This coming May marks the 25th anniversary of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo’s International Sailfish Tournament. Prizes are given for the largest catch of dorado (mahi mahi, also known as dolphin fish), sailfish and marlin. According to a press release from Ixtapa’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the magazine Saltwater Sportfishing recently named the destination, on Mexico's Pacific Coast, second-best in the world for sport fishing.
Ixtapa is a planned resort, but much smaller than Cancun. Its neighbor Zihuatanejo is an established fishing village that's grown into a popular tourist destination. Just a few kilometers apart, they together make an interesting vacation getaway. Choose an international chain hotel in Ixtapa, a budget hotel in downtown Zihua, or a luxurious boutique hotel on gorgeous Zihuatanejo Bay. These twin destinations are 425 km (252 mi) south of Manzanillo (which bills, no pun intended, itself as the Sailfish Capital of the World. Acapulco is 235 km (141 mi) to the south.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Finding "Cheap Sleeps" in Mexico
I recently received a press release about the site www.hostelworld.com. I was curious to see what sort of budget accommodations they listed in Mexico, where hostels are few. Mixed in with the true dorm-style hostel accommodations were B&Bs with rooms priced at $100 and more a night. But I did find a number of nice-looking hostels and some less expensive accommodations in out-of-the-way towns.
For example, in the beach resort of Ixtapa, Ixtapa Hostel offers a mixed dorm room with eight beds at just under $20 per person. According to the website, the property has a swimming pool, parking lot, airport transportation, and a temazcal indigenous steam room. Photos give a preview of the hostel and its restaurant. In neighboring Zihuatanejo, “Angela’s” offers private rooms, as well as dorm beds at less than $10 per person. Tripadvisor-style reviews let you know what past visitors experienced.
La Casa de José, in San Cristobal de las Casas, lists private double rooms for $7.50 and dorm beds for under $5. All prices are in U.S. dollars. There are 19 places listed for Mexico City, in various neighborhoods. The Ramada, with its own heliport and fitness center, isn’t a hostel, but it did offer a double room for under $50. A number of more traditional hostels in this huge city offer Wi-Fi or cable internet access, restaurants, lockers, and other amenities. Some include breakfast.
The site is fairly easy to navigate and has lots of information. You can book your room with a small deposit, via PayPal.
For example, in the beach resort of Ixtapa, Ixtapa Hostel offers a mixed dorm room with eight beds at just under $20 per person. According to the website, the property has a swimming pool, parking lot, airport transportation, and a temazcal indigenous steam room. Photos give a preview of the hostel and its restaurant. In neighboring Zihuatanejo, “Angela’s” offers private rooms, as well as dorm beds at less than $10 per person. Tripadvisor-style reviews let you know what past visitors experienced.
La Casa de José, in San Cristobal de las Casas, lists private double rooms for $7.50 and dorm beds for under $5. All prices are in U.S. dollars. There are 19 places listed for Mexico City, in various neighborhoods. The Ramada, with its own heliport and fitness center, isn’t a hostel, but it did offer a double room for under $50. A number of more traditional hostels in this huge city offer Wi-Fi or cable internet access, restaurants, lockers, and other amenities. Some include breakfast.
The site is fairly easy to navigate and has lots of information. You can book your room with a small deposit, via PayPal.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Group Activities Reassure Border Crossers?
The Northern Baja tourism industry has suffered heavily from a number of serious image problems, most of them firmly grounded in reality. Along with a rising rate of kidnappings and shoot-outs among drug traffickers, rival criminal elements, and police, those who make a living from tourism have seen business erode because of the slumping American economy and long waits to return north across the border.
Business is especially slow in Rosarito Beach, where heads literally rolled in the streets during drug wars last year. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the number of visitors to that city declined from 20.3 million in 2006 to 18.6 in 2007. At the beginning of 2008, tourism there was off another 40 percent.
But spring breakers recently felt the pull south, lured by low prices, drink specials, the beach, and Baja’s party-hearty reputation. In addition to those who made their own arrangements, thousands of young people purchased packages through Southern California travel agencies specializing in group tours. Along with hotel rooms and entertainment, the packages included the presence of security forces, which no doubt reassure students ... and their parents.
Another group activity sure to lure athletes as well as party animals to northern Baja is the 28th Spring Rosarito to Ensenada Fun Ride. Held annually since 1980, the biking event is expected to draw 7,500 participants this year. Food, drinks, and a festival atmosphere are the rewards for those who finish the 50-mile ride, which starts at 10 AM April 19, 2008. See www.rosaritoensenada.com for more info.
Business is especially slow in Rosarito Beach, where heads literally rolled in the streets during drug wars last year. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the number of visitors to that city declined from 20.3 million in 2006 to 18.6 in 2007. At the beginning of 2008, tourism there was off another 40 percent.
But spring breakers recently felt the pull south, lured by low prices, drink specials, the beach, and Baja’s party-hearty reputation. In addition to those who made their own arrangements, thousands of young people purchased packages through Southern California travel agencies specializing in group tours. Along with hotel rooms and entertainment, the packages included the presence of security forces, which no doubt reassure students ... and their parents.
Another group activity sure to lure athletes as well as party animals to northern Baja is the 28th Spring Rosarito to Ensenada Fun Ride. Held annually since 1980, the biking event is expected to draw 7,500 participants this year. Food, drinks, and a festival atmosphere are the rewards for those who finish the 50-mile ride, which starts at 10 AM April 19, 2008. See www.rosaritoensenada.com for more info.
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