Playa La Ropa
La Ropa Beach is a long extension of white sand lining the inner reaches of Zihuatanejo bay to the south of town. It measures approximately 1.2 kms (.75 mile) in walking length. It's considered by many visitors to be the best beach in the bay and the area and is certainly one of the most convenient.
La Ropa is a wonderful walking beach that provides, in addition to accommodations for every taste and budget, a string of great seafood and international restaurants and water sports and activities ranging from boogie boards, water skiing, parasailing, jet skiis, and catamarans to beach volleyball and horseshoe pitching.
La Ropa is easily accessible from downtown Zihuatanejo by bus, taxi or foot. Taxis frequent Paseo Playa la Ropa that runs through the palm grove and cabs can usually be found awaiting passengers at the taxi stand in front of the lobby to the Villa del Sol, in the parking lot of La Perla at at the parking lot/turnaround next to La Gaviota at the end of the beach, which is also the end of the La Ropa bus route.
The waves on La Ropa are general mild and allow for great swimming as well as water skiing and banana boat rides. During the winter season, sailboats moor along the beach a couple of hundred yards offshore. Restaurants on La Ropa offer a variety of seafood, Mexican and International cuisine in an ideal atmosphere.
Lets take a little walk from the town end of the beach down toward the Las Gatas Beach extremity...
The rocky point at the northwest end of La Ropa beach holds impressive residences and guest houses built upon the rocks surrounding La Casa Que Canta and Villa de la Roca. The rocks below provide a good spot for snorkeling.
In December of 2004, Club Intrawest, a multi-colored hotel/shared-ownership complex with an impressive restaurant palapa commanding a stunning view of the bay, was completed and opened for business. It is located next to the Sotavento Hotel and also offers Zi Bar at pool level.
Spectacular views are also afforded from the Sotavento / Catalina hotels perched on the hillside. The Sotavento was the first major hotel to be built with direct access to this wonderful stretch of beach. Both the Sotavento and the Catalina bars are great spots for enjoying the brilliant sunsets over Zihuatanejo Bay. Massage tables are often set up in this area and good massages and reflexology sessions and be had for reasonable prices.
Below the Sotavento and Catalina are several restaurants such as Elvira's La Ropa, Paty's Mar y Mar and Doña Prudencia, which is connected to the Villas Mexicana Hotel. Both Elvira La Ropa and Paty's Mar y Mar are popular spots for beachside breakfasts, fresh fish dishes and happy hour sunset drinks. Catamaran rentals are available along the beach in this area as well.
Between the Villa Mexicana and The Tides (formerly the prestigious and well-known Villa del Sol) is a small artisan's market where you can find T-shirts, hammocks, rugs, embroidered blouses and souvenirs. On all of Ixtapa Zihuatanejo's beaches one regularly comes across roving vendors selling anything from peanuts, dried fruit and coconut snacks to silver from Taxco.
Next along the beach, hidden by coconut palms and interspersed with pools and manicured gardens and a number of palapa structures with hanging beds along the beachside, lies The Tides Zihuatanejo.
Various hotels along La Ropa sponsor the local turtle conservation campaign, setting up fenced-off areas in which turtle eggs found along the beach are gathered and protected during incubation (August through December). When hatched, the baby turtles are kept in tubs and released periodically back into the ocean. This is done at sunset and the hotels routinely invite guests and beach goers to help release these tiny creatures into the sea. You'll see one of these pens at the far end of the Tides property next to Bungalows Palacio-Vepao
Next along the beach from The Tides are Bungalows Palacio-Vepao and Las Urracas - both standbys for comfortable and reasonable beachside accommodations, with reasonable rates and wonderful beach frontage.
La Perla Restaurant and Sports Bar, two-thirds of the way along Playa la Ropa, has a long history of good seafood and Mexican specialties, and you can always drop into the sports bar and catch up on your favorite basketball, football and baseball teams.
Beach umbrellas are for rent at several points along the beach. These umbrellas come out in force during the busy Christmas, and Easter holidays, even though they're not much in evidence the rest of the year. La Ropa and Ixtapa Zihuatanejo is general is busiest during the two weeks around Christmas and New Year, and the two weeks around Easter and Holy weeks.
Hotel Casa del Mar (formerly Omar, then Hotel Paraiso Real) and El Cocodrilo restaurant are located next to a small estuary that is home to several crocodiles that can often be seen sunning themselves on the sandy shore. These reptiles are well fed by the nearby restaurants and as an endangered species they are under federal protection. The crocs have lived in this estero for years and are not known to attack - but caution is advised and they should not be provoked.
Right next to the estero across from El Cocodrilo is El Manglar - somewhat hidden in the mangrove vegetation lining the inlet - with a menu of outstanding and unusual seafood creations as well as a lot of the good old standbys.
Next along the beach is El Pirata, which has grown from a very small beachfront palapa to a much more substantial restaurant and beach hangout. Behind the restaurant, several vacation rental units are available.
Rossy's restaurant near the southern end of La Ropa offers an upstairs deck - perfect for watching the crowds along the beach and the spectacular sunsets over the bay. Below Rossy's is the quiet El Marlin restaurant, behind which is a well-stocked Miscelanea El Gallito (small store) where you can purchase soft drinks, beer, snacks, a limited supply of fruits and veggies, cigarettes, etc. Beside the store is a small restaurant offering a range of simple, good food including tacos and seafood dishes. The store gives onto a large parking area where the Centro-to-La-Ropa bus stop is located. Buses run.
2006: Learn about the Virgin of La Ropa, which appeared on the bole of a plum tree next to the bus stop.
La Gaviota seafood restaurant is the last restaurant on the southern end of the beach with a good selection of fresh fish and shellfish. The rocks at this end of the beach all the way to Las Gatas provide a good area for snorkelers.
Beyond La Gaviota and slightly up the hill overlooking the far end of La Ropa is an neighborhood which holds several private homes, vacation rentals and a couple of hotels, including Hotel Don Francisco.
A rough path over the rocks along the shoreline can also be followed all the way to Las Gatas beach. Those braving this path should be aware that there are a couple of spots on it that require a bit of scrambling over the boulders - it's a good idea to wear shoes that will adequately protect your feet for this route.
Part of La Ropa area which is steadily developing and coming into it's own is the road through the palm grove that gives vehicle access to the whole stretch of the beach as well as to the road above the far end of La Ropa and Las Gatas.
Through the palm grove itself, several small hotels and vacation rentals are available. Although not right on the beach, they are surrounded by greenery and are only a couple of minutes' walk away from the wonderful waves of La Ropa. Included here are Villas del Palmar, Hotel JB and Casa Tucanes.
On the fork leading to the end of the Ropa, the bus stop and La Gaviota, one passes Villas los Arcos, Casa Luna, Hotel and Restaurant Real de la Palma (reputed to serve fantastic breakfasts as well as other meals and this year - 2008 - will be featuring the music of Josie Kuhn on Saturday nights) and Rossy's Hotel, among others. In the area behind El Marlin and the estero is another cul-de-sac with a number of rentals available. This road also gives access to the back entrance to El Manglar restaurant that also provides space for RV parking and basic hookups.
On the fork leading up the hillside toward Las Gatas are condominiums, Restaurant La Escollera (with stunning views of the bay), Casa Leo, Amuleto and a growing number of private residences. This road curls all the way up the mountain and leads to the new hilltop development of Cerro del Vigia.
