Ixtapa Zihuatanejo Mexico

Taxi Fares – 2008

NOTES:

• All rates are in Mexican Pesos. $1 (CDN/US) is approximately
  $10 pesos.
• There is an extra charge of 5 or 10 pesos if you call a cab
  by phone.
• There is an extra charge of 40% for air conditioning,
  although it is not always applied.
• Add 50% to all rates between 12:00 a.m. (midnight) and 6:00
  a.m.
• Taxis do NOT take credit cards and do not carry a lot of
  change (or so they say).
• Always check the fare with the driver before getting in.
  Unfortunately there is a lot of overcharging. Taxis are supposed to
  have a list of rates in the cab, but getting them to show it is like
  pulling teeth.
• Telephone numbers:
  
  • APAAZ 554-3680 / 554-8872
  • UTAAZ 554-3900 / 554-2816
  • UTZI 554-4763
  
  

FROM Airport TO: Purchase your ticket in the arrivals area. The current fares are clearly posted.
To	Taxi – Sedan – Private 4 persons plus luggage	Suburban – Private 6 persons plus luggage	Collective – Shared Departs when full
Downtown Zihuatanejo	$ 280	$ 540	$ 115
Playa La Ropa / Playa La Madera	$ 320	$ 540	$ 115
Ixtapa (Hotel Zone)	$ 320	$ 580	$ 115
Playa Linda / Hotels: Club Med, Melia, Qualton	$ 370	$ 620	$ 125
Barra de Potosí	$ 420	$ 840
Playa Blanca	$ 420	$ 840
Troncones (Private Taxi)	$ 480

TO Airport FROM:
Downtown Zihuatanejo	$ 100
Playa La Ropa	$ 150
Ixtapa Hotel Zone	$ 150
Playa Linda / Hotels: Club Med, Qualton, Melia	$ 220
Troncones	$ 400
Zihuatanejo TO:
Barra de Potosí (Approximate)	$ 300
Within Downtown Zihuatanejo	$ 18
Playa La Madera	$ 20
Playa La Ropa (Middle / End)	$ 30 / $ 35
Puerto Mio	$ 35
Ixtapa Hotel Zone	$ 60
Marina Ixtapa	$ 70
Playa Linda / Hotels: Club Med, Melia, Qualton	$ 100
Troncones (approximately)	$ 300
Ixtapa TO:
Within Ixtapa	$ 30
Marina Ixtapa	$ 30
Playa Linda / Hotels: Club Med, Melia, Qualton	$ 60
Downtown Zihuatanejo	$ 60
Puerto Mio	$ 80
Playa La Ropa	$ 100
Playa Linda / Club Med / Qualton / Melia TO:
Ixtapa Hotel Zone	$ 60
Downtown Zihuatanejo	$ 100
Puerto Mio	$ 130
Playa La Ropa	$ 140
Troncones TO:
Zihuatanejo Downtown	$ 300
Ixtapa Hotel Zone	$ 250
Airport	$ 400

The following four beaches are really part of the same 10 mile stretch of sand. With Playa Larga at it's northern end, the airport in the middle and Barra de Potosi at the far southern end.There are three entrances to this complex of beaches. The first access is on the highway to the airport. About halfway there, just before the cutoff to Acapulco, turn right at the large billboards, just after the nursery. This road takes you directly to Playa Larga only. Access to Las Pozas, Playa Blanca and Barra de Potosi is from the road at the airport, or from a town called Los Achotes, on the way to Acapulco. Detailed directions are given below.

Playa Larga

Playa Larga, and for that matter all ten miles of beach here, is all about space. Sure, there are a dozen or so beach restaurants, serving seafood and cold beer, but the main attraction is space. Miles of sandy beach and open ocean. At the far northern end, at the rocks, you can fish with a hand line, just like the locals do. At this spot on the beach, you are directly behind Playa Las Gatas, one of the beaches in the bay of Zihuatanejo It is possible to hike over the hills and wind up on the beach in Zihuatanejo, but take someone who knows the way as it can be a bit confusing.There is a large stable of horses in Playa Larga - on the left just before the 'T' junction. Pablo offers 1 1/4 hour horseback tours of the beach and coconut groves.A word of caution: the beach at playa larga, as well as the entire beach right down do Barra de Potosi, is on the open Pacific ocean. The surf can be fearsome, and coupled with a strong undertow, can be downright dangerous. This is not a place for small children to swim in the ocean. Luckily, virtually all the restaurants have swimming pools for this very reason.

