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Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo History

Brief Synopsis

With roots stretching back to the Olmec, Toltec and Tarascan indians, the fishing village of Zihuatanejo has been around for at least 400 years. In the days of Spanish colonization, Zihuatanejo's bay was a stopping point and safe haven for Spanish galleons, pirates and privateers.

After Acapulco was designated as Spain's sole port of entry on the Pacific in 1561, Zihuatanejo returned to its origins as a sleepy fishing village, with the occasional visit by Spanish merchant vessels and pirates.

The completion of a highway between Acapulco and Zihuatanejo in the 1960s only served to increase the allure of the town, and in late in the decade, the government decided to build a new luxury resort just north of the town, given the name Ixtapa.

Ixtapa now comprises a dozen high rise hotels looming over Playa del Palmar, a two and a half mile-long arc of white sand curving around Palmar Bay. And while Ixtapa attracts sun-seeking tourists from around the world, Zihuatanejo has been able to retain much of its original character as a laid-back fishing village.

Pre-Columbian Civilization

The word Zihuatanejo comes from the Nahuatl word Cihuatlan, which means "the place of the women." Archeological evidence indicates that the area was inhabited by tribes of Olmec, Toltec and Tarascan indians. Tarascan leader Calzonzin made the area his home, and constructed the rock barrier on Playa Las Gatas to provide a sheltered swimming area and harbor for the women and children of the village. The rock barrier still exists, protecting the beach to this day.

The area once formed part of the province of Cuitlatecapan, with Cihuatlan as its capital.

The Spanish changed the name of Cihuatlan to Ciguatan, and then to Ciguatanejo. The current name Zihuatanejo has been in use for only the past two centuries.

Zihuatanejo Under Spanish Dominion

During the Colonial period, Zihuatanejo was a stopping point and a safe haven for Spanish galleons, pirates and privateers. It was also a port for Chinese vessels exploring the north coast of Pacific Mexico.

In 1527, Captain Alvaro Saavedra Ceron set sail for China from Zihuatanejo Bay. While his ship did arrive in the Philippines, he lacked any knowledge of the Pacific Ocean, and he failed to return to Mexico. This voyage is seen as only the second successful voyage from North America to the Far East.

By royal decree, Acapulco became Spain's sole port of entry on the Pacific in 1561. With the exception of an occasional merchant galleon or pirate caravel stopping for repairs or supplies, all other Pacific ports, including Zihuatanejo, reverted to simple fishing villages.

After 1575, pirates, including Sir Francis Drake and Admiral George Anson, made stops at Zihuatanejo to ride out bad weather or to trade for supplies. Since Zihuatanejo was situated along the commercial trading route from Mexico to the Philippines, the pirates used the bay to hide while awaiting the opportunity to attack the Spanish Armada and the merchant galleon fleet.

Many of Zihuatanejo's beaches got their names during the Colonial period. Playa la Ropa, or clothes beach, was so named after a returning Spanish galleon was wrecked in front of the bay, and its cargo of Chinese silks washed up on the beach. Playa Madera, or wood beach, was named after the timber that was exported from the Zihuatanejo shipyard.

20th Century Zihuatanejo

At the turn of the 20th century, Zihuatanejo received ships from Acapulco, as there was no good road into the town. The town exported hardwoods, coconut oil, shellfish and fish to ports around the world.

After World War II, along with the world-wide rise in tourism, Zihuatanejo began to emerge as a tourist hideaway. In the early 1950s, an airport was built to accommodate an influx of tourists venturing into town on airlines flying DC-3 aircraft. That meant the town had to build hotels; previously, visitors stayed in private homes.

Despite the budding tourist industry, Zihuatanejo remained essentially a fishing village.

The completion of a highway from Acapulco in the 1960s made Zihuatanejo only three hours away from Acapulco. Zihuatanejo remained a popular getaway for Mexican and international tourists alike.

In 1967, the popularity of Zihuatanejo caught the eyes of a Government tourist development agency (a predecessor entity to FONATUR) that wanted to develop a luxury resort in the area. The agency purchased a large coconut palm plantation four miles north of Zihuatanejo, brought in investors, and then developed the infrastructure needed for a world-class resort complex.

FONATUR

FONATUR, Mexico's National Fund for Tourist Development, was created in 1973 by the Mexican Congress to promote the development of new large tourist resorts throughout the country, and to raise the necessary capital for needed infrastructure spending through foreign and domestic investment.

FONATUR replaced two existing trusts that until then had held the responsibility of promoting tourist projects. Until its creation, Mexican resort development efforts were often impeded by local and national bureaucracies, retarding the growth potential of the Mexican tourist industry.

The first project to be tackled by FONATUR was Cancun, which proved to be a great success. It then focused on the development of Ixtapa, adjacent to the sleepy fishing village of Zihuatanejo.

Today's Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo

The new resort was given the name Ixtapa, which comes from the Nahuatl and means "white place," said in reference to the white sand beaches and white rocks offshore.

The first resort in Ixtapa, Aristos, was completed in 1971. It was later demolished in 2003 to make way for another luxury property.

The resort of Ixtapa today comprises a dozen high rise hotels looming over Playa del Palmar, a two and a half mile-long arc of white sand curving around Palmar Bay. Ixtapa continues to be run by FONATUR, administrating the sale and maintenance of all properties.

Zihuatanejo has retained much of its original flavor as a laid-back fishing village. The town has prohibited high-rise construction, and the number of hotels and hotel rooms in town has remained constant for many years.