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About Zihuatanejo

Zihuatanejo (pronouced “zee-wah-ta-neho”) is located in the state of Guerrero. This beautiful beach resort city is located in the western part of the state of Guerrero and is the 4th largest city in the state. Zihuatanejo is one the beach resorts on the pacific coast and is very close to two other very modern and popular beach destinations with Acapulco about 145 miles southwest and boutique resort of Ixtapa about 3 miles away.

Zihuatanejo has a small city population of less than 100,000 is considered to be the primary municipal government location.

Zihuatanejo History

As many cities in Mexico, Zihuatanejo comes from the indingenous times and from the Nahuatl language.  It was called "Cihuatlán" which signifies a "place of women" because of its’ matriarchal society.

Legend has it that during times before Christopher Columbus a leader from the Tarascan tribe visited this place often.  It was this leader that was responsible for building a rock barrier on the beach of cats, of what he referred to the harmless whiskered sharks that were found at the beach, in order to provide shelter for his women and children while swimming or playing in these pristine waters of beach. This rock barrier remains on the beach.

After the Spanish arrived, the name took a couple of different names such as Cihuatlán and Ciguatanejo, but eventually landed back as Zihuatanejo now a couple of centuries ago.  The Spanish loved Zihuatanejo for the precious Gems, stones and gold found there along with its amazing beautiful women of the tribes there.

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Modern day Zihuatanejo

Zihuatanejo today is considered a modern day beach resort and can be easily accessed via all forms of transportation.  There are many international and domestic flights that fly direct to Zihautanejo’s international airport.  There are good highways that can get you there from other metropolitan cities in Mexico. 

Zihuatanejo is very well known to many travelers of the United States and Canada including Hollywood filmmakers.  Movies such as “The Shawshank Redemption and the “Stephen King Novella” are examples of Hollywood also falling in love with this destination.  

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Photos used under Creative Commons from Darren & Justine, Julio Cesar Sánchez, Darren & Justine