Guerrero is a Pacific coast state in southern Mexico best known for the resort city of Acapulco, the colonial silver town of Taxco de Alarcón, and the twin beach towns of Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa. The state pairs dramatic coastline and mountain scenery with a serious, well-documented security situation that shapes how and where visitors should travel.
Family activities
Engaging experiences for travellers of every age.
Zihuatanejo Bay and Playa La Ropa
Zihuatanejo's calm, horseshoe-shaped bay has gentle water well suited to younger children, in contrast to rougher open-ocean surf elsewhere on the Guerrero coast; the walkable malecon and nearby Playa La Ropa make it an easy, low-key family beach base
Duration: Half day to full day
La Quebrada Cliff Divers Show
Acapulco's famous cliff divers leap from roughly 35-meter heights into a narrow, wave-timed ocean inlet in a tradition running since the 1930s; the drama and height can be intense for very young children but is a memorable experience for older kids
Duration: 1 hour
Isla Ixtapa Boat and Snorkel Trip
A short boat ride from Ixtapa's Playa Linda reaches a small island with calm coves for swimming and snorkeling away from open-ocean surf, a gentle introduction to marine life for children past the toddler stage
Duration: Half day
Taxco Silver Workshop Visits
Walking Taxco's cobblestone streets and watching silversmiths at work in open workshops gives children a hands-on look at a centuries-old craft tradition, though strollers are impractical on the steep, uneven streets
Duration: 1-2 hours
Acapulco Bay Waterfront Promenade (Costera Miguel Aleman)
A long, flat, palm-lined waterfront walk along Acapulco Bay with playgrounds, ice cream vendors, and sunset views, an easy low-effort outing that works for strollers and tired legs alike
Duration: 1-2 hours
Sport Fishing Half-Day Charter
Half-day fishing trips depart from Acapulco's or Zihuatanejo's marinas and give older children a hands-on outdoor experience, though the open-water motion and duration suit school-age kids better than toddlers
Duration: 4-5 hours
Santa Prisca Church and Taxco's Main Plaza
Taxco's pink-stone Baroque church and the surrounding plaza offer a short, walkable stop with ice cream stands and pigeons for younger kids to chase, a gentle break between silver-shopping stretches
Duration: 1 hour
Ixtapa Hotel Zone Pools
Ixtapa's planned resort strip has multiple family-friendly hotel pools facing the beach, a low-effort way to spend a relaxed afternoon between sightseeing days
Duration: Half day
Family-friendly hotels
Accommodation designed with families in mind.
Las Brisas Ixtapa
A beachfront resort on a private cove in Ixtapa's hotel zone with tiered pools and ocean-view rooms, a comfortable choice for families prioritizing calmer resort-area swimming over open beach access
Family features: Family rooms, multiple pools, private cove beach, restaurant options on site
Barcelo Ixtapa (Ixtapa hotel zone)
An all-inclusive beach resort along Ixtapa's main hotel strip with kids' activities and multiple pools, a practical option for families wanting an all-inclusive Guerrero coast stay
Family features: Kids' club, multiple pools, all-inclusive dining, beachfront location
Hotel Emilia Castillo (Taxco de Alarcon)
A colonial-style hotel near Taxco's Santa Prisca church, run by a family of noted local silversmiths, a walkable base for families exploring the town's plaza and silver shops
Family features: Family rooms, central plaza location, walkable to sights, restaurant on site
Dining with kids
Eating out as a family.
Pescado a la talla (butterflied grilled fish) and quesadillas are mild, familiar flavors that most children take to quickly along the Acapulco and Zihuatanejo coast
Mercados (public markets) in Acapulco and Taxco offer cheap, fast comida corrida lunches with familiar options like grilled meats, rice, and beans
Restaurants across Acapulco, Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa, and Taxco are generally welcoming to children, and asking for a media orden (half portion) is common practice
Bottled water only for children; avoid ice from unknown sources and stick to sealed drinks or purified water at hotels and known restaurants
Pack simple snacks for boat trips to Isla Ixtapa or day excursions to Taxco, since food options at some stops can be limited to a few stalls
Family travel tips
Practical advice for stress-free family trips.
Given Guerrero's Level 4 US travel advisory with no tourist-zone exception, plan family visits carefully: fly directly into Acapulco (ACA) or Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo (ZIH) rather than arriving overland, and confirm current official guidance before finalizing the trip
Choose Zihuatanejo's bay or Ixtapa's hotel-zone beaches over Acapulco's more open Revolcadero stretch for young children, since the bay water is noticeably calmer than the rougher open-ocean surf elsewhere on this coast
Stay within established hotel zones (Acapulco's Costera and Diamante areas, Ixtapa's resort strip, Zihuatanejo's town center) and book tours and transport through a hotel or reputable operator rather than arranging things independently
Avoid travel after dark with children anywhere in the state, and use hotel-arranged or pre-booked transport rather than hailing rides on the street
Pack sun protection and light, breathable clothing for the coast, with a light layer for cooler evenings in Taxco's mountain setting
Mosquito repellent is worth packing for children during the June-October rainy season, when dengue risk rises
Strollers work reasonably well on Acapulco's Costera promenade and Ixtapa's paved hotel-zone paths, but are impractical on Taxco's steep cobblestone streets, where a baby carrier helps
If traveling in hurricane season (June-November), monitor tropical storm forecasts closely and follow any hotel or local authority evacuation guidance; Hurricane Otis's October 2023 direct hit on Acapulco is a reminder to take these warnings seriously
Keep a printed or offline copy of the US Consular Agency Acapulco contact details and register the trip with the State Department's STEP program (or the home-country equivalent) before traveling with family