Things to do

Worth your time

Playa El Palmar. The reason to come. A long, wide, raked stretch of sand in front of the hotels, with calm-to-moderate surf, palapa bars and easy swimming. As a family beach day it delivers exactly what it promises.

Golf. Ixtapa has two proper courses — one by the hotel zone, one at the marina — and this is genuinely one of the best reasons to make the trip over from Zihuatanejo. If you play, it is the standout.

Isla Ixtapa. A short boat ride out to a small island with sheltered coves, snorkeling and beach restaurants. Half a day, easy, and a real change of scene from the strip. Boats leave from the Playa Linda pier just north of town. Worth it.

Marina Ixtapa. Pleasant for a stroll and a waterfront lunch. Not a destination, but a fine way to spend an hour.

Overrated or skippable

• The strip after dark. Ixtapa markets itself on nightlife, but it is hotel bars and a couple of clubs that feel dated. Zihuatanejo’s town is far more alive at night.
• Organized “eco” and jungle tours sold from hotel desks. Usually overpriced for what they are. If you want nature, do Isla Ixtapa or a Zihuatanejo boat trip instead.
• Shopping plazas along the boulevard — generic resort retail, nothing you came to Mexico for.

The honest ranking

Come for the beach, the golf and Isla Ixtapa. Everything else is filler you can happily skip, and the real evenings are in Zihua.