BARRA DE POTOSI
For those wanting to roam, head south about 19 kms. to this small, idyllic seaside fishing settlement. Barra is at the beginning of a lovely 16-km.-long stretch of beach known as Playa Blanca. The attractions here include great ocean swimming, several tasty and economical palapa (thatched-hut) restaurants, and an enormous lagoon with excellent bird and wild life watching (hour-long boat tours are available). Adding to the mystique is the local legend of pirate treasure buried just south of the village’s restaurant row. Gold coins have been found…

To the south of Barra de Potosí is the town of Petatlán (population 60,000) and the tiny seaside village of La Barrita.

LOS TRONCONES
Twenty-five minutes north of Ixtapa is this virgin beach backed by a few private homes and thick jungle. Beach combers, surfers, sea kayakers, and beach purists will enjoy this outing. Walk south from the main beach to some lovely deserted coves and ocean caves. The Burro Borracho Restaurant & Bungalows features American and Mexican specialities, plus a friendly six-until inn run by American Michael Bensal. Highly recommended. Tel. (755) 30809.

SHOPPING
There area a variety of options for shopping in both Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo. The state of Guerrero is home to several craft traditions including bright whimsical ceramics, carved wooden fish and wooden or ceramic ceremonial masks. In 1990 the state of Guerrero passed a law prohibiting vendors from selling crafts on the beach. Vendors were relocated into two separate handicraft markets, one for Ixtapa and one for Zihuatanejo. These are called the Mercado de Artesania Turistico, with 150 permanent stalls in Ixtapa and 255 stalls in Zihuatanejo selling handicrafts, huaraches, T-shirts, folk apparel, jewelry and souvenirs.

IXTAPA
Behind the hotels on Paseo Ixtapa there are clusters of pleasant one and two-story colonial buildings loosely divided into malls, or centros comerciales. The first is Los Patios. Behind it is Plaza Ixpamar, continuing with Las Fuentes, Plaza Ambiente (in front of the Doubletree Hotel), and lastly La Puerta, located roughly across from the Riviera Beach hotel. In total there are nearly 400 shops and boutiques in these malls. On Sundays there is a flea market, or Tianguis, in the plaza located in front of the Presidente Inter-Continental. Included are live music and handicrafts. Here’s sampling of some of our favorite stores.

LOS PATIOS
La Fuente: fine hand-blown glass, talavera tile, ceramics, wood carvings, native designed clothes and home furnishings. Tanga Boutique: Mexican and imported beachwear including French & Brazilian bikini’s and batik sarongs.

PLAZA IXPAMAR
El Amanecer: good selection of regional Mexican handicrafts and cotton apparel. Calvin Klein: Designer resortwear for men, women, and children.

LAS FUENTES

Bye-Bye: great buys in colorful cotton T-shirts and assorted beachwear.
Supermercado Scruples: the handy place to satisfy your grocery needs or your craving for American candy.

LA PUERTA

Alberto’s: Excellent gold and silver jewelry
Tango’s: arts, crafts, hand embroidery, ceramics, wall hangings.

ZIHUATANEJO

In Zihuatanejo shops are sprinkled throughout the village with the majority being located at Casa Marina, a 2-story colonial-style building facing the water fronton Paseo del Pescador. The Artisan’s Market, Mercado de Artesania Turistico, is located on the west edge of town along Calle 5de Mayo.

CASA MARINA

El Embarcadero: extensive collection of Mexican folk art
El Jumil: excellent selection of hand carved Guerrero masks, plus rugs and hammocks.
Manos: Mexican handicrafts, embroidered cotton clothing.
La Zapoteca: Oaxacan rugs, hammocks and hand-embroidered textiles.

AROUND TOWN

Alberto’s: Cuauhtémoc 15. Fine jewelry and semi precious gems.
Calli Diseño: unique home decorative items and furnishing. 2 locations.
La Casa de Tierra: furnishings, folk art; on the road to Ixtapa at the outskirts.
Coco Cabaña: behind Coconuts restaurant and run by Coconuts owners, a fine selection of Mexican handicrafts.
Mueblart: Juan Alvarez 13. A fine collection of Mexican folk art, baskets, and crafts.
Nando’s: Juan Alvarez 5. Superb tropical fashions from Oaxaca and Chiapas, plus fine Guatemalan imports.
Galart: lobby of Hotel Vila del Sol. Fantastic paintings and sculptures by promiment local artists.

SPORTS & OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Golf
The Palma Real Golf Club, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., ranks as one of Mexico’s finest courses. Its 18 holes (6,898 yards) provide a diverse assortment of challenges, as the course wanders past lagoons, and from jungle hilltops to the sands of Playa Palmar. The course also serves as a wild life preserve (watch for alligators in the water hazards!). There is a complete club house with five lighted tennis courts, a large pool, pro shop, locker facilities, restaurant and bar. 18-hole green fees: $65 US with shared carts. Tel. (755) 31062.

A second 18-hole course at Marina Ixtapa opened in March 1994. Designed by Robert Van Hagge, it offers a club house, two lighted tennis courts, lockers, restaurant, bar and swimming pool. Water comes into play on 13 of the 18 holes – a real beauty! Rates are $85 US with shared cart. Discounted multi-day rates available. Tel. (755) 31410.

Tennis
Most hotels in Ixtapa have at least two lighted courts. The Marina Ixtapa has a fine tennis center as does the Palma Real Golf Club. In Zihuatanejo the hotel Villa del Sol has two lighted courts, which are primarily for guest use.

