Ixtapa Island- Ixtapa, Mexico

This is Coral Beach on Ixtapa Island

The kids wanted to go to Ixtapa Island because this is where the best snorkeling is located in the Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo areas.  When we first started asking around and getting price quotes for this, we were getting prices anywhere from 90 - 110 American per person for a day trip to Ixtapa Island.  Anyone who knows us know that we hate organized tours because you get herded around like cattle, you don't get to make your own decisions and 90% of the time they are a rip-off for something that you can organize yourself.  

Once the kids found out how expensive it was they began to research this trip and they realized that it's quite achievable to do without a tour or a tour guide for a fraction of the cost.

We first took a taxi from Hilton Grand where we were staying to Playa Linda, where the Pier is located for the water taxis.  Our taxi from the Hilton Grand cost 300 pesos to get the 4 of us to Playa Linda where a lot of markets are located for tourists.  From there you walk towards the Pier and it's easy to find where you purchase the water taxi ticket which is a 100 pesos per person return. 

The Pier is a nice long walk and the water taxi is a small watercraft that you need to step down into with the help of some Mexican gentleman.  

Rachel on the Water Taxi

It is a quick few minutes to the first pier but we didn't get off at the first stop we got off at the second Pier which is on Playa Veradero on Ixtapa Island.  If you want to get to Coral Beach which is where the best snorkeling is, then the easiest way to do this is get dropped off at Veradero Beach and then just simply walk through the restaurants which are a short walk to Coral Beach.  

The setup on Coral Beach is very similar to Playa Las Gatas.  If you do want a place to sit in the shade you have to order some food or some drinks to be able to sit on a chair in the shade.  

A gentleman approached us quickly after we sat down in the shade and there is plenty of shade at Coral Beach under the palapas. We ordered a drink and got the kids outfitted with snorkeling gear.  Snorkeling gear here was twice the price that it was at Playa Las Gatas, it was 200 pesos per person for the day. 

The kids enjoyed the snorkeling and probably spent a couple hours out in the water and saw some great fish and all in all this was a good snorkeling trip for them.  It's not Cancun quality like there is near Isla Mujeres, which has crystal clear water.  

Sitting under the palapa shade is extremely hot in Ixtapa unless you have a breeze cooling you off and there's not much of that at Coral Beach.  Snorkel in the water to cool off or sizzle in the shade.

After the kids were done snorkeling, we walked back to the other side or Veradero Beach where all the restaurants are and chose one and walked up to the second floor balcony table with some great views of the turquoise colored waters of Playa Veradero.  

Darren had coconut shrimp and the three of us had tacos.  Restaurants are not cheap and the meal for the four of us was with tip $1,600 pesos.  The tacos had the most shrimp in them that I have ever seen but once again they were not the Baja style that I like and were full of peppers which Dax and I removed. But it still has that flavor of the peppers which I don't enjoy on a taco. It tasted more like a fajita but the shrimp were big and juicy and delicious.

We took the water taxi back to the mainland or Playa Linda and walked around a bit and found a taxi at the taxi stand and went to the center of Ixtapa which was kind of a waste of time because it's just a tourist generated area and that cost 200 pesos. We found an Oxxo to stock up on eggs and bananas and then caught another taxi back to the Hilton Grand which was 250 pesos and on this ride we were overcharged, it should have been about 150 pesos back to the Hilton Grand.

Overall it was a good trip for the kids.

There are many statues in Ixtapa/Zihautanejo area and this one was on our way out to the Pier to catch the Water Taxi

This beach went on for miles on the mainland of Ixtapa area at Playa Linda.