With the majestic 9,000 foot Sierra Madres overlooking
the small coastal plain, the approximate 180 miles of coastline from just north
of Acapulco, to the deep water port of Lazaro Cardenas is known as the Costa
Grande, with Zihuatanejo Bay being 45 water miles from Lazaro Cardenas.
The upper half of the Costa Grande is what I know well,
and wish to concentrate on so you will understand Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo are
just a couple of the many options available to you. And, whether you just want
a day trip, overnight, or to stay a month, neither the extreme southern end at
Puerto Vicente Guerrero or the northern end at the Ranch is over an hour and a
half from the airport at Zihuatanejo.
A. South of Zihuatanejo - These
following southern areas, from Petatlan down to Puerto Vicente Guerrero, have
very little tourism influence, with agriculture being the main industry. Being
the southern section of the coastal plain is wider than the northern section of
the Costa Grande, the main crop is coconuts. There are millions of trees here,
with many of the trees 60 to 80 years old. The coconuts are mostly cut in half,
left in the open to dry, and then dug out of the shell. The dried coco meat is
called copra. It is sacked and hauled off to the factory to squeeze out the
oil. A second crop, and probably yielding a higher return than the cocos, is
the different varieties of mangos. Papaya can also be seen grown in various
locations on this portion of the Costa Grande, as well as bananas. Plus, you
will see a lot of the brahma strain cattle used for beef locally.
The second best employment industry in the area is
fishing, with most of the catch being taken further south to Acapulco. The
pickup trucks wait for the night fishermen to return from fishing early in the
morning, load the night’s catch, ice it down, and head off. They prefer
Acapulco, even though it is about an hour’s drive further than Zihuatanejo,
because of a larger market and better prices.
Other industries which can be seen on highway 200 as
you drive down the coast, and near Papanoa, are small open air clay and roofing
tile “factories” and sawmills. The sawmills use the pine logs cut up high in
the sierras, and are hauled down to the mills.
For those who also like to surf, the beaches south of
Zihuatanejo are not reliable nor very well known for their wave breaks. Other
than an occasional decent break at Calvario, this section of the coast has
mostly a shore break, which can be real nasty at times. I have been in a panga
fishing for roosters and took photos of the shore break, with the resulting
rebound of spray going as high as the top of the 40 foot palm trees lining the
beach.
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| Puerto Vicente Guerrero |
1)
Puerto Vicente Guerrero and Papanoa - Starting in the south,
at Puerto Vicente Guerrero, is my favorite place to fish. Here is where I have
a couple of pangas with shade covers and 4 stoke engines and take my fly
fishing and spin fishing clients to experience a true fishing village and fish
in relative virgin waters. http://ed-kunze.blogspot.mx/2012/03/puerto-vicente-guerrero.html
Other options for fishing out of the small port there
are through John Lorenz at Bahia Tortuga fishing lodge http://www.escapeixtapa.com/
and the bread and breakfast Casa Las Brisas http://www.casabrisasdelmar.com/
For hotels, reservations are not usually necessary. This
is not a well-known tourist destination, yet the hotels there are clean, and
economical. A nice air-conditioned room at the Montserrat will run about $70 a
night. It is right on the beach in a small cove, with great beach fishing from
the shore.
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| Mark fishing at La Barrita |
2)
La Barrita - Up the coast a bit, and about an hour from the
airport, is the small beachside community of La Barrita. There are no sport
fishing boats in La Barrita, but the fishing just beyond the breakers can be
fantastic. Boats from Zihuatanejo will sometimes go down there when closer
areas are not producing. And, the shore fishing is excellent. The main fish
taken are roosters, jack crevalle, sierras and even pargo.
Even though there is a very small river,
with a sandbar which builds up in the dry season about 1/4 of a mile from La
barrita, and is probably the reason for the name, I also like Mark Denison's explanation
Mark, who lives in La Barrita part time and manages a bed and breakfast (Casa Rayo de Sol http://labarritavacations.com/) for fishermen told me: "The reef acts like a
barrier out front, protecting the area from rogue waves and storms . Normally
the waves break on the shoreline but when the waves are large. they break on
the reef before they hit the shoreline. The locals often snorkel the reef 300 meters
out or so, and seem to do quite well on a regular basis. I have purchased my
dinner from them quite often”.
For a day trip, there are lots of palapa restaurants
lining the beach. Sit down and have a cool one while waiting for the bite to
turn on, and later enjoy a great lunch. And, as all palapa beach side
restaurants, they will cook up your fresh caught fish for you.
3)
El Calvario - Halfway between La Barrita and Puerto
Vicente Guerrero the road goes alongside a steep mountain, with the water about
50 feet below. There are several locations where the road is wide enough for
several cliffside restaurants and parking. This area is called Calvario. It is
a great place to stop and stretch the legs, take some photos of some incredible
beach scenery, and even get a fresh sea food lunch. Due to the surf and the cliffs,
I do not recommend shore fishing here, but it has some of the best scenery on
the entire Costa Grande.
4)
Barra Valentin - Heading back up the coast towards Zihuatanejo,
the turn off to Barra Valentin (pronounced Bal-en-teen)
is at the bridge over the river in Petatlan. The road has been recently
improved and is 10 kilometers (6 miles) to the where the river forms a huge
estuary. The area is beautiful, with a couple of beach side restaurants, and
fairly decent shore fishing. Here is where I was early one morning talking to
one of the local fishermen. He had a large snook (robalo) he had taken off the
beach in the predawn hours. He explained to me he used a homemade lead head
jig, which he tied on the stiff white hair he cut from the mane of a horse. His
line was wrapped around a circular wooden spool. He would then cast the jig by
hand, often hitting distances of almost 100 yards. After the jig hit the water, he would hand
over hand the line like a man possessed, until the jig was back in. This is not
recommended for the inexperienced… A ten foot spin rod outfit, rated for a 3
ounce lure, is a lot better for you in this situation.
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| Rental boats at Valentin |
Valentin is a day trip only; however it is a great
experience. And, on the way back from Valentin, stop in the Centro of Petatlan.
There is a series of small shops, in front of the church, which specialize in
gold jewelry. Their prices are reasonable. Plus, the church is interesting.
Built by the Jesuit priests of the conquistador period, the church is at least
250 years old
.
5)
Barra Potosi - The next area, and only about 20 minutes
from the airport, is Barra Potosi. Tucked neatly back into the corner of a
major point, the Barra is protected from high surf. The Barra is named for the
sand bar which forms by the wave action during the dry season. When the rains
come again, the bar is blown out, leaving the estero (estuary) open to the
ocean. However, even in the dry season, there is still water coming into the
estero from the river and streams, which outlets to the ocean by filtering
through the sand bar. Fresh water is high in nutrients and chlorophyll, which
starts the food chain, and on up to the game fish.
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| Don Wolcutt at Barra Potosi |
The palapa restaurants are great to just sit back and
have a cold one while waiting for some action to develop, or to just get out of
the sun and relax. The Barra is the place I go to when the family want to go to
the beach. The fishing is great for me, and they enjoy the mild ocean
conditions for swimming. At a palapoa restaurant, a full afternoon here,
including a meal of fish tacos (pescadillas), quesadillas, guacamole, beans and
rice, and drinks is about $30 for 4 people.
The lagoon at Barra Potosi is very large, as you have
probably noticed from your plane when approaching the landing strip at the
Zihuatanejo airport. There are a multitude of species of bird life and reptiles.
These can be viewed through one of the ecological tours popular in the area.
6)
Interesting locations – After leaving Petatlan and heading south
towards La Barrita and Papanoa, there are a couple of interesting small towns
on highway 200 you will be going through.
About 15 minutes south of Petatlan is
Juluchuca. This small town derives almost all of its economy based on utilizing
one of the abundant resources in the area. This is common in Mexico for
isolated small towns. For instance, due to the type and quality of the wood,
the small town of Paracho in Michoacán specializes in the making of guitars. Other
towns make molcajetes (pedestal and mortars) out of the type of volcanic rocks
found near them. Yet, others make pine wood furniture, onyx bowls, etc. In
almost all instances it is a complete community effort, with the knowledge and
experience passed on from father to son.
Juluchuca uses the abundance of coconuts on this coast
and makes the coconut candy you are so fond of when buying from the vendors in
Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo. And, they have stands set up along the highway so you
can buy the candy. At 35 pesos (a little less than $3) for a large jar, the
price is very reasonable.
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| Making salt the old fashioned way |
Just a few minutes south of Juluchuca another small
town called Salinas is next to a lagoon fed by wave action from the ocean.
During the dry season and bar forms across the mouth, and the lagoon dries up.
The people of Salinas use this natural resource to make salt (hence the name).
They make the salt in drying beds the way it has been made for thousands of
years. They have a 3 to 4 month window to make the salt, and then the rains
start again. It is a tremendous amount of work for a few short months, but then
they can spend the rest of the year selling their product. The salt is very
inexpensive. I have had people who like to cook with me, and were floored when
they bought a 4 pound bag for less than a dollar.
1-6)
Transportation – (a) Transportation
to and from the Costa Grande locations to the south of Zihuatanejo are best
done by a rental car. However, if you do rent a car, please do not drive at
night. This has nothing to do with banditos or similar problems (because that
will not happen), but rather cattle, burros and horses on the road, stalled
vehicles when you are coming around a blind corner (which is bad enough in the
daytime), and slow farm vehicles with no lights.
(b) But, a rental is not your only option. If you feel
somewhat adventurous, use the local transportation. The local transportation,
with the larger white micro busses and smaller Dodge van combis, are very
inexpensive, reliable, and used by the locals all up and down the coast.
From Zihuatanejo to Petatlan you would first take a
taxi to the DHL office in Zihuatanejo, which is basically across the street
from the Immigration office. Every 10 minutes or so a large white micro bus
passes in front of the DHL, with the driver’s helper hanging out the door and
yelling “Peta..Peta”. Just raise your arm and the bus will stop. It is about a
50 minute ride to Petatlan, for about 25 pesos per person. The driver’s helper
will collect the fare, after he asks you your destination.
If you are going to Barra Potosi, you tell him you want
off at Achotes. The bus will pull over to let you off just past the speed bump.
The fare is about 12 pesos to Achotes. When you get off the micro, walk on down
about 200 feet to where the pickups with covers on them on waiting on the left
hand side of the road heading to the Barra. The fare to the Barra is about 10
pesos, and the truck, with wooden bench seats, will leave once about 6 or 7
people are ready to go (they won’t leave with only one or two riders). The
pickup (pasajero – pronounced pas-a-hair-o),
named for the Spanish word for passengers, will take you all the way to the
Barra restaurants, or will even drop you off at the Potsi Refuge if you desire.
From Petatlan on down to La Barrita and Papanoa, you
will flag down one of the combis which has “Papanoa” written in large white
letters on the windshield. Just get off the combi (pronounced comb-bee) at La Barrita and you are
there. But, to continue on down to Puerto Vicente Guerrero, stay on the combi
to Papanoa. The final destination will be near the taxi stand and the
pasajeros. Take one of them to either the port, or one of the hotels. You can
also make arrangements for them to return for you to go fishing, take you on a
tour, etc. The total time from Zihuatanejo to Puerto Vicente Guerrero, using
the local transportation, will be just a little over 2 hours, for a total
expense of less than $10 a person.
(c) Another option is to go to the Central Bus Station
in Zihuatanejo. It is possible you can get a ride on a nice air-conditioned bus
direct to Papanoa, for just a few dollars more. However, it may be more than
just a couple of hours wait before the bus departs. And, once you have gone
down there by bus, how do you reschedule a return trip? With the local transportation,
you just raise your arm.
B) North of Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo - Skipping over Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa and
heading north, we are leaving the southern portion of the Costa Grande, where
there is very little tourism influence, and heading north. Here in the northern
section the influence and main industry is tourism. There is less of a coastal
plain north of Ixtapa and less agriculture.
Basically, it is almost like there are two different
sides to Mexico. Yes, agriculture does exist for coconuts, mangos, and papayas,
as well as commercial fishing, but on a much smaller scale. But, by counting
only half the room, house, and hotel rentals along the 3 mile stretch of beach
for Troncones, it is still more than double the number of rentals available
from Barra Potosi to Puerto Vicente Guerrero.
However, the beaches are beautiful, and life is still
in the typical Mexican “slowed down” mode. There are some great places to stay
here on this section of coast.
For those who also like to surf, again it is almost
like two different sides to Mexico. Starting at the break inside Zihuatanejo
Bay at Las Gatas, which only goes off a few times a year, and heading north,
there are some incredible world class destinations.
6)
Playa Linda – The first interesting location is Playa
Linda, located at the end of Ixtapa’s Hotel Zone II. It is about a 15 minute
drive from Ixtapa proper to the beach at Playa Linda, with only three hotels in
Hotel Zone II. The hotels are Club Med, Azul, and Qualton.
I mention Playa Linda for a couple of reasons. The
first is because it has a small pier and rock jetty which the panga taxis use
to take day tourists out to Ixtapa Island. This jetty attracts bait and the
early morning shore fishing can be fantastic for jack crevalle, sierras, and
black skipjack tuna. You will know when the bait is in, because there will be
hundreds of birds, and lots of the local fishermen trying to get dinner with
their hand lines.
The second reason is the pier is a great alternative to
pick up your boat from Zihuatanejo to go fishing for a day. If you are staying
in Troncones or points north, or in one of the three hotels in the hotel Zone
II, it will be easier and faster for you to have the Zihuatanejo boat meet you
at the Playa Linda pier, and debark from there. For people in the hotels, the
taxi fare to Zihuatanejo is high. For the Azul and Qualton people, it is an easy
5 minute walk. For the Club Med people, it is a $5.00 taxi ride, which only
takes about 3 minutes.
Just remember, if the best fishing is south, or
straight out of Zihuatanejo Bay, your best bet will still be to go to the
Municipal Pier in Zihuatanejo.
Another thing about Playa Linda (for the
really adventurous) is there is a very nice modern RV park down near
the end of the road. I believe it would be an incredible adventure just driving
a large RV around some of these towns and roads here in Mexico.
7)
Buena Vista – Halfway between Pantla and Troncones is
another small community called Buena Vista. It is not much more than a spot on
the highway with a couple of speed bumps. But, about two miles in on a dirt
road and there is a beautiful stretch of secluded beach. There are probably
less than 20 houses in the whole area, yet there are over 2 miles of beach. Some
of the rental houses are very high end, and another is owned by the famous, but
eccentric, British artist Damien Hirst.
However, there are a few homes which are moderately
priced rentals. A rental car is a must, being there is no other transportation.
8)
Troncones - The next stop is the small community of Troncones, stretched
out along the coast for a total length of about 2.5 miles. I like Troncones,
with its rocky points, sand beaches, and tide pools. It can be OK for surf
fishing, but is usually best for just long walks, shell collecting, and
exploring tide pools. A trick to help you explore better is to bring along a
pair of hard diver’s booties for walking on the sharp rocks and in the tide
pools. I also use these when snorkeling in shallow water, instead of cumbersome
fins.
.jpg) |
| Horseback rentals are also available in Troncones |
Basically, and more than a few people may get upset
with me over this, but I see Troncones as a gringo destination, made by
gringos, to lure gringo tourists. But, the system works. Many a person
vacations there every year, and has great recommendations about their vacation.
And, a lot of people use Troncones as a “base of operations”, where they go to
different surfing locations during the day, and are back in the afternoon.
Others use Troncones to branch out a bit further and either drive up or down
the Costa Grande, and even into the neighboring state of Michoacán. Others just
kick back and read a book on the beach.
Troncones does have enough of a population to warrant combis
on a regular basis and taxis.
9)
Majahua – At the northerly end of the Troncones coast road,
and just beyond Manzanillo Bay, is the small fishing village of Majahua
(pronounced ma-how-wa). There are no
hotels or room rentals. They are all stretched out along the beach of
Troncones. But, there is a small commercial and sport fishing fleet, and a
couple of palapa restaurants.
Using open pangas, the two best known sport fishermen
are Ramon and Samba. Both are as hard headed as the rocks they must maneuver
around, with you in the boat, to launch from the beach to the open ocean, but
they know what they are doing. Fortunately the waves in the protected cove are
small, and you will soon be trolling for inshore game fish like jack crevalle,
dorado, sierras, roosterfish, black skipjack tuna, and even pargo.
I fish with Ramon, as he was receptive to my style of
fishing with a hookless teaser to bring the game fish close enough to the boat
for the fly fisher. Samba just told me “You will catch more fish if you put a
hook on the lure”. Which I had to laugh about..so true. Neither one has quality
gear, but both have a great knowledge of fishing the area, and both are very
reasonable for their 5 hour charter price. It would be best if you had a decent
spin outfit, and a selection of inshore lures with you when you use them. Trolling a 4" log deep diving Rapala is the best all around bait for here.
Plus, it is here a lot of surfers use the local pangas
to take them up to the Ranch or Saladita and drop them off just on the back
side of the waves. The panga waits out in the safe zone, and when the onshore
breeze blows out the good wave sets, the surfers take the panga back. And, what does the panga captain do while he is waiting for his clients? He catches his dinner for that evening.
10)
Saladita - North
of Majahua, with the entrance off highway 200 through the small town of Logunillas,
is the Playa Salidita. A world class surfing destination, with a left break,
there is little sport fishing here and pangas are not generally available for
charter. Because of the reefs, and the reason it is a great surfing
destination, pangas from Zihuatanejo do not like fishing here. This is why
Ramon, a few miles south in Majahua, is great to fish with. He knows the area well.
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| The beach at Saladita (Google Earth photo) |
11)
The Ranch – The Ranch is a remote location just 16 miles
south of Petatalco, which is the terminus of the Costa Grande. Even though the
generators in the dam across the Rio Balsas above Lazaro Cardenas make the majority
of the electricity, Petatalco has a diesel powered plant which also contributes
to the making of electricity for the state of Guerrero and also Michoacán.
The Ranch is a good day trip, because of the surfing
and shore fishing possibilities. It is a world renowned surfing location.
The Ranch is kind of difficult to get to by vehicle, but only because of the turnoff from Highway 200 and the 3 miles of dirt road to get to the beach. The road is in decent condition, but it can be a bit confusing for the first time.
The Ranch is kind of difficult to get to by vehicle, but only because of the turnoff from Highway 200 and the 3 miles of dirt road to get to the beach. The road is in decent condition, but it can be a bit confusing for the first time.
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| Javier's restaurant (Google Earth photo) |
12) Las PeñItas - Las Peñitas is halfway between the Ranch and Petatalco. It has a charmng lagoon and wide open sand beach, with scattered rock outcroppings. The turnoff from Highway 200 is almost 5 miles past the the new highway going to Morelia, on the new freeway to Lazaro Cardenes. The turn off is just after you cross the iron bridge, and then it is less than a half mile to the beach.
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| Las Peñitas (Google Earth photo) |
There can be great shore fishing here, and have one of the local palapa restaurants cook it for you. It is a day trip only, but a great place to visit. Weekends should be avoided however, as it is close to the population center of Lazaro Cardenas, and can get crowded.
For some helpful hints for shore fishing on the Costa Grande see http://shorefishingixtapa.blogspot.mx/ and http://spinoptions.blogspot.mx/2012/03/spin-fishing-options.html
