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 OVERVIEW
Set against the backdrop of the mighty Sierra Madre Mountains, Ixtapa is
blessed with excellent beaches and striking natural beauty as it shows a perfect
example of how a modern resort can co-exist with natural greenery. The hotel
zone extends along just a 4km strip of wide sandy beach called Playa del Palmar
which overlooks the water and horizon of the Pacific. It is an ultimate
exclusive vacation spot where everyone comes to have a good time and take
advantage of its paradise-perfect surroundings. Though some consider the
restaurant, nightlife and shopping scenes here more subdued than other
destinations, there is no doubt that Ixtapa's cutting-edge facilities are second
to none in Mexico.
HISTORY IN BRIEF
Prior to its current splendor as a young, glossy resort, Ixtapa was once a
backwater coconut plantation. The idea to turn this region into a resort
was conceived in the early 1970s when the National Fund for Tourism Development
(FONATUR) launched a sustainable development plan to develop a part of Ixtapa as
an exclusive tourist center while the other half remain "green".
The advent of Ixtapa has the effect of introducing its previously obscure
neighbor Zihuatanejo to the holiday seekers in this corner of Mexico as well.
Today although most visitors stay in the hotels in Ixtapa, a visit to the the
fishing village of Zihuatanejo is almost always included in their itinerary.
GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE
The resort of Ixtapa is a municipality of the state of Guerrero. It's
located on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, roughly less than 400 km northwest of
Acapulco along the coast known as La Costa Grande. Ixtapa is hot and humid
year-round, with temperatures ranging from 17C to 30C in winter and well above
32C in summer. The rainy season is May-October, but the rains tend to be
fierce and brief in the late afternoon only, leaving the evenings dry and cooled
off.
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