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Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Ixtapa
Go for 3 nights if you want a beach base with no planning: hotel zone, flat bike paths, Isla Ixtapa boats. Skip if you want a town, nightlife or budget beds — sleep in Zihuatanejo instead.
Ixtapa is a planned resort strip built from the 1970s on a former coconut plantation, 5 km from the fishing town of Zihuatanejo. It is one long hotel zone (Zona Hotelera I on Playa El Palmar, Zona Hotelera II toward Playa Linda), flat, walkable and bike-friendly, with four- and five-star hotels and almost no hostels. Most travellers use it as a beach base and cross to Zihuatanejo for food and town life. Three nights covers the beaches, Isla Ixtapa and one day in Zihua; five nights if you add golf, diving or a day trip.
- Country
- Mexico
- Best months
- Nov–Apr (dry season, warm days, low rain)
- Avoid
- Sep–Oct (peak rain and storm risk), late Mar–Apr (Easter/Semana Santa crowds)
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MXN
- Money
- Currency is the Mexican peso (MXN, $). Cards work in hotels, chains and many restaurants; markets, street food, small shops and colectivos are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget M$700–1,200 excl. bed (eat in Zihuatanejo, buses and shared boats) · Mid M$1,500–2,500 excl. bed (taxi hops, one tour, mixed restaurants) · High M$3,000+ excl. bed (resort dining, golf, private boat) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telcel has the widest coverage; AT&T and Movistar are cheaper in cities. SIMs sell at OXXO shops and phone stores; registration with an ID may be requested — check.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 911 · Tourist assistance 078
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 127 V · 60 Hz · US plugs fit; many older sockets have no earth pin.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10–15%; check the bill for an included 'servicio'.; Bars: MXN 10–20 per drink or 10%.; Petrol station attendants: MXN 10–20; more for windscreen and tyres.; Guides and drivers: 10% or MXN 200–400 a day.; Supermarket baggers (often older volunteers): MXN 5–10.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; garrafón (20-litre jugs) and filtered water in hotels.
- Toilets
- Put paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places; public toilets charge MXN 5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or a beer at a beach bar | M$50–120 |
| Taco or seafood plate at a taqueria in Zihuatanejo | M$100–250 |
| Seafood main in an Ixtapa restaurant | M$250–400 |
| Taxi, hotel zone to Zihuatanejo | M$150–250 |
| Bike rental, per day | M$200–400 |
| 18-hole green fee, Palma Real or Marina Ixtapa | M$1,500–3,000 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | M$300–600 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ZIH · Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo International
- About 20 km from the Ixtapa hotel zone; taxi or pre-booked transfer, roughly 20–30 min. Direct domestic flights from Mexico City and international flights from Toronto and Los Angeles (check current schedules).About 12 mi from the Ixtapa hotel zone; taxi or pre-booked transfer, roughly 20–30 min. Direct domestic flights from Mexico City and international flights from Toronto and Los Angeles (check current schedules).
Typical fares
- Taxi ZIH airport → Ixtapa hotel zone
- M$350–800, about 20–30 min
- Taxi Ixtapa → Zihuatanejo
- M$150–250, about 15–20 min
- Boat Playa Linda → Isla Ixtapa
- about M$80 round trip, about 10 min
Get around
Taxis are the default: short hops inside the hotel zone, and a fixed-ish fare to Zihuatanejo (agree the price before you get in). Ixtapa is flat with dedicated bike paths — the Tropical Route to Playa Linda is just under 10 km each way, and a path links Ixtapa to Zihuatanejo. Water taxis from the Embarcadero at Playa Linda run to Isla Ixtapa. A rental car only pays off for multi-stop day trips.Taxis are the default: short hops inside the hotel zone, and a fixed-ish fare to Zihuatanejo (agree the price before you get in). Ixtapa is flat with dedicated bike paths — the Tropical Route to Playa Linda is just under 6.2 mi each way, and a path links Ixtapa to Zihuatanejo. Water taxis from the Embarcadero at Playa Linda run to Isla Ixtapa. A rental car only pays off for multi-stop day trips.
