4 Best Beaches in Zihuatanejo: A beautiful resort city on Mexico’s southern Pacific coast in the state of Guerrero, Zihuatanejo is famous for its scenic beaches, great weather, fresh seafood, and authentic Mexican culture. Inhabited since ancient times, by the colonial era the Zihuatanejo area contained a large number of coconut plantations, which continued to be the town’s main industry, along with fishing, up until the 1970s, when the Mexican federal government decided to invest heavily into developing the area into a tourist destination.
Since then, Zihuatanejo has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, attracting millions of foreign visitors as well as Mexican nationals, who flock to the city mainly to enjoy its great beaches. If you are planning to make a trip to Zihuatanejo, here are the beaches you should be sure to check out.
Playa La Ropa
A sheltered, white sand beach with calm waters that are great for swimming, Playa La Ropa is one of the must-see beaches in Zihuatanejo. Located in close proximity to many of Zihuatanejo’s best hotels and restaurants, Playa La Ropa is one of the most popular beaches in the city. Despite its popularity, Playa La Ropa does not get overcrowded often. Thanks to its length and size, the beach usually has plenty of room for anyone who wants to visit.
Playa La Ropa is popular among both tourists and locals, who flock to the beach to swim in the calm waters, and partake in watersports like windsurfing, sailing, snorkeling, parasailing, jet skiing, banana boating, and more. For those less interested in extreme sports, relaxing on the beach or walking or jogging along the shore are popular activities.
Just off the beach there are plenty of restaurants and bars where you can grab a drink or a bite to eat on the beach. The bars serve various local beers that are worth trying, and the restaurants serve famous local dishes, like red snapper in tomato or garlic sauce and pozole.
Playa La Ropa remains open and accessible during the night, making it a perfect place to watch the sunset and relax in the evening.
Playa Las Gatas
Playa Las Gatas is a scenic beach accessible by water taxi from downtown Zihuatanejo. It is possible to walk to Zihuatanejo, but it is a long walk along a rocky path, and is not recommended for most visitors. Water taxi is by far the easiest way to get to the beach.
One of the most popular beaches in Zihuatanejo, Playa Las Gatas is well worth the trip to get to, thanks to its crystal-clear waters, long sandy shores, and beautiful scenery. Because of its relative inaccessibility, Playa Las Gatas is great for day trips, and you should plan to spend at least a couple of hours there if you do decide to make the trip.
Playa Las Gatas is narrower than Playa La Ropa, so it can get more crowded, but crowds are rarely a big problem on either beach. Like Playa La Ropa, Playa Las Gatas is very popular among the locals, and there are plenty of restaurants and bars in the area where you can go to sit down and have a meal or order something to enjoy on the beach.
The waters around Playa Las Gatas are calm and perfect for swimming, snorkeling, boating, fishing, and much more.
Playa La Madera
Playa La Madera is a small beach located on a sheltered inlet in downtown Zihuatanejo. One of the best beaches in Zihuatanejo, Playa La Madera is famous for its calm, swimmable waters, soft sands, relaxing atmosphere, and scenic views.
Playa La Madera is typically less crowded than the more popular beaches in Zihuatanejo, like Playa Las Gatas and Playa La Ropa. That being said, the beach is centrally located, so there are plenty of hotels, bars, and restaurants located all around the beach, making it easily accessible for tourists, and a great place to grab a meal or drink from a local restaurant to enjoy on the beach.
Playa La Madera is a favorite of locals, although there are plenty of tourists on the beach as well. The beach is popular among couples, solo travelers, and especially families, as the calm, warm waters are great for children. The beach is also much quieter than other beaches in Zihuatanejo, with few water sports, and most people just relaxing in the sun, swimming, or playing beach games or flying a kite.
Playa Blanca
A wild beach surrounded by trees and perfect for bird watching and spotting marine life like dolphins and rays, Playa Blanca is one of the must-see beaches in Zihuatanejo. The beach is a reminder of what the area was like in decades past, before the major investment and development of tourist infrastructure in the city. Located in a secluded yet accessible area, where the trees and mountains meet the coastline, the scenery around Playa Blanca is breathtaking.
Playa Blanca is the least crowded beach in the city, with only a few handfuls of visitors, both foreign and local coming to the beach each day. It is not uncommon to go for a walk on Playa Blanca in the middle of the day without running into anyone. The biggest attraction on Playa Blanca, however, is the wildlife. Due to the undeveloped area Playa Blanca is located in, there are plenty of tropical birds that frequent the area. Looking into the ocean, you can frequently see pods of dolphins swim by, each dolphin breaching for air or jumping out of the water entirely.
Playa Blanca is one of the most beautiful beaches in Zihuatanejo and is well worth taking the time to visit.
See Also: