Modern Ixtapa contrasts with the traditional charm of Zihua (source)
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Only five miles north through lush tropical vegetation is the luxurious high-rise resort of Ixtapa, whose modern flavor contrasts sharply with the traditional charm of Zihuatanejo.
Ixtapa means "White Place" in the Nahuatl dialect, a reference to its brilliant sand beach. In the late 70s, planners decided to build a new eco-resort from ground up on this pearly beach, only five miles north of the small fishing town of Zihuatanejo.
The resort streches along the 3-mile-long boulevard of Paseo Ixtapa, with most of the beach infrastructure concentrated on Playa del Palmar, which was once a coconut plantation. Comfort-rich Ixtapa also offers several luxurious hotels with spacious pools and party-till-dawn discos such as Christine and Senor Frog's.
Looking for Downtown? Try the Marina
The planners seem to have forgotten to include a proper downtown in their design, and so the marina became the heart of the city. Its regular visitors include alligators with bellies as big as washtubs sunned on its banks, as well as golfers from the two nearby championship golf courses.
Next: Touring Playa del Palmar 
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