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Z
ihuatanejo “that’s
where I want to be,
a warm place with
no memory…”
dream the prisoners about to grasp their freedom in the
movie The Shawshank Redemption…
This ancient Pacific coast fishing village, “Zihua” for short, does offer a
unique chance for freedom and to rediscover. Far from the hurley burley of
21st century urban bustle, Zihua is a
laid back paradise for relaxing and reconnecting with life. The boutique
hotel La Casa Que Canta (the house
that sings) overlooks the village and
beach and offers the perfect intimate
luxury for enjoying the Zihua experience from the minute you step out of
the airport taxi.
Story by Sheila Hollihan-Elliot
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Edited by and Photography by Janet Wortendyke
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The flight, with a stopover in Houston,
took nearly six hours, so I welcomed the
sight of the blue Pacific, its cooling
breezes, and the brilliance and scents of
the flowering vines and shrubs seemingly everywhere. Immediately I began
to feel a sense of getting in touch with
the beautiful surroundings.
This twenty-five room hotel is built on a
promontory overlooking the bay in native adobe style with cooling clay tile
floors. It is divided into “sun” and
“moon” suites, each with its own infinity
pool. In my “moon” suite, I bathed in the
twinkling lights of the evening stars and
yes – there was the moon right there, so
close. Relaxing under the stars and
moon, there was no line between being
inside and the outside elements, if you
so choose.
In contrast to a beach strip of mega-hotel
resorts, where you eat, sleep, swim, and
play within your chosen hotel, in Zihua
you get out and enjoy the real environment. It’s a working fishing village, with
the boats going out at night and returning at dawn with fresh fish for the dockside market. Much of the local cuisine,
therefore, is based on fresh caught fishof-the-day. Even the little beach palapas,
shaded open air pavilions roofed with
palm fronds, serve snacks of fresh
cooked fish and refreshing smoothies
(licuados) made on the spot from local
tropical fruits.
Left: Horsback riding at a neaby beach and coconut
plantation. Right, top to bottom: An infinity pools
at hotel. The boat to snokeling. Scuba diving. A
cactus treadment at the spa.
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M ay /J une 2012
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hacienda-style and made by local craftsmen; and the textiles and decorative objects are bright and also made nearby.
Each room is different, but all have the
most incredible views of the Pacific,
with a private infinity pool and wide
shaded verandas roofed in the palm
frond manner characteristic of the region. A specialty of La Casa is the flower
petal artwork “painted” on each bed by
the turn-down maids. Each night will be
Pictured right: Wine Sommelier, Yesenia
Pimentel with a Sangiovese Rose - Fusione
from Montefiori Baja.
Far right: Fish Machaca; Mexican Ricotta
Cheese with Zuchinni Blossoms and Epazote;
Corn Ravioli.
Zihua, located in a protected bay, has several
beaches good for sunning and snorkeling – I
did some snorkeling at Los Gatos beach. It has
a stone breakwater that protects the coral reef
– according to legend, an ancient king built it
so his daughter could play safely in the water.
I was thrilled at the fish darting in and out of
the coral. Later in the year, I was told, locals
and tourists volunteer to gather sea turtle eggs
from the beaches into a hatchery, where they
are later released when the young are big
enough to have a good chance to survive in the
wild.
Up from the beaches, the land is hilly and fertile. The Spanish colonials imported coconut
palms from the Philippines in the sixteenth
century, and the coconut plantations are still
thriving. Tropical fruits and agave (for tequila)
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M ay /J une 2012
are grown, as well as heat loving vegetables
and grains.
Zihua itself has a charming village center “El
Centro” with boutiques and craft shops offering well-priced Mexican goods and jewelry;
there is also a “Paseo”, a wide walkway along
the beach, used for strolling and people-watching in true Latin tradition. There are no traffic
lights, but the little taxis somehow work it all
out. It appears safe, but it’s always sensible
when traveling to be conservative – I went out
at night only with friends, and we made sure
to get back to our hotels in taxis.
Below: Dessert of Churros and Mexican Rice
Pudding. The sauce is "cajeta" a caramel made
from goat milk.
The wine regions of Mexico are Coahuila, Baja,
Zacatecas, Aguas Calientes, Queretaro. The oldest winery in
the Western Hemisphere is in Mexico, the Casa Madero in Baja,
founded in 1597 with a land grant signed by Spain's Phillip II;
it produces estate bottlings of Chardonnay, Merlot, and
Cabernet Sauvigon.
Speaking of hotel, La Casa is a welcome retreat
and extraordinary in an authentically artistic
Mexican way. The colors of the adobe walls are
earthy and soothing; the furniture is dark,
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M ay /J une 2012
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a different composition, and all are complex,
fragrant and beautifully designed.
The spa services invite relaxing and reviving
the senses, and the restaurant pampers the
senses even more. Under Chef Juan Antonio
Garcia Giles, the restaurant offers house specialties involving fresh seafood and regional
delicacies throughout the day –the entrees, side
dishes and desserts are so fresh and lightly seasoned that it would seem impossible to replicate – yet a special activity at the hotel is
hands-on cooking classes with the chef himself
(pictured left). The surprise for me was the soft
quality of the Mexican wines – mellow and
smooth, with delightful bouquet.
If you fish, which I don’t, the hotel can
arrange for what is considered to be the best
deep ocean sport fishing in Mexico. I am a
horse woman, and the hotel arranged for a
horse ride on the beach that was like a dream
– trotting and galloping through the water, in
contrast to following pre-made trails with a
guide. As we slow to an easy pace, the high of
being in nature, feeling free, the warmth,
flowers and so much life, becomes a type of
magic.
La Casa Que Canta
+52 755 555 7000
www.lacasaquecanta.com
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