As we continue with our series of Great Summer Destinations our dart lands on Zihuatanejo, Mexico. The funny thing is that most of you have heard the name of this city before but probably don’t recognize it. If you ever saw the Shawshank Redemption it’s where Andy Dufresne and Red met after they were out of prison. There is much more to the city than a white sandy beach and blue water so hopefully we can give you some ideas on what to see and where to stay when you make your escape.

There are a number of beaches in Zihuatanejo and the bay in Zihuatanejo, Mexico bay offers safe haven from storms and is a favorite with boaters of all types. Within the bay are 5 main beaches La Playa Principal, La Playa Municipal, La Playa del Puerto, Playa La Madera, Playa La Ropa, and Playa Las Gatas.

Where to stay – Now this is where you need to take a step back and focus on what you are really looking for on your vacation because there are several hotels that will put you very close to the water but the accommodations inside may be charming but a little on the simplistic side if it’s an important getaway so make sure you ask the question if you’re paying for what’s on the inside, the outside, or both. If you’re looking for both as most of our reader s are then here are our recommendations that should help you dig the right tunnel.

 

The Viceroy Zihuatanejo – First and foremost we were pleasantly surprised to find out that the prices were quite reasonable to find a property with nice amenities on the inside, restaurants, beach clubs, etc. that were right on the water. Much less that we’ve seen in other areas with world class beaches. Our first choice is the Viceroy hotel, for $318 it’s much less than it’s counterparts in other cities for instance an ocean view in Santa Monica California will run around $550 and these rooms are nice. Some include a private spa in room and all boast amazing views.

The Capella Ixtapa ($318 per night in July) is another one of our favorites. The Capella has one step up on the Viceroy as it is closer to what is known as Ixtapa and has a little more to offer in the areas of dining and local amenities. The onsite restaurants are top notch, the rooms are spacious with several spots that will provide amazing sunset views your only dilemma will be if you run out of vacation days before you sample them all.

We will be visiting several hot spots during the summer, naturally we’ll give you some good examples of where to stay cool.