Zihuatanejo (Spanish pronunciation: [siwataˈnexo]) is the fourth-largest city in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Politically it belongs to the municipality of Zihuatanejo de Azueta in the western part of Guerrero, on the Pacific Coast, about 240 km (approximately 145 miles) northwest of Acapulco. The modern tourist resort of Ixtapa is 5 km away.

Zihuatanejo is the seat of government for the municipality and the principal community in the region. Zihuatanejo reported a population of 62,367 in the 2005 INEGI census. The municipality of Zihuatanejo de Azueta had a population of 104,609 and encompasses an area of 1,921.5 km² (741.89 sq mi)

Coral Beach at Isla Ixtapa at low tide.

Transportation

Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa can be reached by sky, bus and highway and has its own airport, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo International. Flights are available from Mexico City, several provincial cities, and various places in the United States and Canada.

Cruises often stop at Ixtapa, the city has become a major cruise stop and a major attraction for its beaches.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixtapa

Ixtapa is a government-planned tourist resort that was begun in the early 1970s and constructed on what was once a coconut plantation and mangrove estuary.

In 1968, the Bank of Mexico created a special fund for the creation of new tourist destinations on the country's coastlines. The first two such destinations were Cancún, in the state of Quintana Roo, and Ixtapa, next to the town of Zihuatanejo. The development of Ixtapa was supported by a loan from the World Bank.

The master plan for Ixtapa was developed by architects Enrique and Agustín Landa Verdugo, who also participated in the choice of the site. Their project defined the tourist destination's street layout and zoning. The project is organized in super-blocks with irregular shapes, with the high-speed streets separating these blocks, and cul-de-sacs within them. A couple of architects were selected to build this city, some still live in the first residential area called Villa las Garzas. Architects like Miguel Ángel Rojas and Concepción Rivera live and work in this town.