3 Best Sights in Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, Mexico

The most popular spot on Isla Ixtapa (and the one closest to the boat dock) is Playa Cuachalalate. An excellent swimming beach, it was named for a local tree whose bark has been used as a remedy for kidney ailments since ancient times. A short walk across the island, Playa Varadero hugs a rocky cove and is also good for swimming, but watch for coral-covered rocks on both sides of the cove. Just behind is Playa Coral, whose calmer, crystal clear water is great for snorkeling. Each of the above beaches is lined with seafood eateries eager to rent snorkel equipment. Playa Carey, toward the island's south end, is small and has no services. Pangas run between the boat landings at both Cuachalalate and Varadero beaches and Playa Linda on the mainland, where you'll find a few all-inclusive, high-rise hotels. The ride costs MXN$40 round-trip, and boats run from about 9 to 5 (later in high season). Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

"Clothing Beach" apparently got its name hundreds of years ago when a textile-laden ship spilled its silks, which washed up on the sand. The area's most magnificent beach is a 20-minute walk from Playa La Madera and a five-minute taxi ride from town. Parasailers drift above the 1-km (½-mile) stretch of soft light sand; below, concessionaires rent Jet Skis (US$50 for 30 minutes) and Hobie Cats (up to US$50 an hour, depending on the size). Up and down the beach are open-air restaurants—some with hammocks for post-meal siestas—and a handful of hotels. Kids can splash in the calm, aquamarine water or toss a ball or Frisbee on the shore—but not too close to the little stream that empties into the southerly end: it's a crocodile refuge! There's free parking in a lot at the south end of the beach. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: swimming; walking; sunset.

This is a small, flat, dark-sand beach with a sprinkling of restaurants on the sand (which provide just about the only shade and facilities) and a few more hotels on or just above it. Bobbing boats and the green headlands make for stunning vistas. Waves are small or nonexistent, and as there's no drop-off it's a great place for the kiddies. Young locals always seem to be kicking a soccer ball around. Get here via a footpath cut into the rocks that separate it from Playa Principal, in downtown Zihua, or by car. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming.