Beaches in Zihuatanejo – Playas La Ropa, La Madera, Las Gatas, Municipal

Beaches (playas) in and around Zihuatanejo

Playa La Ropa

The best beach in the area is undoubtedly Playa La Ropa. The beach, with it’s low surf, is great for swimming and also great for walking (it’s about a 2.5 kilometer or 1.5 mile round trip) .
The beach is only crowded during Christmas and Easter, the rest of the year it is easy to find a spot. Along with many retaurants, there are also umbrella and lounge chair rentals available. All the usual watersports are available.
Accommodations range in price and amenities from reasonable to very expensive. Beach front hotels range from around $100 a night up to $1000, with everything in between.
Conveniently located, the beach is a 30 minute walk from downtown Zihuatanejo or a 5 minute taxi or bus ride. Buses run along the main avenue in Zihuatanejo and currently cost $5 pesos and run from early morning until about 6pm. Look for the ones with “Playa La Ropa” in the window. A taxi will cost $30.
Several hotels along the La Ropa beach participate in the local turtle conservation campaign. Eggs are gathered and protected during their incubation (August through December). When hatched, the baby turtles are kept in tubs and released periodically back into the ocean. The young turtles are released at sunset and anyone who happens along is welcome to help.
To reach Playa La Gatas, one can walk to the southern end of La Ropa and then over the rocks to the beach. It is a little rough and not recommended for those in bare feet, but is easily reachable otherwise.

Walking south from the waterfront in town, you pass by the local museum, then over a footbridge which marks the start of a walkway to Playa La Madera. While not nearly as popular as the beach at Playa La Ropa, it is a popular spot for swimming and body surfing. There are a handful of restaurants and dozens of small hotels and apartments overlooking the beach.

If you like snorkeling then Playa Las Gatas is an excellent choice. The beach is protected by a reef, built by the Tarascan king Caltzontzín (according to legend). This is a great beach for children as there are almost no waves inside the reef. Outside the reef you will ocassionally see surfers, depending on the state of the waves.
This beach is accessible on foot from Playa La Ropa as mentioned above, but is normally reached by boat from the pier in Zihuatanejo. Water taxis cost around $5US and run until 5 or 6pm depending on the season.
A dozen or so restaurants are located along the beach, as well as snorkel and scuba rentals. The snorkeling is best right alongside the reef, and especially outside (but be careful of the waves). And please, please, please do not touch the coral – it dies.

Playa Principal (Or Municipal) beach is a short stretch in the heart of downtown Zihuatanejo.

On one end is the local museum, and the other is the pier. Water taxis to Playa Las Gatas leave from the pier, and it is also the landing site for sports fishermen.

Along the beach is the local fish market – the best, and cheapest, place to buy fresh fish in Zihuatanejo.6-7am is the time to go.

Further along is the basketball court (or La Cancha) and the previous site of city hall. The basketball court is the site of Sunday evening cultural events, small fairs and concerts.

Continuing along, you pass a half a dozen beach restaurants and wind up at the museum. Crossing the footbridge beyond the museum will leave you at the path to Playa La Madera.

This is one of a series of articles on the beaches of Ixtapa Zihuatanejo. The others are:

• Beaches in Ixtapa
• Beaches Outside Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo