Relax and Recharge in Zihuatanejo, Mexico
David and I have all sorts of travel adventures on our bucket list, and we intend to be traveling well into our golden years. Staying active and fit is a huge priority for us in order to make it to all of those places that we dream about. My fitness instructor, Melissa Ray, has made working out regularly a joy. I have been attending Melissa’s Cardio Dance classes for close to ten years now. Melissa also offers small group Personal Strength Training sessions, and David and I both work up a sweat with her twice a week. Each year, Melissa goes AWOL during the heart of the Michigan winter. While we just about trip over our lower lip as we mope around feeling sorry for ourselves without our training sessions, it does pay off in the end. Melissa uses this time away to travel to sunny Mexico, recharge, and create new dance and fitness routines and videos. Check out her story below: Relax and recharge in Zihuantanejo, Mexico!
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Melissa Ray
While planning our honeymoon in August 2009, I stumbled upon the sweet little town of Zihuatanejo, Mexico. You may recognize the name from the movie Shawshank Redemption. Zihuatanejo is the beautiful little beach where the two main characters reunite at the end of the movie. I was searching Vacation Rentals By Owner (VRBO) on a recommendation from a client. VRBO had been around for awhile, AirBnB was only in its first year of service and I had never rented a condo like this before. I was really in the market for an all inclusive, swanky, room service, swim up bars and spa treatments kind of place. I mean, this was my honeymoon after all! But I went down the VRBO rabbit hole and came up with a winner. After hours and hours of internet surfing I settled on a condo rental in the complex of La Casa Que Ve al Mar in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Zihuatanejo is located on Mexico’s Pacific coast, about 144 miles northwest of Acapulco.
Eleven years later and we are still returning. I hate to even write this post, as this place is such a gem and a truly treasured spot for my husband and I We love how quiet and non-touristy it always is. However, beautiful spots should be shared, so here you go!
Zihua (as it is lovingly referred to by the locals and seasoned guests) is not your usual, big resorts on the beach, spring break parties everywhere kind of city. This place is a treasure trove of beautiful beaches, lovely boutique hotels and quaint restaurants. A colorful Mercado is filled with friendly locals, fresh fish, beautiful fruits and vegetables, tasty street food and unique artisan fare. Our condo sits high above the bay along the beach of Playa la Ropa. Our view (as you can see from the pics) is the highlight for sure. We spend every morning on the terrace listening to the waves and every evening enjoying the changing color of each glorious sunset.
Our time in Zihua is split between pool time reading and sunning at our condos 2 infinity pools, long walks down the steep hill (and don’t forget back up it!) to the beach, and enjoying incredibly tasty eats from so many local restaurants.
I also use our vacation time to do a bit of work (gasp! work on vacation?). I own a small private gym in Traverse City, Michigan called Mettle & Moxie, and I use the beautiful backdrop of the Zihua sky for filming workout videos for my YouTube channel: Melissa Ray Fitness. No better way to start the day than a workout by the pool before we spend the rest of the day sunning and eating and snoozing!
The food here ranges from high end gourmet meals, averaging $100 max US dollars for a 5 star dining experience, (which is still much less expensive than the States) to cheap (and I mean cheap!) breakfasts and lunches on the beach or in the town square.
At the market we found the most amazing pulled pork sandwiches for 18 pesos each (that is less than $1.50 for two amazing sandwiches) and a full roasted chicken complete with pico, slaw and tortillas for another whopping 20 pesos (less than 80 cents people!!).
Most everyone in the restaurants and markets speak English so shopping is easy. They do show great appreciation when you speak their language, even if you do a so-so job, so learning a few Spanish phrases is a must before you go.
Getting around the town is a breeze. My husband and I are both in great shape so we choose to walk almost everywhere, averaging well over 10,000 steps a day. The terrain, however, is very steep. Let me say that again: very steep. Like more than a 15% incline on the treadmill steep, but that is what also makes the view so damn good. If you are not in the mood for the quad-burning walks to the market or back home from the beach, taxis are plentiful and cheap. (have I mentioned how inexpensive everything is here?) A taxi to the grocery (1.7 miles from our condo) is about 60 pesos ($2.50), and a taxi up from the beach is about 20 pesos (again, 80 cents). So if you opt out of the workout portion of the trip, it won’t break your bank.
For the more adventurous traveler there are also several day trip options. Kayak tours through a beautiful estuary, fishing excursions and sunset cruises on the bay just to name a few.
If you are not sold on this sweet sweet spot for your next vacation yet, let me finish by telling you about the weather. Over the past 11 years my husband and I have spent almost 50 days in Zihua. We have taken trips in both December and February. Mostly in February, as that is a perfect time to escape the long winters of Northern Michigan. We have only experienced one type of weather: 85 and sunny with a lovely light breeze off the bay. Yes, that is guaranteed sunshine, my friends.
If you are in the mood for warmth on your skin, incredible food in your belly and the most stunning sunsets you have ever had the privilege of viewing; Zihua needs to be on your list.
Melissa’s passion for health and fitness began with her background as a dancer and choreographer. She has spent the last 10 years exploring the fitness world, studying everything from Pilates to strength training. Melissa provides personal training and small group strength training classes at the gym she owns in Traverse City. She also creates her own choreography for cardio dance classes at a local dance studio. Melissa has used her extensive experience to develop her own fitness videos, including cardio dance, strength and resistance training, and joint mobility. Work out with Melissa at her YouTube Channel: Melissa Ray Fitness.
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Ready to try some of Melissa’ exercise routines at home? Many her routines are done with body weight and don’t require any specialized equipment at all. A few of the exercises utilize resistance bands. Melissa recommends the Elite Fitness Mini Resistance Band. Get yours by clicking on the image below.
Melissa also stocks Limm Resistance Loop Exercise Bands in her gym. Find yours here:
Looking for another reason to escape to Mexico during the cold winter months? Check out our blog post on the Migration of the Monarch Butterflies!
We love hearing from our readers! Please leave a comment.
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This post is great! And thank you for sharing Melissa’s youtube channel because it will be very useful for these days at home! We all shall keep training! 💪🏻
Ada! I am so happy to hear that you checked out Melissa’s videos. I love working out with them and hope you do, too!
Just checked out your One band six exercises video. Love it !
I know. The banded kickbacks/leg raises are killer!
I have taken a look at your travel blog, and I can only say Congratulations Linda and David! It is nice and intuitive. I like the photos you show because it give us another perspective of travelling. Thanks for creating it and sharing.
Lots of love!
Belén.
Thank you for your support, Belén!
How can I NOT plan a trip to Zihuatanejo, Mexico after reading Melissa’s post? The food, sunshine, close-by beach and of course the beautiful the sunsets! Ahhhhhh, sounds perfect. Thx for sharing your experiences — AND — the awesome workouts you taped while in Mexico. Helps those of us that train with you get some of the benefit of your vaca from afar. And like Ada said, Melissa’s YouTube channel is a gift when we can’t get to the gym in person.
I’m with you, Julie Ann. Zihuatanejo is calling me!
I would love to start working out with these videos!
I always start out with the Full Body Dynamic warm-up
Hola amigos! What a lovely blog! Thanks for sharing Melissa’s videos too! Take care! Un abrazo fuerte!
Aida
So good to hear from you. I hope you are doing well!
I really enjoyed this post! It was so informative in all the right ways: exactly what I want to know to plan a vacation, and a great example of a good travel blog!
Thank you so much for your support!
Kudos to Melissa for finding time to get away from it all. I have never heard of this place in Mexico. Like you, I would be apprehensive sharing beautiful and less touristy places like this. Now, I have to google to find out more of this place 🙂
I know, right? Zihua truly appears to be a hidden gem.
Looks like an amazing place to visit! I am going to check out Melissa’s videos… Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for checking out Melissa’s videos. I love them!
I love Mexico but haven’t been to Zihuatanejo yet. I might have to get in better shape first in order to visit with all of the hilly walking 😉 Thanks for sharing this gem of a spot.
We haven’t been to Zihuatanejo yet, either. Right at the top of our list!
wow this looks beautiful, and two infiniti pools? Who knew rentals could have such great amenities. Also a gem of a spot. Looks like a lot of great exercise and fresh food! I am saving this for future travel, sorry the tourists are coming, lol!
This looks like an awesome rental, doesn’t it? I haven’t used Vacation Rentals By Owner myself, but Melissa has convinced me to add it to my never ending list of things to look into. (Shhh… don’t tell her that the tourists are coming!)
Love Mexico, it is about knowing the lesser known places. My Grandfather was a proud Mexican and he loved showing my Grandmother around. This sounds like one of those beautiful hidden places where you really get a fell for what Mexico really is. Thank you for sharing!
We did go to Mexico City, as we love the cultural aspects of capitol cities. But other than that, the big touristy areas of Mexico don’t particularly call to me. We prefer to go off of the beaten track when possible.
With steep terrain, this sounds like I trip I should plan with my daughter!
We love hiking in all kinds of terrain, too. I’m guessing we’d all love it!
Looks awesome. This is now on our bucket list.
Maybe we’ll see you there! It really does look like an awesome place to relax and recharge.
That would be awesome to get such great meals for such low prices!
Yes: nothing beats fresh, local produce!
Wow. What a beautiful location. Thanks for sharing!
Zihua does look beautiful, doesn’t it? Can’t wait to check it out for myself.
I get the steep terrain. I train so I can handle rough terrain like this when I travel. The views are totally worth working out for!
I agree. And it’s the workout we need when we aren’t seeing our personal trainer!
I love how you love it so much that you are torn between keeping it a secret and sharing it.
