Skip to content
Voykit
Back to Ixtapa

In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.

Include in the print. Unchecked sections stay on screen, dimmed, and drop out of the PDF.

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.

Mexico CityAcapulcoAcaxochitlánActopanAculcoAgua PrietaAguascalientesAhuacatlánAhualulcoAjijicAkumalÁlamosAmatitánAmatlán de CañasIxtapa500 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
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

ItemPrice
Coffee or a beer at a beach barM$50–120
Taco or seafood plate at a taqueria in ZihuatanejoM$100–250
Seafood main in an Ixtapa restaurantM$250–400
Taxi, hotel zone to ZihuatanejoM$150–250
Bike rental, per dayM$200–400
18-hole green fee, Palma Real or Marina IxtapaM$1,500–3,000 (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekM$300–600

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

ZIH · Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo International
About 20 km (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
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

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 (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

WhereHowTime
ZihuatanejoTaxi from the Ixtapa hotel zone, about 15–20 minAbout 20–30 min
Isla IxtapaBoat from the Embarcadero at Playa Linda, about 10 minAbout 30–40 min
TronconesTaxi or car north on Hwy 200, about 40–50 minAbout 1 h
AcapulcoCar or bus on Hwy 200, about 253 km (157 mi)4.5–5 h each way

Sleep

Zona Hotelera I (Playa El Palmar)
The main beach strip, about 4.5 km (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

EnglishSay or show
How much to Zihuatanejo?¿Cuánto a Zihuatanejo?KWAN-to a see-wah-tah-NEH-ho
The bill, pleaseLa 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 youSin 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.

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)

  • All emergencies911
  • Tourist assistance078

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.