Ixtapa is a resort town on the Pacific Coast of Mexico in the state of Guerrero. Rolling mountains and sparkling beaches. Ixtapa was planned and built in the early 1970s on a former coconut plantation and mangrove estuary near the city of Zihuatanejo, which is 5 km away.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Ixtapa is a planned resort city that was conceived and built by FONATUR, the federal government tourism development agency that also developed Cancun at the same time as Ixtapa. But while Cancun experienced explosive growth and became an internationally known vacation destination, growth was quieter and slower in Ixtapa. This resulted in the current situation where Ixtapa has outstanding natural attractions with beautiful golden sand beaches and a small skyline set against the Sierra Madre Sur mountains. Nights are lively in Ixtapa, but there are no wild all-night parties. Hotels are comfortable with great amenities, but they aren't flashy with fake gold glitter.
Taxis are the easiest way to get around Ixtapa and Zihuatenejo and a couple taxi trips per day will end up being far cheaper than the cost of a rental car (plus no headaches with parking, traffic fines, getting lost, etc.) Even for relatively long day trips (like maybe to Troncones), it's usually easier and cheaper to negotiate with a taxi driver. Lanchas are the best way to get between beaches. You can hire a water taxi at the Embarcadero on Playa Linda. Ixtapa is very bike friendly with dedicated bike routes, flat terrain, and courteous local drivers.
1 Museo Arqueologico de la Costa Grande (Archaeology Museum), Paseo del Pescador, ☏ +52 755-554-7552. Tu-Su 10:00 - 18:00, closed M. A collection of treasures, history, and culture. The museum has a large variety of pottery and intriguing stone relics. (updated Jun 2026) 2 Playa Linda. North end of Ixtapa, the beach lives up to its name and is quite beautiful, but also a bit rougher, attracting surfers to its steady waves. Playa Linda is also where you'll find boats taking visitors to Isla Ixtapa (where there are three more beaches). (updated Jun 2026) 3 Playa Quieta. Known for its calm waters and mellow atmosphere. (updated Jun 2026) 4 Playa Los Escalleros.
1 Cocodrilario Tamakun, Playa Linda. Daily 07:00 - 20:00. Locally operated wildlife refuge with lots of crocodiles along with iguanas and a bevy of beautiful birds (mostly colorful tropical species like parrots and toucans). Free. (updated Jun 2026) 2 Delfiniti (Swim with Dolphins), Paseo Ixtapa, ☏ +52 755 553 2707. Daily 09:00 - 18:00. Lively local water park where visitors can swim with dolphins. Clean and inviting space with friendly trainers who make kids feel comfortable. (updated Jun 2026) Isla de Ixtapa - home to a great diversity of wildlife: raccoons, armadillos, deer, iguanas, deer, and innumerable species of native birds.
Some of the best food in the region is at the traditional pozole and seafood restaurants in nearby Zihuatenejo. 5 Casa Morelos, Paseo Ixtapa (Centro Comercial La Puerta), ☏ +52 755-553-0578. Daily 07:00 - 23:00. Traditional Mexican restaurant with some unique and highly recommended dishes include the seafood casserole, shrimp in mustard sauce, and the crayfish in ajillo (garlic) sauce. M$150. (updated Jun 2026) 6 El Galeón, Marina Plaza Veleros 6, ☏ +52 755-553-2150. Daily 14:00 - 23:00. Marina Ixtapa - seafood and pastas. Dine on the terrace or on “the ship.” The restaurant reproduced a boat that sits on land, but overlooks the water. M$250.
Ixtapa has no real party nightclubs other than Ohana, which is pretty lame, has an unwarranted cover charge, and plays obnoxious reggaeton to drive away patrons with good taste. Most of the other bars are sports bars for people who would pay thousands of dollars to travel to a spectacular beach resort, then spend there time in a dark, windowless warehouse with TVs tuned to sports teams you don't care about from cities you care even less about.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
Top-rated tours and tickets from €39 — book ahead for the popular ones.
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In Aug, Ixtapa typically sees ~32°C daytime highs and 23 rainy days.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-08-11. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
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