I’m so glad that Melissa agreed to share her story on my blog but it’s true: the secret is out!
What a neat place to visit! I can see why she returns every year!
Now that I’ve read Melissa’s post, I completely understand why she abandons us every year!
This place looks wonderful! I’ve always been nervous about traveling to Mexico, so I’ve never been, even though I live pretty close. I know lots of people go without any issues and few have really bad experiences, but I guess that would be true of every destination.
As in any country or big city that you visit, there are places in Mexico where it is unsafe to travel after dark. And in many countries you need to keep an eye out for pick pockets. We take travel precautions and have not had any trouble. The locals that we have encountered in Mexico have been very welcoming and happy to help us if we need it.
Love The Shawshank Redemption! The picturesque, tranquil setting was the perfect end to the movie.
I’m embarrassed to say this: I have never seen The Shawshank Redemption! You and Melissa have convinced me to add it to my must-see movie list.
Zihua looks like my kind of place, for sure! Thanks for posting this guest post.
You and I may have similar travel styles…let’s follow each other, maybe collaborate? TravelsWithSuz.com
Great photos and info!
I would love to collaborate, Suz! Just followed your Facebook page.
Now THAT sounds like a vacation I need to go on! Great tips and insights.
I hope you can make it happen one day, Magan!
Traveling . . . sooo relaxing once you arrive. Your trip sounds amazing and well thought out. I’ll also need to check out the Youtube videos. Great idea to use the inlet backdrop, too. Thanks for sharing!
I know we are all yearning to travel again. In the meantime, check out Melissa’s videos for a great workout from home!
Would love to go here now!
I’m with you. I could use a little laid-back relaxation right about now.
This looks like an amazing trip. The food looks delicious!
I agree! I love authentic Mexican food, and Melissa’ smoothie looks like it’s to die for.
WOW! This place is beautiful! I have been to Mexico once on a cruise, we stopped at Mazatlan, Cabo and Puerto Vallarta and definitely plan to go back but now I am thinking we will go here where it seems a little more on the quiet side.
I can’t wait to visit Zihua as well. But like you, we’re going to give it a little bit of time before we fly internationally again.
Awesome – such a stunning place to film the videos! And the food – drool, making me miss Mexico =D
We love authentic Mexican food. Makes it a bit difficult to find Mexican food that we love where we live.
Looks stunning! Sounds like a great workout relationship! We all need to be surrounded with “OUR PEOPLE!” 🙂
You are so right! It can take me a lot of time to find my people, but once I find them I am extremely loyal.
I would love to travel back to Mexico and explore some more areas. My grandmother lives in south Texas and we took a day trip across the border to buy some things such as vanilla, but didn’t get to see much. So I’d love to get to go back someday and go to other areas.
There is so much of Mexico that we haven’t seen. Nothing like Mexican Vanilla!
What a fantastic place to get away! Very affordable too!
That’s is what is so astounding about Mexico: there are so many awesome places to go and it’s very affordable compared to the U.S
Loved Melissa’s post – beautiful view from the condo where she stayed. Sounds like a great place to visit. Thanks for sharing!
What a cool place your cool trainer found! Makes me want to go.
I’m with you! I totally want to check out Zihua as well.
You sure had a nice balance of exercise, pool time for relaxing, and some great food.
It looks like the perfect vacation, don’t you think?
What a perfect place to find restoration for the body and the soul! I’ll check out the videos.
Looks like such a nice vacation! We will have to put this on our list!
Definitely on my list as well!
I love Melissa’s videos! I definitely want to travel to Zihua! It looks gorgeous!
What a sweet place! Maybe someday hubs and I will get to take trips like this!
Fingers crossed for you, Misty!
Wow…this looks like an amazing place to vacation! I’m definitely putting this on the list of places I’d like to visit!
I agree with you that it looks amazing. I know that Melissa has traveled to Zihua multiple times, so it’s got to be great.
Sounds sooooo nice! I wouldn’t even mind the walking! We don’t mind waking when we travel… it’s a great way to see the sights while burning the calories from indulging in all the local fare! 😁😁
So great to hear from a kindred soul! We have to sample the local fare wherever we go, and trust me, that includes desserts. I gained 4 pounds during 2 weeks in Spain, in spite of walking.
I love Mexico! I am so ready to visit there again!!
Me, too. There are so many places in Mexico that I have not been to and would love to visit.
I was there once, almost 20 years ago. It was a stop on our first ever cruise. It was beautiful!
I’ll bet that was a wonderful voyage!
Wow!!! This location looks stunning and I love how quaint the town seems! I definitely need to save this to add to my bucketlist. Also gotta check out her YouTube channel now as well!! Thank you for introducing me to this beautiful place!
I hope you love Melissa’s workout videos as much as I do! I’m using them now more than ever that group fitness classes are closed.
That food looks delicious! I have actually never been to Mexico. This makes me really want to take a trip!