See and do
Known for
- Playa El Palmar hotel strip
- Isla Ixtapa boat trips
- Flat ciclopista bike routes
- Crocodile refuge at Playa Linda
- Two Robert-designed golf courses
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Zihuatanejo | Taxi from the Ixtapa hotel zone, about 15–20 min | About 20–30 min |
| Isla Ixtapa | Boat from the Embarcadero at Playa Linda, about 10 min | About 30–40 min |
| Troncones | Taxi or car north on Hwy 200, about 40–50 min | About 1 h |
| Acapulco | Car or bus on Hwy 200, about 253 kmCar or bus on Hwy 200, about 157 mi | 4.5–5 h each way |
Sleep
- Zona Hotelera I (Playa El Palmar)
- The main beach strip, about 4.5 km of sand; most resorts, restaurants and shops. Best for a first trip with no car.The main beach strip, about 2.8 mi of sand; most resorts, restaurants and shops. Best for a first trip with no car.
- Zona Hotelera II (toward Playa Linda)
- Quieter north end near Playa Quieta and Playa Linda; good for families and the boat dock to Isla Ixtapa.
- Marina Ixtapa
- Condos and marina-side restaurants and golf; 10–15 min by taxi from the main beach strip.
- Zihuatanejo (5 km away)
- The real town: cheaper hotels, hostels, pozole and seafood. Pick this if you want streets, not a resort strip.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much to Zihuatanejo? | ¿Cuánto a Zihuatanejo?KWAN-to a see-wah-tah-NEH-ho |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta por fa-VOR |
| Do you have a room? | ¿Tiene habitación?TYEH-neh ah-bee-tah-SYON |
| Is it safe to swim here? | ¿Es seguro nadar aquí?es se-GOO-ro na-DAR ah-KEE |
| I don't want ice, thank you | Sin hielo, graciasseen YEH-lo GRA-syas |
| Where is the boat to the island? | ¿Dónde está la lancha a la isla?DON-deh es-TA la LAN-cha a la EES-la |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; a kiss on the right cheek among friends; avoid: Skipping 'buenos días' when entering a shop
- Punctuality: Be on time for tours and buses; avoid: Expecting social events to start on time
- Talking: Warm small talk, family, food, football; avoid: Jokes about cartels, the wall or migration
- Churches: Covered shoulders, quiet; avoid: Photos during mass
- Dining: Say 'provecho' to other diners when leaving; avoid: Rushing the waiter
Scams and watch-outs
- No hostels or budget hotels in Ixtapa: cheap beds are in Zihuatanejo.
- Agree taxi fares before departure; meters are not standard.
- September and October are the rainiest months and storm season — check forecasts before booking.
- Crocodiles live in the lagoons and golf-course water: keep to marked paths and do not swim in lagoons.
- Guerrero state roads outside the resort corridor need local advice; travel in daylight and prefer toll (cuota) highways.
- Swim with care at Playa Linda and Playa Coral: the open-Pacific side has rougher surf.
The resort corridor is calm and heavily patrolled; the real risks are surf and lagoon wildlife, unmarked taxi fares, and Guerrero state roads outside the corridor — check local advice before driving, and travel in daylight.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ixtapa yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Playa El Palmar hotel strip
- Isla Ixtapa boat trips
- Flat ciclopista bike routes
- Crocodile refuge at Playa Linda
- Two Robert-designed golf courses
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ixtapa Zihuatanejo official destination site: www.ixtapazihuatanejomexico.com/
- Museo Arqueológico de la Costa Grande (Cultura): sic.cultura.gob.mx/ficha.php?table=museo&table_id=2107
- Wikivoyage: Ixtapa, revision 5331376 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5331376
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Ixtapa
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Ixtapa; the US, UK and Canadian embassies are in Mexico City, with consulates in Acapulco (check which are open).
Tipping: 10–15% in restaurants; MXN 20–50 for porters and boat or beach helpers.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ixtapa). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.