You won't find any big chain resorts, but that doesn't mean you
have to sacrifice comfort. In fact, one of
Mexico's most luxurious
boutique hotels, La Casa Que Canta, is located here. Carved out of
the rocky cliffs above Zihuatanejo Bay, between Playa la Ropa and
Playa Madera, the cantilevered, terra-cotta-colored buildings,
numerous palapa roofs, and folk-art-filled public spaces create a
dramatic Mexican-style hideaway that has appealed to numerous
privacy-seeking celebrities, including
Meg Ryan, Claudia Schiffer,
and
Jack Nicholson (there are no TVs or clocks in any of the 28
rooms). One of the most sought-after accommodations is the
one-bedroom Mexico Lindo suite (#2), with its open-walled living
area and an enormous deck where a plunge pool and a hammock await
(siesta, anyone?). Since La Casa isn't on the beach (it's a
five-minute walk down the hill to la Ropa), the focal point is the
blue-mosaic-tiled infinity pool that seemingly hangs off the
cliff's edge. Giddy guests fling their arms over the rim, raising
them only to summon the waiter for another mango margarita.
If you prefer to stay right on la Ropa, there's the elegant Villa
del Sol, whose rooms are spread out in low-rise casitas amongst a
landscaped oasis of palm trees, tropical flowers, and lagoons. The
one-bedroom lagoon suites feature an open living room that gives
way to a large deck with an infinity-edged minipool.
Air-conditioned bedrooms with king-size beds and Frette linens,
inlaid pebble floors, and marble baths add to the opulence. Guests,
who hail mostly from the U.S.,
Canada, and
Europe, are unabashedly
pampered: Why not have that piña colada in a hollowed-out coconut
delivered to you in the pool? The staff will set a table with
linens and
china on the sand behind your chaise so you won't even
have to leave the shade of your thatched umbrella when you're ready
for an alfresco lunch (lobster tacos, perhaps). The concierge can
arrange a round of golf in Zihua's more built-up neighbor resort
Ixtapa (15 minutes away by taxi), a sunset cruise, or even a trip
to Las Gatas, a pristine beach across the bay that's accessible
only by boat. But for many guests, daytime activities - other than
reading and dozing - are simply wishful thinking.