Buenas olas!
Sun, seafood, beautiful ocean views and relatively few crowds defined my two ‘ladies week’ adventures to Zihuatanejo. While my goal was to surf and snorkel as much as possible, there were activities (and, yes, we count reading and lounging in beach chairs as activities) for everyone.
Zihuatanejo, or Zihua for short, sits on the western coast of Mexico next to Ixtapa in the state of Guerrero, commonly recognized as Andy and Red’s meeting point at the end of “Shawshank Redemption”.
Traditionally an old fishing village, Zihua has an impressive number of excellent, reasonably-priced restaurants. While there are arguably a number of tourist-geared destinations (and a growing expat community), the town retains much of its original character and grit.
(If you are interested in the all-inclusive resort feel, Ixtapa, a state-sponsored resort town, is just 5 kilometers north.)
Generally speaking, I like to avoid the all-inclusive-type resorts, and, on account of my keen ability to burn even on cloudy days in Ireland, I used to avoid beach vacations altogether. My recent introduction to rash guards and surf tights has been life-changing. On my last trip to Zihua, I spent hours out on the water every morning for a week, and returned home to snowy Brooklyn with only a hint of bronze on my face – no awkward sunburns.
Though I’m now a huge proponent of beach vacations (so long as there is good beginner surfing nearby), I still get restless and seek out volleyball, or some sort of activity even if it’s too hot. For this reason, I loved walking up and down the beach at La Ropa, and I especially loved the characters who seemed to rule the beach.
The local vendors who set up shop renting out paddle boards, kayaks and hobie cat rides really made my days. On my first trip down the beach to search for Juan (Cuico), my surf instructor, I mistakenly walked up to Miguel (bronze, beautifully-built, with long, sun-streaked hair). From behind, it was an easy mistake. But once Miguel turned to greet me with his broad smile and a friendly, youthful demeanor that defied his 49 years, I immediately realized he was not my guy. I was glad to have made the mistake, however, because we had a nice chat and I looked forward to saying hello on future strolls down the beach.
It was fairly common to see Miguel, sprinting barefoot down the length of the beach, or bounding straight into the ocean, jumping over the waves in a forward flip, or just sitting in the water to cool off. Given that the average age of the La Ropa beach-goer was 60+ in January, Miguel’s energy infused the beach with a jolt of youth.
Maybe it’s just because I am new to beach vacations, or maybe Zihua really is a magical place. I wish I could describe what made it so wonderful, but I feel that I’m just not doing it justice. For me, it was looking out across the waves beyond Playa La Ropa, having witnessed how hard these guys hustled to make a living doing what they love, that I decided I didn’t have to keep doing something that didn’t make me happy. There was nothing stopping me but myself. And so, in a way, it was Zihua where this blog, and the epic travels that will follow, began.
Itinerary
- Day 1: Afternoon arrival at Hotel Villa Mexicana, await friends, frothy beverages on the beach, dinner at La Sirena Gorda
- Day 2: Meet Juan and Arturo for surfing Saladita at 6:45, drinks and dinner with friends
- Day 3: Surf Playa Linda, start time 8 am, Dinner at La Terracita
- Day 4: Surf Playa Linda, start time 8 am, Dinner at Il Mare
- Day 5: Paddle boarding and snorkeling from Playa La Ropa to Las Gatas, watch release of baby turtles at sunset, dinner at hotel
- Day 6: Surf Playa Linda, start time 8 am
- Day 7: Surf Saladita, start time 8 am, dinner at Mito
- Day 8: Surf Play Linda, start time 8 am, Depart hotel for the airport at 1:30 pm
Highlights
Paddle, paddle, paddle… UP!
Is it true that humans naturally swim towards the bottom, rather than the surface, when disoriented under water? Did I hear that in my PADI course? How deep is this water and at what point do I risk crashing into the rocks that I so tenderly navigated around on the paddle out beyond the break? Which way IS up, anyhow, and will I make it to the surface?
These questions bounced around my head while the current, and my board, held me below the surface of the water at Playa Linda, just north of Zihuatanejo. I was surprised by how calm I felt, being dragged along by the leash attached from my board to my ankle. And despite the experience having been slightly unsettling, once I found my way to the surface I was determined to get back out and go for another wave (after taking a few moments to catch my breath and shake out the nerves).
Surfing is hard work, but I crave a certain degree of activity mixed into the day before I feel like I’ve earned my spot on the beach. Since my first trip to Zihua when I was introduced to my favorite instructor duo, Juan (Cuico) Suarez and Arturo Ayala, I will forever view beach holidays in a new light. (You can find Juan by asking around the board/kayak rental stand near La Perla on Playa La Ropa, and I highly recommend these guys.)
On my second trip to Zihua, I met Juan and Arturo every morning between 7 and 8 am, allowing time for a quick coffee at the hotel before the start of my day. It was this time in the morning when I learned two things that, being a late riser, I would normally have missed out on.
One, people wake up very early or leave towels out at night, in order to reserve their lounge chairs for the following day, meaning that pretty much all of the beach chairs are “taken” for those of us just looking for a spot to gaze out to the ocean over a cup of coffee for 20 minutes before venturing off for the day.
Two, unlicensed dogs are not allowed on the beach, but you might run across a lone horse around the volleyball courts on La Ropa. Apparently the horse loves the beach so, in the early hours of the morning, the horse’s owner sometimes brings him to the beach to hang out and watch the sunrise. Even the animals of Zihua understand the value of a beautiful ocean sunrise.
Paddle boarding, Snorkelling
Conveniently located within a quick paddle from La Ropa, Las Gatas is known for its coral reef. We asked Juan to take us out for the morning, which involved a paddle over to Las Gatas and a quick change into snorkel gear. He led us around the reef, pointing out the many varieties of fish and even managed to find the sunken statue of Jesus that had been planted out in the water as a snorkel destination. After swimming around for a bit, we had time for a cool beverage on the beach before setting off on the paddle boards back to La Ropa.
Tortuguistas! (Baby Turtles)
Many of the local hotels around Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa participate in a conservation program to protect the turtle population. They collect the turtle eggs, then bring them to a protected zone where the eggs are free from the threat of predators until the turtles are hatched and ready to venture out into the sea.
Crowds gather at sunset as the hotel guys release the baby turtles. Each time the waves come in, the baby turtles experience what I imagine to be something akin to my near-drowning experience described above (the little guys were totally new to this ocean thing, who knows what was going on in those tiny heads of theirs).
Rather than lend a helping hand, however, onlookers are requested to stand motionless as the turtles are tossed about by the incoming waves lest anyone accidentally steps on the little guys at the start of their journeys.
What I’ll do differently next time…
- Learn Spanish (most people spoke enough English to help us out, but I would’ve loved to be able to interact more)
- Spend less on accommodation
- Allow for a longer stay
- Check out Troncones
- Ensure all of my traveling partners bring debit cards or plenty of cash (much like Brooklyn, credit cards aren’t always accepted)
Photo Journal