Las Pozas and Playa Blanca

The beaches at Las Pozas and Playa Blanca can be accessed either from a road at the entrance to the airport, or by taking the road from Los Achotes on Highway 200 (the coastal highway to Acapulco). You can always enter via one road and come back via the other.Just as you arrive at the entrance to airport, and immediately beyond the last taco stand, there is a dirt road on your right that follows the airport property fence. A few kilometers down you arrive at the section of beach known as Las Pozas and it's lagoon. There are a half a dozen seafood restaurants here. If you were to go to the right, you would be in Playa Larga, but due to the lagoon, you can't.Heading south along the beach is the area known as Playa Blanca. Apart from a few locals houses and newer villas, there are a few bed & breakfasts and more upscale hotels as well as a few small restaurants.After a few more miles, you reach a 'T' intersection. Turning left will take you to the highway, via the village of Los Achotes. Following the road along the beach, will lead you to...

Barra de Potosi

As previously described, there are two ways to get here. The first is via Playa Blanca, as described above, and the other is via the village of Los Achotes.Coming from Zihuatanejo, follow he highway towards Acapulco, until you reach Los Achotes. There is a large green highway sign at the turn off. The road passes through Los Achotes and winds it way to the beach. This is the smoothest and quickest access to Barra as well as Playa Blanca.The beach and lagoon here are the most popular of the entire stretch of beaches, and can therefore get a little crowded on Sundays and during national holidays. Have lunch at one of the enramadas and then strike out along the beach until you find a quiet spot.
Apart from the beach, one of the primary attractions of Barra de Potosí is the large lagoon. Tours are easilyarranged with the local boatmen and are well worth the time spent. The bird life in this mangrove lagoon can be spectacular.

• Beaches in Ixtapa
• Beaches in Zihuatanejo

Beaches (playas) in and around Zihuatanejo

Playa La Ropa

The best beach in the area is undoubtedly Playa La Ropa. The beach, with it's low surf, is great for swimming and also great for walking (it's about a 2.5 kilometer or 1.5 mile round trip) .
The beach is only crowded during Christmas and Easter, the rest of the year it is easy to find a spot. Along with many retaurants, there are also umbrella and lounge chair rentals available. All the usual watersports are available.
Accommodations range in price and amenities from reasonable to very expensive. Beach front hotels range from around $100 a night up to $1000, with everything in between.

Conveniently located, the beach is a 30 minute walk from downtown Zihuatanejo or a 5 minute taxi or bus ride. Buses run along the main avenue in Zihuatanejo and currently cost $5 pesos and run from early morning until about 6pm. Look for the ones with “Playa La Ropa” in the window. A taxi will cost $30.
Several hotels along the La Ropa beach participate in the local turtle conservation campaign. Eggs are gathered and protected during their incubation (August through December). When hatched, the baby turtles are kept in tubs and released periodically back into the ocean. The young turtles are released at sunset and anyone who happens along is welcome to help.

To reach Playa La Gatas, one can walk to the southern end of La Ropa and then over the rocks to the beach. It is a little rough and not recommended for those in bare feet, but is easily reachable otherwise.
Walking south from the waterfront in town, you pass by the local museum, then over a footbridge which marks the start of a walkway to Playa La Madera. While not nearly as popular as the beach at Playa La Ropa, it is a popular spot for swimming and body surfing. There are a handful of restaurants and dozens of small hotels and apartments overlooking the beach.

