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Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Zihuatanejo
Zihuatanejo de Azueta
Stay 3 nights in Zona Centro or Playa La Ropa: walkable town, calm bay swimming, and Ixtapa 20 min by bus for resorts.
Zihuatanejo is a fishing town on a sheltered bay in Guerrero, grown into a resort without losing its centre: a market, a pier, a beach road and Playa La Ropa around the corner. Three nights covers the town, the bay beaches and one day in Ixtapa or Troncones. Most visitors fly into ZIH, 12.5 km southeast.
- Country
- Mexico
- Local name
- Zihuatanejo de Azueta
- Best months
- Nov–Apr (check)
- Avoid
- Sep–Oct (check)
- 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 (2026 estimate, check) · Mid M$1,500–2,800 excl. bed (2026 estimate, check) · High M$3,500+ excl. bed (2026 estimate, check) (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 | M$40–70 |
| Pozole, bowl | M$80–150 |
| Street tacos, each | M$15–30 |
| Beer: bottle at a beach palapa / can at an oxxo | M$40–70 / M$20–30 |
| Local bus Zihuatanejo–Ixtapa | M$8–10 (check) |
| Taxi Centro–Playa La Ropa | M$80–120 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | M$200–400 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ZIH · Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo International
- 12.5 km southeast of town on Hwy 200; shared shuttle or taxi into town, no ride-share pickups at the terminal7.8 mi southeast of town on Hwy 200; shared shuttle or taxi into town, no ride-share pickups at the terminal
Typical fares
- ZIH airport → Zona Centro, shared shuttle
- about M$160, 20–30 min (check)
- ZIH airport → Zona Centro, private taxi
- about M$550, 20–30 min (check)
- Zihuatanejo → Ixtapa, local bus
- about M$8–10, 20 min (check)
Get around
The centre is walkable. Taxis cover the bay and the airport; local buses (about M$8, check) run between Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa. Lanchas from the muelle cross to Playa Las Gatas. Hwy 200 bypasses town on the north and east.
See and do
Known for
- Bahía de Zihuatanejo and Playa La Ropa
- Playa Las Gatas and its boat pier
- Pozole, especially on Thursdays
- Sport fishing and the pueblo centre
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ixtapa | Local bus or taxi north on Hwy 200 | 20–30 min |
| Troncones | Taxi or colectivo north on Hwy 200 | About 25 min (check) |
| Vicente Guerrero National Park | Walk or short ride to the Blvd Playa Linda side | Under 30 min (check) |
| Acapulco | Bus from the Central de Autobuses on Hwy 200 | 4.5–5 h |
Sleep
- Zona Centro
- Market, pier, restaurants and the beach walk; best for a short stay without a car.
- Playa La Madera
- Small bay 10–15 min walk from Centro; quieter, mid-range hotels.
- Playa La Ropa
- The main swimming beach, 5–10 min by taxi from Centro; resort and boutique hotels.
- Ixtapa
- Planned resort zone 20 min north by bus or 10 min by taxi; high-rise hotels and bars, less town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-ta |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta por fa-VOR |
| Where is the pier? | ¿Dónde está el muelle?DON-de es-TA el MWE-yeh |
| Is it safe to swim here? | ¿Es seguro nadar aquí?es se-GU-ro na-DAR a-KI |
| Do you have pozole? | ¿Tiene pozole?TYE-ne po-SO-le |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWE-do pa-GAR kon tar-HE-ta |
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
- Sep–Oct is the rain and storm season; some beach businesses close.
- Rip currents on open Pacific beaches: swim where locals swim, not on unpatrolled sand.
- Hwy 134 and inland Guerrero roads: travel by day and ask locally before driving.
- Palapa loungers on Las Gatas are free only if you order food and drinks.
Zihuatanejo itself is a calm, walkable resort town; the real risks are the sea, the heat and Guerrero's inland roads. Use 911, keep to lit streets at night and ask locally before driving Hwy 134.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Zihuatanejo yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Bahía de Zihuatanejo and Playa La Ropa
- Playa Las Gatas and its boat pier
- Pozole, especially on Thursdays
- Sport fishing and the pueblo centre
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 International Airport (OMA): www.oma.aero/es/pasajeros/zihuatanejo/
- Wikivoyage: Zihuatanejo, revision 5331375 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5331375
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
ZihuatanejoZihuatanejo de Azueta
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in town; the US, UK and Canada have embassies in Mexico City, and most countries keep consular contacts there (check before you travel).
Tipping: 10–15% in restaurants; MXN 20–50 for porters and boat or palapa helpers.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/zihuatanejo). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.