a mystery to me, but I am glad that it did…

We pass through dozens of small villages and hamlets en route which we have to slow down for as they are peppered with speed bumps; not all of them clearly marked. Local dogs know to cross the street: on the far side of the bump.

We make several stops to take in the view and rest a while. The scenery is breathtaking; the road is remote, winding and steep in places, as it hugs the edge of the mountainsides which eventually give way to sheer cliffs; the pounding waves of the mighty Pacific Ocean rasping away at the rock face below.

There are some stunning beaches along this route; some of them are accessible by local side roads or through the hamlets and villages that have built-up next to them. Most of them are remote; unspoiled, laying in their natural state; untouched by tourism or development. On some we notice that the waves crash down angrily on to the beach; on others the waves roll gently over the sands before sliding back again.

We get pulled over at a Military Checkpoint and are asked to open the car’s trunk. The officer asks me to step out as he inspects the contents. As he ruffles through the bags in the trunk, he asks me where I am from, where the car was rented, and where we are headed. He and his officers are courteous and friendly; the check takes less than a couple of minutes and we are on our way again. The military checkpoints are mobile: they are set up on the hoof by local teams of military personnel and are in place to check for drugs, firearms and to provide a security presence in the area.

As we drive on, the hours whittle past and we finally see road signs for the port city of Lazaro Cardenas. We should have driven straight past it, but I thought it might be worth a look. There is nothing here from a tourist viewpoint: it's primary function is to act as one of the country's most important industrial ports on the Pacific coast. After having driven 390Km from Manzanillo, we make a U turn and follow the signs south toward our destination: Zihuatanejo, now just 90Km away.

Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo is a classic combination of the new and the old in Mexico. Ixtapa is a manufactured, modern and functional seaside resort with stunning beaches hidden behind resort hotel complexes that stretch out into the azure skies above. Zihuatanejo is a an old Mexican fishing village, which gained notoriety from its commercial neighbour 10Km to the north and which has since grown into a thriving “alternative to the resort” holiday town in its own right. It has managed to retain some of its old character, while Ixtapa has remained, predictably, a fabricated modern-day resort.

We speed past Ixtapa on the fast road that connects both destinations on the east side. The signs to ‘Zihuatanejo Directo’ take us into town from the east – the back door – and the suburban fill that has engulfed Zihuatanejo as it has grown eastwards. The coast off Zihuatanejo is known as one of the best fishing areas in Mexico: some say that it easily rivals Baja California Sur, although Zihuatanejo is less well known. The town is host to several International fishing competitions every year, and the bays provide a popular stop-off point for sailors travelling around the world.

We head to the Hotel Zone and Playa Madera as we have nothing booked and want to find something near the beach. We turn right down a steep road with a hotel sign on its edge, and find a tiled road with several hotels along it; they all face the bay on Playa Madera. We stop at Casa Sun & Moon; agree a price and settle in to our rooms. The air is hot, warm and sultry. As I walk into my room, the refreshing air from the conditioning unit on the wall feels like a cool bath, as I fall onto my bed feeling exhausted and in need of rest. The cough I have had for a few days seems worse.

The view from the balcony into the bay below is stunning as the sun sets behind the headland of the bay around Playa Madera. I manage to get a couple of pictures. I walk downstairs to knock on Marguerite’s door and suggest we get some food; perhaps I’ll feel better afterwards. There’s no restaurant at the Sun & Moon, but each floor has a catering area where you can cook and clean and fresh bottled water is provided. You can bring your own food in, as many other guests do, and save yourself the expense of restaurant food if you want to.

I wake up the next day with a bad cough, a sore throat and sweaty fever. I find some ibuprofen I bought with me from England and take a couple; the cough is persistent. I still feel bad after a shower; my muscles ache and I can’t move very easily.

Marguerite goes off to see about a possible apartment for rent while I use the hotel’s phone line to connect my laptop to the Internet. Marguerite returns, and says the place is nice, but big and quite expensive. She has given the landlord an offer and he’s thinking about it.

I explain to Marguerite that I am not at all well and am considering returning to Mexico City to rest and recuperate. We decide to drive to Ixtapa so I can look around, take some pictures and get some medicine at a pharmacy there. I explain the symptoms to the pharmacist and she prescribes penicillin to fight the chest infection.

Ixtapa has one main avenue: two lanes lined with palm trees in the middle. On the west side, one hotel/resort after another lines the coastline, hiding the view of the glorious beaches behind them; on the east side, around the centre, is the “commercial zone” – a complex of shops, café’s, restaurants and banks, intertwined with some walkways, benches and a bandstand that attempts to cheat the feel of a “town centre” that isn’t. There’s no bus station in Ixtapa; just two ticket offices – one for each of the companies that operate buses in this area. I buy a ticket on Estrella de Oro, one of the companies offering service to Mexico City leaving at 8:30pm.

Back at the hotel in Zihuatanejo, an afternoon haze cools the sun’s heat, and Marguerite and I head into the old part of town for a look around. I have not had the energy to explore properly, but as we arrive downtown near the Playa Principal (principal beach), I see the Zihuatanejo I was expecting to see – traditional, rustic and typically Mexican.

Marguerite parks the car and we wander around the central area around the Playa Principal. The main beach is no good for relaxing or swimming, but it is a hive of interesting activity. Off the beach are a series of shops, cafes and restaurants, market stalls and at least one Internet Café.

Marguerite stops at a few hotels and apart hotels near the centre of town, exploring accommodation options. A Canadian woman, probably about Marguerite’s age, appears and introduces herself. She explains that she’s looking for accommodation, but it’s all too big and expensive for one person; the same complaint Marguerite has had constantly throughout her search. Marguerite and Urla spend time downtown looking for a suitable place to share after dropping me back at the hotel to pack.

Marguerite returns just before I’m due to leave for the bus station. They saw a few more places, but nothing certain yet. They are also waiting to hear back from the landlord Marguerite saw earlier in the day. We say goodbye, and Marguerite heads back to the Casa Sun & Moon hotel for one more night.

The bus departs on time; this bus is called the “Diamante” (Diamond) service and it lives up to its name. There are only 24 seats on board in a “2+1” configuration so they are wider than normal bus seats. The seats recline back to virtually a horizontal level, and I fall asleep under my fleece waking only as we approach Mexico City’s southern bus terminal, 9 hours later.

Half asleep at 515am on Wednesday morning; I walk up to the authorised taxi stand at Mexico City’s southern Bus Terminal for a ticket to be told there is no service to where I want to go until 6am. This is a wheeze to get more money out of you during unsociable hours. I was told afterwards that the taxi drivers asked for higher fees for night runs and the transport authority refused, so this terminal just implements its own pricing after hours by being awkward. As I walk out to find a possible taxi from the street, one of the terminal’s own taxi drivers asks if I want a taxi. I explain where I am going and he quotes a price 50% higher than it should be. I refuse and walk on. Another taxi offers me a fare at 40% higher; I offer him roughly what it should be for the distance and time of day (it is dearer at night) and he accepts. The whole process was a game based on my immediate need for secure transport and their opportunity to take advantage of it. I have never had this problem at any of the other bus terminals, and talking to a Mexican friend afterwards, he told me I was not being targeted as a foreigner: they have been doing this to everyone in recent times, apparently.

My journey has been postponed until I recuperate. The coughing has eased with the penicillin; but it will be at least a couple of days before I can operate normally. By Friday I am feeling better and I decide to continue where I left off – Acapulco – on Sunday.

• See Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo pictures