Guerrero:
Guerrero is one of the states in Mexico with multiple
contrasts and is a silent witness to ferocious battles that allowed the
Mexicans to enjoy the freedom they have today. It is here in Guerrero
where history and beauty join together. Guerrero is renown for its
quality, kind-hearted inhabitants, and numerous beaches bathed by the
warm waters of the Pacific Ocean and adorned by the soft, golden sand
that is prominent throughout the coastal region.
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Long
before Columbus sailed to America, Zihuatanejo was a sacred sanctuary
for indigenous nobility. Artifacts, figurines, ceramics, stone carvings
and hieroglyphs are still being found in the area verifying the presence
of civilizations dating as far back as the Olmecs (3,000 BC).
The original name, "Cihuatlán" means
"place of women" in the Náhuatl language. It was apparently a
matriarchal society where weaving was the dominant industry. This is
evidenced by pre-Hispanic figurines, plentiful bobbins and other related
artifacts found in the area. Close to a thousand pre-Hispanic pieces as
well as murals and maps are on permanent display at the Museo
Arqueológico. |
Local vendors on the Madera beach in
Zihuatanejo
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In 1527, Spanish conquistadors launched a trade route from Zihuatanejo
Bay to the Orient. Galleons returned with silks, spices and according to
some historians, the first coconut palms to arrive in America where
brought here from the Philippines.
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Local vendors on the Madera beach in
Zihuatanejo
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The Spaniards did little colonizing here. A scout sent by conquistador
Hernán Cortés reported back with his evaluations saying the place was
nothing great, tagging the name Cihuatlán with the demeaning Spanish
suffix "nejo", hence "Zihuatanejo".
While Zihuatanejo's roots are traced back centuries, Ixtapa's birth came
about in the 1970's, conceived and developed by “FONATUR”, a Tourism
branch of the Mexican government. As one of mexico's newest west coast
resorts, Ixtapa has managed to coexist nicely with the charm of
Zihuatanejo. Not many resorts deliver modern comfort, tropical beauty
and village charm better than Ixtapa - Zihuatanejo.
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Ixtapa is a destination that has been
fully equipped with all structure and infrastructure that complies the
highest standards of planning for tourist resorts worldwide. The aim of
Ixtapa has been to provide a highly competitive international tourist
development.
As government planned world class resort
destination, Ixtapa was founded and created in 1970 by the FONATUR
agency to create a "Cancun style" resort on the Pacific coast. Located
210 km northwest of Acapulco, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo was chosen for its
beautiful beaches and easy access by plane to international tourists.
Zihuatanejo International Airport receives direct
international flights from Aeromexico, Mexicana,
Alaska Airlines, Continental Airlines, Sun Country, Frontier Air with
share programs with many other international airlines and charter
services. Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo is less than 4 hours by direct flight from
Los Angeles and Houston, and 45 minutes from Mexico City, making it
conveniently accessible.
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Ixtapa is a world class resort with 2
champion golf courses and half a dozen world class International resort
franchise hotels (from Club Med to Radisson) and half a dozen more
renowned Mexican national brand hotels (Presidente Intercontinental, Las
Brisas). Ixtapa is also home to Marina Ixtapa, a first-class marina with
more than 600 slips for boats. |
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Zihuatanejo is the picturesque sister
city. With up to 95,000 residents, the port still maintains the feel of
a sleepy fishing village and is located on one of the most beautiful
bays in Mexico. Tourism is the main industry with accommodations from
backpacker budget to 5-star, and Zihuatanejo is home to the #5 ranked
luxury resort in all of Latin America, Hotel Villa del Sol, a favorite
vacation spot among entertainment industry notables from Hollywood
executives, producers and movie stars who vacation there every year.
Zihuatanejo is also ranked 2nd in the world for sail fishing and is the
site of prestigious annual Rolex-IGFA Tournament of Champions qualifying
events.
For the last 10 years Ixtapa has
generated between $120-150 million US annually, with 308,000 annual
tourists arriving by plane in its slowest year and 415,000 in its
busiest year, with foreign tourism consisting of up to 43% of the total.
Hotel occupancy rates for the last two years have been reported at 84%,
giving Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo the highest hotel occupancy rate in the state
of Guerrero, (also home to Acapulco), and consistently having among the
highest occupancy rates in Mexico.
In 2005, a new toll road connecting
Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo to Morelia, Michoacan (pop. 577,570) was completed
reducing the drive time between Zihuatanejo and Michoacan's capital from
8 hours to less than 4 hours, and it has already dramatically increased
the flow of National tourist traffic to this area. This highway places
Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo within the same driving distance from Guadalajara
(Mexico's 2nd largest city) as Puerto Vallarta. A rise in local
investment and construction projects is mirroring the optimism that this
added accessibility brings.
Four large Mexican developments from
corporations well established in other Mexican resorts have already
started construction on first class hotels, spas, exclusive suites and
condominiums in Ixtapa, and two international companies have recently opened a new resort in
Zihuatanejo on La Ropa Beach.
Ixtapa/ Zihuatanejo continues to stand
out as a front-runner in the growth of Mexican tourist
destinations.
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