A trip to Playa Las Gatas for a day of snorkeling is a "must do" when in Zihuatanejo.
The trip starts at the municipal pier where water taxis run back and forth between the pier and Las Gatas from about 9 in the morning until 5 p.m. The cost is 30 pesos, or a little under $3 USD for a roundtrip ticket. The trip out to Las Gatas gives some beautiful views of the town and surrounding hills. Sometimes a cruise ship will be anchored in the bay and the water taxis pass very close, giving an interesting perspective of the ship.
Once at the beach, the next step is to choose a restaurant to use for the day. A dozen small beach restaurants run the length of the beach. All of them serve wonderful seafood and cold drinks. They also rent snorkeling equipment, lifejackets, and floating toys for the little ones.
Snorkeling is best earlier in the day. In the afternoon the waves start to stir up the sand and make the water a little less clear. Marine life along the reef is plentiful — sea urchins, damselfish, angelfish, pipefish, eels, and the occasional sea turtle.
Back at the restaurant a bucket of ice and cold beer will be waiting by the lounge chairs under the big umbrella. For lunch most restaurants serve fish, lobster, shrimp, octopus, and other seafood prepared in traditional Mexican style. A full day for two — water taxi, snorkeling gear, lounge chairs, lunch, and beer — runs between $50–75 USD.
For something completely different, the town of Petatlán is an easy half-day bus trip about an hour southeast along the coastal highway. Its pilgrimage basilica is one of the most venerated in Guerrero state, and the surrounding streets are lined with gold and silver jewellery workshops selling at prices well below what you'll find in the resort shops.