Horseback Riding
Head north of the hotel zone to Playa Linda or La Manzanilla (at La Ropa Beach)in Zihuatanejo; horses can be rented by the hour ($18 US) for beach or tropical plantation rides. Consult the local travel agency or ground tour operator. Rancho Playa Linda offers guided trail rides: tel. 755-43085.

WATER SPORTS

The region is blessed with ideal conditions for the water sports enthusiast. Although surf tends to be calm at Zihuatanejo’s beaches, Ixtapa’s beaches have waves and open sea conditions. Care should be taken when playing in the open ocean.

Diving
Some of the best diving and snorkeling on Mexico’s Pacific coast is here in Ixtapa Zihuatanejo. There are nearly 30 fine dive sites including shallow coral beaches, rocky islets, and even a sunken shipwreck. Among the best are sites near Zacatoso (just off Ixtapa). Diving is best in summer when water temperatures reach 90°F and visibility exceeds 70 feet. A couple of NAUI dive shops can be found in Zihuatanejo. Zihuatanejo Scuba Center, tel. (755) 42147, is an authorized NAUI Pro facility and is owned and operated by master diver and marine biologist Juan Barnard.

Fishing
Sportsmen have been coming to Zihuatanejo for decades to fish for marlin, sailfish, dorado, yellow fish tuna, rooster fish and wahoo. Equipment is first rate: Boats range in size from 24-foot pangas to 38 foot sport fishers. Costs, which are determined by the size of boat, star at $120 a day for near shore, smaller game fish excursions, and go up to $250-300 for deep sea trips. "Catch-and-release" is encouraged. A specialist in building Ixtapa’s deep sea fishing reputation is Pennsylvania-based Ixtapa Sportfishing Charters, tel. (717) 688-94663; fax (717) 688-9554. They can also be reached through Aeromexico Vacations, 800-245-8585.

Miscellaneous Water Fun
Along Playa del Palmar in Ixtapa, and La Ropa beach in Zihuatanejo a variety of water fun is available. Parasailing costs about $20 for a 10 minute ride; water sking and wave runners cost about $25 per half-hour, banana boat rides are about $5 for a 20-minute trip. On La Ropa beach Hobie Cats rent for $20 per hour, wind surfers rent for $10 per hour.

Beach & Swimming
The region has some of Mexico’s finest beaches. There are over a dozen sandy, palm-lined beaches and coves. Some have developed facilities, but most are rustic and secluded. Here’s a description of the finer sites (listed from north to south, starting north of Ixtapa’s hotel zone).

IXTAPA

* Playa Quieta: more lively than its name implies ("Quiet Beach") and home to Club Med. This is where boats depart to Ixtapa Island. Vendors display their wares in stalls near the parking lot. Calm water; water sports equipment rental available.

* Playa Las Cuatas: actually two beaches joined by a footpath. Excellent bodysurfing and surfing, with waves 4-5 feet; no facilities.

* Playa Palmar: main beach for Ixtapa’s hotels; a wide swath of golden sand with rolling surf (can be heavy at times) and lots of activity.

* Playa Vista Hermosa: a lovely stretch of calm water at the far end of Playa Palmar with impressive natural rock formations.

ZIHUATANEJO

* Playa Principal: the town’s main beach is rimmed by the Paseo del Pescador street. Here fisherman moor their skiffs used for nightly journeys out to sea. In the early morning you can find them displaying their catch and selling to the local market and restaurateurs.

* Playa Madera: is accessible via narrow footpath from Playa Principal. With gentle waves this beach also has a sprinkling of small hotels and restaurants.

* Playa La Ropa: the area’s most beautiful beach! A mile-long arc of tree-lined sand and gentle surf, ideal for swimming, strolling, napping and jogging. All water sports area available. Many seaside restaurants have hammocks for relaxation after a tasty lunch. Not to be missed!

* Playa Las Gatas: Legend says a man made reef was erected hundreds of years ago to create a shallow swimming cove for the daughter of an Indian king. True or not, this pristine cove is an ideal spot for snorkeling and diving. There area several simple palapa restaurants with lounge chairs for sunning. Boats leave throughout the day from the municipal pier in Zihuatanejo (daily to 5pm). Highly recommended fun day trip. $20 pesos r/t. Crowded weekends/holidays.

* Playa Larga: Open ocean beach with rustic seafood restaurants. South of Zihuatanejo.

By Word of Mouth
A few years ago at Tianguis Turistico, there was a strange man dressed as Neptune carrying a trident. Everybody saw him, but nobody approached. Suddenly, Miguel Alemán, a former Mexican president effusively greeted him: "Hola Oliverio!" Oliverio is not famous because he knows a former president, but because he is a living legend of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. A diver from the bottom of his heart, Oliverio started diving when he was 15 and soon experienced his first encounters with sharks. "The only way to deal with a shark is to face it," Oliverio says. He has helped in the production of many films dealing with sharks and accidentally became an actor for the Dino de Laurentis film, "The Boy and the Shark," produced 15 years ago. Oliverio has worn out sharks for movies by struggling with them and grabbing their tail so that the shark is compliant to the needs of the production. Oliverio is now seventy-seven and his beard has turned white, but he still dives every day. "There are no sharks now," says Oliverio, who maintans that he is a rich man because of the sea.

Narrated by Oliverio Maciel, Frank Shiell

And Ramón Bravo Written by Patricia Wydler