Whether it’s your first time visiting, you have been coming here on vacation for 30 years, or you live here, I’m sure you’ve said at one point, “What should we do today?” Here are 60 things you can do while in Ixtapa – Zihuatanejo.

Let’s start with the easy stuff.

1. Take a combi to Petatlan for the gold and silver markets.

2. Visit the row of tiendas for souvenirs on the street Cinco de Mayo in downtown Zihua.

3. Walk through the maze of shops and alleys at the Mercado Municipal for fresh food, meats and fish, clothes, great local restaurants, souvenirs, and the thousands of interesting items for sale,

4. Wake up at sunrise, walk to Playa Principal as the panga boats arrive to sell their fish right on the beach to restaurant owners and the markets.

5. Walk through the Eco-Tianguis Farmers market for hand-made goods and locally produced foods, located by Mercadito Zanka every Saturday from 9am – 2pm.

6. Hike through Parque El Limon, which has plenty of trails for novice hikers.

7 The Mirador de Montaña Ciclopista in Ixtapa is a more intense hike, but offers sweeping views of the ocean, Ixtapa and Ixtapa Island. Vale la Pena. It’s worth the effort.

8. There’s a great hike to the Majahua Cave near Troncones, and afterwards make a stop at nearby Playa Majahua for lunch and a beer.

9. The natural lava rock pool and Tiger Cave at our own Playa Majahua Zihuatanejo is a great way to spend the day.

10. For a good hike to a beach you can visit Playa Contramar, only a 15 minute hike from the Cerro del Almacen neighborhood.

11. Take a day trip to Barra de Potosi and go bird watching in a kayak on the lagoon.

12. Walk or take a water taxi to Playa las Gatas and snorkel out to the Jesus statue, which rests just beyond the reef under about 20 feet of water.

13. Watch the sun set on Playa la Madera or Playa la Ropa with a cold drink.

14. Take a combi bus to Playa Quieta near Club Med for a relaxing afternoon on one of the nicest and quietest beaches in the area.

15. Visit Playa Linda and the Cocodrilario wildlife refuge for an up close look at all kinds of birds, iguanas, turtles, and crocodiles.

16. Go on a sunset sail. We’ve done the Picante Catamaran Sunset Tour and Sailing Zihua, and both were great.

17. Go fishing for Sailfish, Dorado, or Roosterfish

18. From almost any beach in Zihua or Ixtapa you can go parasailing or boogie boarding, or ride a banana boat.

19. Rent paddle boards or kayaks and get some of the best views of the city from the middle of the bay.

20. Or if you want something a little faster paced rent some jet skis on Playa La Ropa.

21. Take a snorkeling trip to Playa Manzanillo. You can actually hike to the beach as well. But lots of boats take snorkeling trips there.

22. Spend the day at Ixtapa island and see some amazing wildlife snorkeling from Coral Beach. You can also find deer and rabbits roaming the island.

23. Go on a scuba diving excursion, with depths up to 30meters. You can also take padi dive courses here. The water is very comfortable for scuba diving.

24. Take the family to Ixtapa for mini golf.

25. If you want something a little more grown up, visit the Winclub Casino Ixtapa. There are slot machines, a sportsbook, blackjack, roulette, and a poker room.

26. Rent bikes and ride from Zihuatanejo to ixtapa. Our favorite bike trip is from Ixtapa to Playa Linda through the ecological park. You can rent traditional or e-bikes. And there are over 23km of bike paths here, with more trails being constructed right now.

27. Get up to see the sun rise and then do some yoga – Casa Sun & Moon on Playa la Madera has yoga in front of the bay on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 7:30am for 200 pesos per person.

28. Go horseback riding on Playa Larga.

29. Take an ATV Tour from Pantla to Troncones, through the jungle, river, beach and back.

30. Rent a scooter and explore town for the perfect taco.

31. Take a spanish class at Coffee Break or Spanish Plus

32. Enjoy a salsa, zumba or art class

33. Day trip it to Puerto Vicente, 85km down the coast, and take a water slide into the ocean.

34. Go on a whale watching tour. If you’re lucky you’ll also see dolphins and sea turtles. You may also catch some or all of these on a sunset tour, fishing trip, or anything else on the water.

35. Watch as hundreds of baby sea turtles are released from one of the half dozen or so beach turtle sanctuaries that care for and protect the eggs.

36. Swim with the dolphins at Delfiniti in Ixtapa. It’s not something I would do, but it’s something you CAN do.

37. Take a surf lesson in Ixtapa near Playa Linda, or if you are a seasoned surfer, head to La Saladita, 40km north of Zihua, for some great waves.

38. Enjoy a round of golf. Palma real and Marina Ixtapa are the two 18 hole golf courses in town.

39. Play pickleball at one of the 10 or so courts in Zihua and Ixtapa, and there are games morning to evenings for all skill levels.

40. Visit the La Ropa Tennis Club for lessons or a game of tennis

41. Join the beach volleyball group on Playa La Ropa Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9am to 12noon.

42. Take a cooking class, and there are several cooking schools from Barra de Potosi to Zihua to Troncones.

43. Go on a foodie tour of restaurants in Zihua. We did one with Paco last year.

44. Do a tequila tasting at Tequila Por Favor in Centro.

45. On the weekends visit Centro in the evenings and enjoy some good street food near the main plaza by the basketball court.

46 Enjoy some great live music: Rossy’s Playa La Ropa on Fridays and Saturdays has music from about 5pm to 8pm. Ta Rock has concerts weekly. Barracruda has local live music almost every night. And most weekends you can’t walk far on Calle Adelitas or in town without hearing some local musicians.

47. Visit Centro at the basketball court on Sunday evening for Cultural Sundays, which highlights regional music, dance, and singers.

48. Visit “la chole”, the Xihuacan archaeological site and museum, an area that had been occupied from 800 bc to 300 ad. It’s located near the town of San Jeronimito, and about 30km from Zihua. You can see an original ball field and parts of pyramids.

49. Stop in the archaeological museum in Centro for artifacts from Guerrero’s past.

50. Visit the Coconut Museum in Coacayul, a 172 acre plantation and family farm since 1940. It’s free to enter, and they offer lunch.

51. Don’t miss the newly remodeled Parthenon overlooking the Bay of Zihua, a formerly corrupt police chief’s mansion turned into a beautiful cultural center.

52. Or walk the Paseo Capricho del Rey walkway at the end of Playa La Ropa and take a photo with the statue of King Caltzontzin.

53. Watch a movie at the Cinemex Theater in Zihua or Cinema Flamingo in Ixtapa. Movies in English and Spanish at a cost of about 100 pesos. And the theaters are air conditioned.

54. Get a massage on the beach, at a cost of 300 to 400 pesos for a one hour session.

55. Volunteer at the animal shelter and help take care of the abandoned cats and dogs.

56. Go to one of these parades: Carnaval, Independence Day, Dia de Muertos, Dia de Revolucion, or Christmas.

57. Attend one of these festivals and fairs: Mezcal Fest, Guitarfest, Sailfest, Barra de Potosi Spring Fair, Festival of Artisanal Beer and Food, Festival of Tiritas, and there are others.

58. Visit the lighthouse of Las Gatas. You used to be able to hike to the lighthouse, but it may be only accessible by boat now.

59. Visit the hot springs in Lagunillas

60. Spend the night in a cabin at Las Mesas de Bravo waterfalls in the town of Vallecitos. For a shorter waterfall visit you can hike to La Cascada del Posquelite, which is only about 15 minutes from Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa, plus a 25 minute mostly flat-leveled hike.

And obviously there’s plenty of other things to do here: Walk to the pier in Zihua and get a photo with Jose Azueta, who Zihua was named after. There are loads of great restaurants, plenty of bars that show hockey, football, and soccer games.
There are other volunteer opportunities outside of the animal shelters, and various social groups.
If you have a few days, then seeing the monarch butterflies or visiting Patzcuaro is for sure worthy of a road trip.
There are basketball courts all over town, a nearby skate park, lots of gyms and parks, and every year there are new businesses, restaurants, and sites to visit. But at the end of the day, a drink and a book by the pool or on the beach is pretty nice.

See you down here.