If you like snorkeling then Playa Las Gatas is an excellent choice. The beach is protected by a reef, built by the Tarascan king Caltzontzín (according to legend). This is a great beach for children as there are almost no waves inside the reef. Outside the reef you will ocassionally see surfers, depending on the state of the waves.
This beach is accessible on foot from Playa La Ropa as mentioned above, but is normally reached by boat from the pier in Zihuatanejo. Water taxis cost around $5US and run until 5 or 6pm depending on the season.
A dozen or so restaurants are located along the beach, as well as snorkel and scuba rentals. The snorkeling is best right alongside the reef, and especially outside (but be careful of the waves). And please, please, please do not touch the coral – it dies.

Playa Principal (Or Municipal) beach is a short stretch in the heart of downtown Zihuatanejo.

On one end is the local museum, and the other is the pier. Water taxis to Playa Las Gatas leave from the pier, and it is also the landing site for sports fishermen.

Along the beach is the local fish market - the best, and cheapest, place to buy fresh fish in Zihuatanejo.6-7am is the time to go.

Further along is the basketball court (or La Cancha) and the previous site of city hall. The basketball court is the site of Sunday evening cultural events, small fairs and concerts.

Continuing along, you pass a half a dozen beach restaurants and wind up at the museum. Crossing the footbridge beyond the museum will leave you at the path to Playa La Madera.

This is one of a series of articles on the beaches of Ixtapa Zihuatanejo. The others are:

• Beaches in Ixtapa
• Beaches Outside Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo

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Beaches (playas) in and around Ixtapa

Playa el Palmar

Ixtapa, as a tourist destination, was developed starting in the 1970's (along with other resorts such as Cancun and Huatulco). Before the Federal Government decided to build a world-class resort, this main Ixtapa beach was just a 3 km long stretch of sand, backed by lagoons and coconut plantations.

Ixtapa's main boulevard, Paseo Ixtapa runs behind the major hotels lining the beach. On the other side of the boulevard is what might be called “downtown” Ixtapa where you will find every kind of restaurant, bar, souvenir shop and other activities. Other large resorts have been developed a little further north around the beach Playa Quieta. A word of caution regarding this beach. As Playa el Palmar, along with many other beaches in the Ixtapa Zihuatanejo area, is on the open Pacific ocean and thus can be subject to dangerous breaking surf and strong undertows. While lifeguards are stationed along the beach, common sense should prevail, especially with small children.

Beach activities of course include volleyball, football (soccer), para sailing, boogie boarding, and at the far end, near the marina, surfing.

Playa Linda

Moving up the coast, north from Ixtapa is Playa Linda. Only a quick 10 or 15 minute bus ride from the main Ixtapa hotel zone, the southern end of the beach has an area of restaurants and a small arts and crafts market. Jutting out from this end of the beach is the pier where water taxis shuttle people back and forth to Isla Ixtapa.

Just before reaching the reaching the beach and the small commercial center, there is a mangrove swamp that is home to a good number of crocodiles as well as turtle, iguanas and a variety of birds. Set aside as a sanctuary for these animals, it is completely fenced. The beach proper stretches north some distance. The southern end of the beach is protected by Isla Ixtapa and is thus good for swimming. The northern end of the beach is better for surfing. Playa Linda also has horseback riding stables offering trips along the beach.

Ixtapa Island is all about snorkeling. Home to 4 separate beaches there is a bit of everything - seafood restaurants, coral beaches and winding paths affording a variety of views. As for watersports, apart from snorkeling of course, there is parasailing, jet skis, and banana boat rides.

Isla Ixtapa is accessible by small water taxis (pangas) that currently ferry passengers between it and the pier at Playa Quieta in Ixtapa. Boats are also available from the pier in downtown Zihuatanejo .

• Cuachalalate beach is the first beach on Ixtapa Island. All the boats from the mainland arrive here and the small pier. The beach is lined with seafood restaurants. Banana boats, jet skis and snorkel equipment are all available on this beach.
• Varadero beach is just a couple of minutes walk away. Also well populated with restaurants and various water sports.
  
• Playa Coral is the most popular, and protected, beach for snorkeling.
• Playa Carey or Playa Sacrificio is the most secluded beach of the four. The walk through the hills and the spectacular views alone are worth the effort.

This is one of a series of articles on the beaches of Ixtapa Zihuatanejo. The others are:

• Beaches in Zihuatanejo
• Beaches Outside Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo