Mexico: Zihuatanejo’s getting a makeover with government funding

Travelers may know of Ixtapa, a private getaway on the Pacific coast of Mexico known for its high-end hotels and world-class amenities, but now neighboring Zihuatanejo may get its moment in the sun.

The historic fishing port, just 10 minutes from Ixtapa and offering the lovely Playa la Ropa beach, will get a spruce-up, thanks to a rehabilitation project funded by the Mexican government.

The project includes remodeling and revitalizing Zihuatanejo’s downtown area in a style of architecture inspired by Mexican architect Enrique Zozaya, who thinks landscape should shape design rather than design imposing itself on the landscape.

“The goal behind the revitalization of Zihuatanejo’s downtown is to create a style that is iconic to this area,” said Javier Aluni, secretary for tourism for the state of Guerrero.

“For example, Acapulco is known around the world by its famous cliff divers. We hope that with the rehabilitation of Zihuatanejo’s downtown, this unique style and architecture will become the destination’s icon, making it recognizable around the world.”

Other attributes of the area, according to Aluni:

--Grouped together, the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo area offers guests a range of accommodations, from small hotels and boutique properties to high-end, all-inclusive resorts.

--In TripAdvisor’s 2013 Travelers Choice Awards, the hotels and beaches of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo topped the lists in several categories, including: best hotels in Mexico, most romantic hotels, best family hotels in Mexico and Mexico’s most popular beach. Among the hotels and beaches ranking at the top of the lists were Club Med Ixtapa Pacific, Cinco Sentidos Hotel, Capella Ixtapa, Casa Cuitlateca and Playa la Ropa, Zihuatanejo’s pretty bay.

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