Photo by Bhargava Marripati on Unsplash
Five days on the Pacific coast of Guerrero, in a fishing town on a sheltered bay and the planned beach strip a short drive away. A market and a waterfront walk, a boat to a protected cove, an island, a lagoon village and a surf town.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: warm, sunny days with little rain score highest (the air stands in for the sea, which is not included). Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How much walking? On foot, about 1.0 to 3.0 kilometers a day, and 87.0 kilometers by car or transit in all across 5 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
An easy day in the old fishing town, on foot. The town market, a small museum of the coast, the pedestrian waterfront and the beach where the boats rest. Start at the market in the morning, and leave the shore for the evening.
Crisp tortilla pieces simmered in a red salsa, topped with cheese and cream, with a plate of tropical fruit and a squeeze of lime, a filling start before the market.
Local tip Ask for the salsa on the side and add it a little at a time.
The town market, a few streets back from the water, with stalls of fish, fruit, chiles, sweets and cooked food. Walk it slowly, ask before you photograph a stall holder, and keep small notes for what you buy. It is busiest in the morning, so go early.
Go when Early morning, when the fish has just come in and the heat is low.
Local tip Walk the whole market once before you buy. Ask before you photograph a stall holder, and carry small notes and a bag of your own.
A small museum on the waterfront that tells of the people and the trade of this stretch of the Guerrero coast, long before the town was a fishing port. It is a cool, shaded place to sit out the middle of the day. Check ahead on when it is open.
Go when Midday, when the street is hot and the rooms are cool.
Local tip Read the first room slowly, since it sets the scene for the coast. Check ahead on when it is open, and take it as a rest from the sun.
A local fish dish of thin strips of raw fish cured in lime juice with chile and onion, eaten on a tostada or with crackers, a light lunch for a hot day.
Local tip Ask what came in that morning, and go easy on the chile.
The pedestrian street along the water in the heart of town, with a walkway shaded in places, small boats pulled onto the sand and a view across the bay. Walk it slowly and let the afternoon go by. Few cars come here, so it is easy with children.
Go when Late afternoon, when the walkway cools and the boats come in (about 6:56 PM).
Local tip Walk it end to end and then back on the sand side. Watch your step near the boats and on the wet stones.
The town beach, where the fishing boats are pulled up on the sand beside the water. The bay is sheltered here and the shore is a local meeting place in the evening. Ask a lifeguard or a boat hand about the water before you swim.
Go when Evening, once the heat has gone (about 6:56 PM).
Local tip Walk along the boats and ask a boat hand about the water before you swim. Take your rubbish with you.
A stew of hominy and pork in a green sauce of pumpkin seeds and herbs, a dish of Guerrero served with chopped onion, radish and lime on the side.
Local tip Add the lime and radish at the table, a little at a time.
A day on the bay. A short boat from the town pier to a cove with calmer water, then a ride to the long beach that curves around the bay. Take a hat, water and shoes you can get wet, and keep a spare day if the sea is up.
Fried eggs on a corn tortilla under a warm tomato and chile salsa, with beans on the side, a plain breakfast before a day on the water.
Local tip Eat well and carry a roll in your bag for the boat.
The town pier, where small boats leave for the cove across the bay and where the day's catch is brought in. Watch the boats come and go before you board. Choose a licensed boat, ask the crew about the day, and keep a life jacket within reach.
Go when Morning, when the boats set out and the water is still.
Local tip Book a licensed boat, ask about the day and the swell, and keep a spare day. Wear shoes that grip, since the steps can be slippery.
A cove across the bay, reached by a short boat from the pier, with a low reef wall that gives the water in front of the beach more shelter than the open shore. That makes it a gentle place to paddle, though the sea is still the sea. Ask the crew about the day, and swim near the shore.
Go when Midday, with a long rest in the shade.
Local tip Ask the crew when the last boat home leaves and be back with time to spare. Swim near the shore, and bring a hat and water.
A whole fish split open, rubbed with a red chile paste and grilled over coals, served with rice and salad. A dish of the Pacific coast of Guerrero, eaten with the hands.
Local tip Share one fish between two.
The long curved beach on the same bay, with soft sand and a line of open air places to sit. Locals say the name comes from a ship's cargo of cloth that washed ashore long ago. The water can have some swell and a pull, so swim where the lifeguards allow and keep children close.
Go when Afternoon, for an easy walk along the sand (about 6:56 PM).
Local tip Swim only between the lifeguard flags, and keep children within arm's reach. The sand is soft, so shade is easier here than on a rocky shore.
A hot seafood broth of fish, shrimp and sometimes crab with tomato, chile and herbs, served with lime and warm tortillas.
Local tip Go slowly with the first spoonful, since the broth is hot and spicy.
A day on the planned beach strip a short drive from town. A long beach with a pier at the end of the road, a short boat to a small island and the marina in the evening. The open sea is stronger here, so swim only where the lifeguards say it is fine.
Split bread rolls spread with refried beans, topped with melted cheese and toasted, served with a fresh salsa on the side, a simple start before the pier.
Local tip Add the salsa a spoon at a time.
A long beach at the northern end of the Ixtapa strip, with a pier where boats leave for the island. The surf is open Pacific and can be strong, with currents that pull, so look first and swim only where lifeguards or locals say it is fine. Take shade and water.
Go when First thing, before the heat and before the boats fill.
Local tip The sea is open here, so look at it first and swim only where lifeguards say it is fine. Take shade, water and a hat, since the sand is wide and open.
A small island a short boat ride from the mainland, with several little beaches on its shore and a walkway through trees. Boats stop only when the sea allows, so check ahead and keep a spare day. Choose a licensed boat, follow the crew's advice and take everything back with you.
Go when Late morning, when the boats are running and the light is high.
Local tip Go in a licensed boat and check ahead that boats are sailing that day. Ask the crew when the last run back leaves, and bring everything out with you.
Fish cured in lime juice with onion, tomato and coriander, piled onto a crisp tostada, with a cold agua fresca to wash it down.
Local tip Ask what came in that morning, and eat it soon after it arrives.
The marina of the Ixtapa strip, with boats at their moorings and a walkway beside the water. It is a calm place to end a day by the sea, with the lights coming on over the water. Walk it as the heat fades and look at the boats.
Go when Evening, once the sun is low (about 6:56 PM).
Local tip Walk the whole length of the walkway beside the water. Keep an eye on children near the edge of the boats and moorings.
Shrimp cooked in butter and plenty of garlic, served with rice and warm tortillas, a plain supper by the water.
Local tip Squeeze lime on the shrimp and keep a napkin close.
A day along the coast to the south by car or a driver, keeping to the main road in daylight. A bay-side beach in the morning, a long open beach and a fishing village on a lagoon. The sea on this stretch is open and strong, so look rather than swim.
A cup of strong coffee with a roll of pan dulce, the soft sweet bread eaten with coffee across Mexico, a quick start before a day on the road.
Local tip Pick the bread that looks freshest and eat it warm.
A small beach on the east side of the town bay, a short walk or ride from the waterfront. It sits on a gentle slope, with the town behind it. Ask about the water before you swim, and take shade for the middle of the day.
Go when Morning, before the sand gets hot.
Local tip Come on foot or by a short ride from the waterfront. Ask about the water before you swim and bring shade.
A long open beach southeast of the bay, wide and open to the Pacific. The sea here is strong, with swell and currents, so walk the sand and look at the waves rather than swim, unless lifeguards say otherwise. Take shade, water and a driver you can rely on.
Go when Late morning, for a long walk and a look at the waves.
Local tip This beach is open to the Pacific. Walk the sand and swim only if lifeguards say it is fine. Take shade, water and a driver to wait for you.
Folded pastries filled with shrimp, cheese and a little chile, fried until crisp and served with a squeeze of lime, a hand-held lunch for a day on the road.
Local tip Eat them hot and let the filling cool a moment.
A fishing village where a lagoon meets the sea, with boats on the water and a long beach on the open side. Boats take visitors onto the lagoon, where birds live among the trees, though nothing is promised. The open sea is strong here, so keep to the shore.
Go when Afternoon, with a slow hour on the lagoon.
Local tip Take a boat on the lagoon with a local boatman and ask what birds to look for. Keep to the shore on the open sea side, where the waves are strong.
A whole freshwater or lagoon fish fried until crisp, served with rice, salad and warm tortillas, a plain supper of the fishing villages.
Local tip Eat it with your hands and watch for small bones.
A day west of the bay by car or a driver. A beach across the water from town, then the coast road to a surf village. Waves there are strong and meant for people who know the sea, so most visitors come to watch and wander.
Pineapple, melon, papaya and mango with lime juice and a dusting of chile, a cool breakfast for a day on the coast.
Local tip Ask for the chile on the side if you are unsure.
A beach on the western edge of the bay, across the water from the town and reached by a short ride. It is usually quieter than the beaches in front of the town. Ask about the water before you swim, and take shade and drink.
Go when Morning, when the beach is calm and cool.
Local tip Ask your driver about the road in and the way out. Take water and shade, since there is little cover.
Soft corn tortillas with grilled or fried fish, cabbage and a squeeze of lime, a simple lunch after the road.
Local tip Squeeze the lime on last and keep a napkin close.
A village on the open Pacific coast northwest of the bay, known to surfers. The waves and the currents here are strong, so enter the water only with local advice, and take a lesson from a local instructor if you want to try. Keep to the main road, go in daylight and check the road ahead.
Go when Late morning, leaving time for the drive home in daylight.
Local tip Enter the water only with local advice, and take a lesson from an instructor if you want to surf. Leave in time to reach town before dark, and check the road ahead.
Raw shrimp bathed in lime juice, green chile, cucumber and onion, served chilled with tostadas, a bright, hot dish of the Pacific coast.
Local tip Start with a small bite, since the chile builds.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, January to May, July and November to December are the best months for a beach trip to Zihuatanejo. This plan is built for december to March, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 5 days in Zihuatanejo, planned for december to March. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
On foot, about 1.0 to 3.0 kilometers a day, and 87.0 kilometers by car or transit in all across 5 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
4 days of lakes, pink stone and monarch butterflies in MichoacánAbout 220 km awayAn easy add-on
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4 days of volcanoes, a white village and black sandAbout 290 km awayMake it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated November 2026
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