Countryside: The rural charm of Zihuatanejo

My name is Heidi and I live in Victoria, British Columbia (BC), Canada. Rate 5 star! January 2026 I went to Ixtapa for two weeks and stayed at Posada Real Hotel. Fernando was the Sunnyside representative in our hotel lobby. He was friendly, informative and spoke English very well. We did three excursions with Sunnyside. The tour to Ixtapa Island included a delicious hot lunch on the beach and I paid extra for a snorkelling guided tour. I was able to snorkel by myself after the introduction to the area and sea life. Our guide Mariella took great care to make sure we had the most enjoyable experience. The sunset cruise was so much fun, we celebrated my birthday that day. The crew of the catamaran Picante were amazing! They made sure that everyone was having a good time and provided entertainment that had everyone laughing. The food and drinks were good. The captain spoke English very well and told us about the sights along the way, we even saw humpback whales! The crew put out fishing rods and I reeled in a Spanish mackerel! (I am a fisherperson back home) The turtle release was a highlight for me as I have never done this before. We drove to a remote beach were a family works to conserve the turtle population. Our guide educated us on the endangered turtles and what they are doing to increase the population of green turtles specifically. It was an amazing feeling to dig up the baby turtles, hold them and then release then into the ocean surf. I highly recommend Sunnyside for excursions and will certainly book more with them the next time I am in Ixtapa. Thanks Fernando for making me feel special.

On June 5, 2026, my husband and I went on the City Tour, and Oscar was our guide. He was very knowledgeable about the areas around Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa. When we visited the La Ropa area, we stopped at the beach, where there were various restaurants and shops where you could make purchases. We stopped and saw various bird species, crocodiles, and iguanas. We grabbed a bite to eat at Chekos for lunch, and it was delicious, and the customer service was great. They were very friendly people. Afterward, we opted not to go to the downtown marketplace and instead went to the Parthenon. The view was breathtaking, and the artwork was beautiful. Even though the story behind the place sounds horrible, I am glad the government was able to turn it into something that could benefit its citizens. Thank you, Oscar, for making our excursion memorable, and thank you to Sunnyside for an amazing tour.