At first glance, Ixtapa is a model of perfection. The beaches are spotless. The glitzy hotels are modern and luxurious. Not a palm tree or blade of grass out of place. But dig deeper and you’ll soon realize it’s all a mirage. Ixtapa was a huge coconut plantation until the late 1970s when Fonatur (the Mexican government’s tourism development group) decided that the Pacific coast needed a Cancun-like resort. The result was Ixtapa, a soulless, sterile collection of concrete high-rises and chain restaurants. Locals have attempted to repair that image by opening traditional restaurants and focusing on the area’s natural beauty. But Ixtapa remains a Disneyfied resort that will never be able to manufacture the charm or character of its sister city, Zihuatanejo.
