CC BY-SA 4.0, Microstar, Wikimedia CommonsAnchorage· Zihuatanejo· Mexico
Zihuatanejo Bay Anchorage
17° 38.1′ N · 101° 33.1′ W
A big, sheltered bay ringed by four beaches and a working fishing town: the most popular cruiser stop on the southern Mexican Pacific coast and home of Zihua Sailfest. Boats anchor off Playa Principal, among swinging pangas, a short dinghy ride from the municipal pier.
Practical
S/V Liquid's logged position 17°38.06'N 101°33.11'W, in 28 ft over sand (2017-18); S/V Some Tuesday anchored in about 25 ft some 1,000 ft off Playa Principal among 18 cruising boats and dozens of panga moorings marked with jugs (Feb 2026). Holding is good in sand; it gets rollier the farther you lie from the pier. Water near town is murky and fouls hulls fast; Liquid advised against swimming there. Very busy with water taxis running between the municipal pier and Las Gatas, plus jet skis, parasailers and banana boats. Land the dinghy between the municipal dock and the end of the pangas (beach helpers expect about 10 MXN in and 10 MXN out, 2017), or wave down a panga for a lift (80 MXN in 2026). Hilda (VHF 65) delivers diesel, water, propane and laundry to the boat. Port Captain and Immigration are on the Paseo del Pescador near the pier. Southbound boats often stage here for Acapulco, 122 nm and about 22-24 hours.
Best for
Weeks-long stays, provisioning and the Sailfest social season
Season
Nov-May; roll in S swell
Nearby
- Zihuatanejo Cruisers' VHF NetRight here
- Ristorante Il Mare (Playa La Ropa)0.2 NM away
- Playa La Madera (Zihuatanejo)0.3 NM away
- Zihuatanejo Paseo del Pescador Restaurants0.3 NM away
- Dive Zihua (Zihuatanejo Dive Shop)0.4 NM away
- Hilda's Boat Delivery Service (Zihuatanejo)0.4 NM away
- La Casa Vieja (Zihuatanejo)0.4 NM away
- Playa La Ropa (Zihuatanejo)0.4 NM away