Jump to content

!xtapa/Zihuatanejo


2Canucks

Recommended Posts

Hello there!

 

This port is on our Mexican Riviera cruise and we have never been here before.

 

Does anyone have any info they could share with us, as to what to do and what to see. Should we take a ship excursion or can we do things on our own here? We will be in port from 7:00 am to 5:00pm.

 

What have you enjoyed doing here?

 

Thanks in advance for any info/suggestions!

 

Pat :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What follows is from a posting I made here last summer. For some reason, I can't get a link to the thread to work:

-----------------------------------------------------

 

I'll assume that your ship actually calls on Zihuatanejo, and she is our favorite city on this side of Mexico.

 

I would recommend that you forego the excursions, and just spend a lazy day there.

 

Walk along the waterfront, and enjoy the photo opportunities of the fishermen and vendors selling their products on the beach. Wander as many as several streets back off the waterfront into the business district; come across a corner market or restaurant for a beer and/or an inexpensive local lunch. We've enjoyed some fabulous shrimp tacos there.

 

Find the open-air marketplace and spend some time, haggling over prices or not, then back to the waterfront for a time, resting and observing, over a few beers or margaritas and some chips and salsa. Eat if you didn't earlier, or even if you did.

 

This will be the port that you remember long after everything else.

 

gary

 

p.s. We found inexpensive Internet cafes ($1.50/hour US) here if that matters to you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

We hired a private tour guide who was fantastic. He was waiting at the port for us with a sign. He took us to some places that are off the beaten path, including lunch. It was a wonderful day.

 

Rigoberto Perez

peso_r@yahoo.com.mx

cell: 7551085070

 

He speaks great English and has lived in Zihuatanejo most of his life. I spent alot of time on these boards trying to find a good private guide.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello there!

 

This port is on our Mexican Riviera cruise and we have never been here before.

 

Does anyone have any info they could share with us, as to what to do and what to see. Should we take a ship excursion or can we do things on our own here? We will be in port from 7:00 am to 5:00pm.

 

What have you enjoyed doing here?

 

Thanks in advance for any info/suggestions!

 

Pat :)

Depends on what you like. We like to go on our own, at our own pace, I speak spanish, and we often take public trans. We prefer shopping, sitting under a palapa and some cultural hilites. We were here in 2005, and loved Zihua, sat on beach, shopped, etc. Took public bus for 5 pesos or so over to Ixtapa, got a guitar serenade on the bus, nice beaches, tourist hotels, marina, etc. had a good time. Like getting 2 ports in 1. Very inexpensive day for us. Memorable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Happy New Year to All!!

 

Thanks for the info. :)

 

I now have a couple more questions!

 

We have decided to take a water taxi over to Playa Las Gatas for the afternoon. Check out the beach, the lighthouse for pictures then vegitate with good food and drink!!

 

We'd also like to do a little shopping for "T-Shirts" etc before we tender back to the ship. Where is the best place to shop here??

 

Last question....Where to go for "Internet Access"??

 

Thanks in advance for all your helpful info!

 

Pat :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thought I'd try again, for some answers to the questions, in my previous message.

 

Best places to shop for T-shirts etc. Is there anything close to the cruiseship dock in Zihuatanejo or is Ixtapa the better place to shop?

 

Internet access, is this available here?

 

Thanks in advance for any info, you can share with me!

 

Pat :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just got back from the Carnival Spirit yesterday. Tons of t-shirt type shops right off the boat in Zihuatanejo. Just start wandering up a few streets and you'll be lost in a maze of shops restaurants, ect. I didn't make it over to Ixtapa, but I don't think you need to as there was plenty of stuff in Zihuatanejo. I did see one Internet shop somewhere in there. I'm sure there's others.

 

You can get Internet in Acapulco too in the actual Cruise terminal and it was like $3 for 30 minutes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Forget about Ixtapa and stay in Zihua! The shops along the Paseo de Pesca are truly wonderful. There are several really nice silver stores as well. If you are there the whole day, I recommend you take a water taxi in the morning (about $3 per person round trip) to Las Gatos Beach, one of the nicest beaches I've ever seen. Select a chair at a Palapas restaurant and hang out and drink margaritas and cervezas all day. In the early afternoon, take the water taxi back to town and wander through the shops. Our cruise stopped at Cabo, Acapulco, Zihua, PV, Mazatlan and La Paz, and Zihua was our favorite. We are considering going back for a week next winter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good morning! Just to pass on our experience. We've cruised the Mex Riv a few times. Last year we went back to Zihua for 10 days and stayed at the hotel you see on the cliff side, Casa Que Canta. It was lovely! Also, got a smile while I was sitting in the infinity pool on the cliff side with a drink, watching the cruise ships come and go.

 

I feel that Zihua, on a short stop, is the place to hang. The local are wonderful, get about two blocks off the beach into town and just hang out. Don't dress like a cruise ship tourist:-) very casual and blend in. Also, great photo ops of the local folks and history. Either way, just have fun!

 

We leave in two weeks for another Mex Riv cruise on the Star. Then two weeks in April in a little town North of PV about an hour, called La Cruz. We found that town while in Port. So, get a cooler, a car, or good shoes, dress local and just hang out!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really liked Zihua! We walked all around town and were never pressured to buy anything -- quite a nice change after Acapulco. There's plenty of t-shirt shops near the dock -- you'll have a nice selection to pick from.

 

We took a tour to Ixtapa -- it's very lovely but it lacks the flavor of Zihua. It was too hygenic, if that makes sense. We did enjoy the bus ride over there -- the countryside is beautiful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thought I'd try again, for some answers to the questions, in my previous message.

 

Best places to shop for T-shirts etc. Is there anything close to the cruiseship dock in Zihuatanejo or is Ixtapa the better place to shop?

 

Internet access, is this available here?

 

Thanks in advance for any info, you can share with me!

 

Pat :)

 

Pat I agree with the others--shop in Zihuatanjeo--Ixtapa is hotels only--used to be none of the locals live out there--only work there--we cruised to Zihu....& loved it & also went back for 10 days--we are on your cruise (I'm sure you know this) & plan to just hang out--might go swimming early--then come back & wander around..thought our son & dil were going to scuba here--but they said no to any scuba this trip...so they will wander also.:D --2 weeks & we will be on the plane to SD Sat late afternoon!!!!:D :cool: --it is snowing today--our first (really late this year)but COLD..22ºF--for you around -5 or 6ºC) so NOW we are ready to go!!!:cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thought I'd try again, for some answers to the questions, in my previous message.

 

Best places to shop for T-shirts etc. Is there anything close to the cruiseship dock in Zihuatanejo or is Ixtapa the better place to shop?

 

Internet access, is this available here?

 

Thanks in advance for any info, you can share with me!

 

Pat :)

 

Go a block into town and off to the left a couple of blocks for the huge marketplace for t-shirts, hats, cheap stuff, etc., or go a couple of blocks (or three?) into town and turn right to where we found cheap internet. Don't remember the street, but we have a photo of the store front over in my PhotoBucket.

 

gary

Link to comment
Share on other sites

they have a nice museum facing the beach on the 1 st

My favourite port - lovely little town for walking around in and as Carol mentioned the Archaeology Museum a short walk up the waterfront is great and I think it costs a dollar. Deirdre

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...