Recommend March 2011 - (Page 18)

IxTAPAZIhUATANEjo mexico IxTApA-ZIhUATAnejo ConvenTIon And vISITorS BUreAU The area’s Pacific Ocean setting is a natural lure for watersports lovers. The 300-sq.-ft. Sky Suite features a 79-sq.-ft. verandah. sergio ortiz I onsite december 2010 review It’s clear from first sight that the ancient Aztecs, who called Ixtapa “The Glowing Place” in their native Nahuatl, knew a thing or two about naming locales. This gorgeous bay in the southwestern Mexican state of Guerrero is nothing but glowing. Islets dot a blinding blue sea just this side of the horizon. The water is always warm and inviting and palm trees sway in gentle breezes that waft down from the nearby Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains. What remains a mystery is why Ixtapa took so long to find its niche among prime Mexican leisure destinations. As early as the 1970s when it was a feral wilderness of coconut plantations and fishing shacks, the administration of then-President Luis Echeverria decided that, along with Cancun, this backwater bay would be developed into one of the crown jewels of Mexican resorts to jumpstart a faltering economy. Today, Ixtapa is everything those forward-looking planners envisioned. Unlike Cancun, though, touches of genuine Mexican flavor and style are evident everywhere. There are more than 20 luxury hotels with more than 5,000 rooms lining the shore. It’s a laid-back type of place where you come to relax, be pampered and eat well while enjoying the ambiance. Presently there are several airlines offering seasonal service, including American Airlines, Continental Airlines and U.S. Airways. Aeromexico and Alaska Airlines offer year-round service from major U.S. airports. 18 march 2011 As appealing, clean and luxurious as it is, Ixtapa is inherently identified with Zihuatanejo, a mere 15 minutes away, an enthralling town with allure stamped all over it. Zihuatanejo (“The Place of Women” in Nahuatl) flaunts the quintessential flavor of a Mexican town. Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo are used in conjunction, rolling off the tongue as smoothly as Nieman and Marcus or Gilbert and Sullivan. According to Mexican tourism authorities, it is the third most visited resort after Cancun and Puerto Vallarta—and gaining. The area is so well developed and pristine that it’s difficult to grasp that more than 100,000 presently make the once lethargic fishing bay their home. It’s also something of an urban planning miracle that Zihuatanejo has managed to retain the personality of a humble-visaged Mexican fishing village. The city-center adheres to strict building codes that reflect the cultural heritage of a bygone era. It’s full of colorful buildings and streets thriving with art galleries, unassuming restaurants dishing out delicious fare, shops selling all types of locally made tchokes while an air of gaiety prevails in the background. Zihuatanejo’s most colorful area is a tree-lined, waterfront, pedestrian-only zone full of people eating and shopping. The area, called El Centro, is a jumble of stucco buildings and palm-thatched restaurants. continued on page 20 recommend.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend March 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk
Tour Talk
Disney Dream
Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Mexico
Baja Airventures
Central Gems of Japan
2011 Guide to Latin America
The Tastier Side of Central Japan
Ireland With Brian Moore International Tours
Exploring Antiquity: Egypt, Israel & Jordan
Sailing Into Antiquity on the Nile
Florida's Ever-Changing Hotel Landscape
Riding North America's Rails
Small Ships in the Old South
Turks & Caicos Keeps Expanding
St. Lucia—Beyond the Pitons

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