Donna

Has anyone been to ixtapa, are the beaches nice? Food good any info would be helpful.

JERRY

Hi, me and wife stayed at the Qualiton Club last April and we enjoyed it very much. The town is very clean as is the town near by called Zwhatanaho( cant remember how to spell it) If you are going all-inclusive as we did this is where I would stay. We liked it because it is off by itself, we went into Ixtapa and went to the beach there but there is hotels on every part of the beach in town and the beaches are very crowded. The beach isn't the best at the Qualiton but there is a boat that you can take over to a near by island that has a great beach , you can get snorkling equipment and other beach things to do. If you are taking children I would recomend this place over the others as it is not as crowded. There was not alot of children there but mine were treated very nicely and enjoyed themselves . Any other question? Just send me an E-mail
Hope you have FUN!!!
Jerry

Kathy Mulligan

My husband and I stayed at the Westin Brisas Resort last April and loved it. It is located on a hillside somewhat removed from the hotel zone and has a private beach cove. Two restaurants stand out in my mind as being exceptional - El Faro (the view!!!!) and Villa ?. They are both located in former private villas with patio seating looking out over the ocean sunset. They are located near the hotel and El Faro has a gondola which takes you down to the hotel zone beaches to walk off the wonderful dinner! Have a great time!

Rich

Donna, I hate to throw cold water on this but, spend your money somewhere else. We went to Club Med Ixtapa in January 1997 and it was terrible. Zihuatanejo is not worth the trip. The entire region is either million dollar resorts or dense forest. There is absolutely nothing to do. Club Med is also not worth the trip for many reasons which I outlined in a complaint letter to them. With all of that said, we just got back from Akumal, Mexico (1 hour south of Cancun) and I cannnot say enough. Our 4 & 2 year olds were well taken care of at the day care facility and we had time to see the sights. Tulum, Coba, Xel Ha and Xcaret are all between 30 and 60 minutes drive. The beach is fabulous and snorkeling and diving are readily available. We snorkeled at Xel Ha and Yal Kul Lagoon and it was great. If you are interested, go to www.rascalsinparadise.com or e-mail us for more info. Good luck, Rich

Michelle

I do not agree with most of Rich's post. Ixtapa is quite a nice place and my husband & I loved it. Zihuatanejo even better. We would love to go back & stay right in Zihuatanejo. It is a quaint bay fishing village with lots of ocean view restaurants & shops. We would see the fishermen come back in at night. We were there on a Sunday & all the locals gathered at the basketball court for a town gathering. It was great! The local women had made some of their own local treats to sell. The bus ride & walk to get to Zihuat. was very safe but it was hot!! You could take a cab or whatever & go to other beaches ie. Playa las Ropas which was named because yrs. ago, dresses & other clothing floated to shore & I don't know if they ever knew where they came from. The native people did not beg or bother us. The sunsets were spectacular!! The only thing we didn't like about our trip was our accomodation, the Fontan. It was very basic & the food was repetitious. The beach was very nice & you could walk quite far. I have a friend who stayed at the Krystal in Ixtapa & he loved it too. The Krystal is a much more expensive place though. Donna, I hope this gives you some reassurance & information.

Pam

My husband and I stayed at the ElPresidente right across the street from the main shopping center (or what they call the shopping center). Ixtapa/Zihuatenjeo has got to be the best place to vacation. It is completely safe anytime of the day or night, as a matter of fact, we're going back there in February of '99 for another stint at the ElPresidente. This is the most quaint little town with the hustle and bustle of a small community in the midwest. I feel this place is the best vacation spot for your money, worth every penny of it!!!

If you'd like more info, let me know.

Connie

My husband and I were in Ixtapa in May of 2001. It is a nice place and very typical of Mexico. There is not much to Ixtapa outside of the hotel zone. The beaches are nice and clean. If you are expecting crystal clear water for snorkling you will be disappointed. Take a cab over to Zihuatanejo and do you shopping over there. Be sure to go to the Mercado which is where the locals go to buy there food. It is an experience.

Queenswan

The last report on Iztapa was a post from 2001 , can anyone give an updated report , we will be going Feb 3rd -13th 2007 , Just booked today and staying at the Hotel Dorado Pacifico,
our first year not going to Cozumel , were looking forward to a new place , So we are open for all ideas ,
Is it worth renting a car for a day or wo ?
Can you get over to the two Islands I see on a map , Isla de a ple
and isla grande ?
Also some good resturants with authintic Mexican food ?
Looking forward to any imput from you
Thank-you