About staying in Ixtapa
Ixtapa was drawn on a map in the 1970s as a purpose-built beach resort, and it still reads that way: one boulevard, a row of hotels, and Playa El Palmar in front of them. It is orderly and easy, with golf courses, a marina and small commercial plazas, and with Zihuatanejo — the working fishing town on the next bay — ten minutes away by local bus, which is where most people end up eating and wandering. Our 2026 scans logged 15 hotels with a real price: from US$64 a night and a typical rate of the order of US$170, pushed up by the big resorts. One honest note: El Palmar is open ocean and the surf can be strong.
Ixtapa hotel FAQs
Which part of Ixtapa should I stay in?
If you want a big pool, an all-inclusive plan and the sand across the garden, the hotel strip on Bulevar Ixtapa is the obvious call. Marina Ixtapa is quieter and better for dinner, but has no swimming beach out front. If you prefer a town with a market and calm water, sleep in Zihuatanejo: Playa La Ropa and Playa Madera have the bay-view hotels.
When is it cheapest, and when does it spike?
The cheapest window is June to October, with afternoon rain and cyclone risk, September being the wettest and riskiest month. High season runs December to April, spiking hard over Christmas, New Year and Holy Week. November is the best balance: dry weather, rates still sane. Our 2026 scans found rooms from US$64 and a typical price of the order of US$170.
How do I get there and get around without a car?
Fly into Zihuatanejo (ZIH), about half an hour from the Ixtapa strip; an authorised taxi runs on the order of MX$500-600, and seasonal flights arrive from the US and Canada in winter. Overland, buses from Mexico City take around nine hours. Once here, buses between Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo cost roughly MX$15 and run every few minutes; a taxi between them is MX$150-200.
Is the swimming good on the Ixtapa beaches?
Playa El Palmar is swimmable but demands attention: it faces open ocean, and on swell days there is shorebreak and rip current. Watch the flags and keep children close. For calm water, head to Playa La Ropa, to Playa Las Gatas by boat from the Zihuatanejo pier, or to Isla Ixtapa, reached by boat from Playa Linda. Always ask when the last boat returns.