Ixtapa: Pacific beaches next to the village of Zihuatanejo

A planned Pacific resort, Ixtapa adjoins the nearby fishing village of Zihuatanejo, made famous by the film 'The Shawshank Redemption'.

Taxis and local buses remain the most common way to get around between the two locations.

The Playa del Palmar, the main long beach of Ixtapa, remains flanked by resorts and coconut palms along the entire bay.

Just minutes away, the village of Zihuatanejo, a fishermen's town with colorful houses, preserves a more authentic atmosphere compared to the planned resort of Ixtapa.

Continuing offshore you reach Isla Ixtapa, a nature reserve reachable by boat, popular for snorkeling among colorful tropical fish.

Toward evening, Zihuatanejo's waterfront animates fresh fish restaurants with views over the bay at sunset.

Zihuatanejo became famous worldwide after being featured as the final destination in the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption, a reference that still attracts curious visitors eager to see the film location.

Ixtapa was planned by the Mexican government in the 1970s as a modern tourist destination, following the same development model used for Cancún on the opposite coast of the country, with hotels and infrastructure built from scratch.