La Casa Que Canta Water Sports, Deep Sea Fishing and Scuba Diving Vacations and Luxury Travel Packages

Water Sports

Only 5 minutes away from La Casa Que Canta you find La Ropa Beach, where you can practice:
Water Ski, Parachute, Snorkeling and Wind Surfing

Las Gatas Beach (Zihuatanejo)
This beach is good for swimming and is only a 15 minute boat ride from Zihuatanejo's pier.

Linda Beach (Ixtapa)
Playa Linda, a long stretch of white sand beach North of Ixtapa.It is the perfect setting for horseback riding and jogging. A pier is located at this beach.

Ixtapa Island
Facing Playa Linda, there is Isla Ixtapa. It can be reached by boat from Playa Linda and is perfect for snorkeling and swimming.

Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo's Amazing Underwater Scenery for Scuba, Snorkeling
Divers, sightseers by nature, delight at the unexpected natural wonders off the Mexican Pacific shores of this tropical resort destination. "Underwater, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo is a virgin place, and we're still discovering incredible sites after years of diving here", says Juan Barnard, master diver. "Whether scuba diving through 100-foot canyons or snorkeling in 10 feet of water, you will marvel at our underwater scenery, and sea life ranging from sawhorses to humpback whales and everything in between."

Juan, a certified NAUI instructor and marine biologist explains "Because of the confluence of two currents here, the Humboldt and the Equatorian Counter Current, sea life is incredibly rich. Visibility reaches 100 and even 150 feet, and the water is usually over 80 degrees Fahrenheit."

There are countless varieties of coral reef fish, just about all the Pacific species, delicate little nudi branches, and even sea horses. Species from the Sea of Cortes are also found here: yellow barber fish, Cortes angelfish, queen angelfish and Mexican yellow "goatfish" and more.

Twenty-eight dive sites are categorized for beginner, intermediate and expert divers. They range from shallow corals to jagged underwater canyon 100 feet deep. Some of these sites, as well as other areas, offer ideal snorkeling.

Juan and his partner Ed Clarke tell of a thrilling discovery off Barra de Potosi, about 45 minutes down the coast. There, offshore rock islets (called morros) rise from depths of 100 feet to 90 feet above the surface. (One, covered with guano, is nicknamed "the iceberg"). "We dove from the ocean side into a cave and surfaced under a huge dome rising high above the water where we could breathe and talk. We found that the place is honeycombed with submarine caverns all leading into the same dome. Nobody knew about it. Now we take divers to explore this new frontier with us".

Historic archives tell of 16th and 17th-century ships, laden with wealthy cargo and still undiscovered, that sank offshore between Lazaro Cardenas (up the coast) and Acapulco (down the coast). Exploring the tops of underwater mountains, Juan encountered a remnant anchor from one of them just 40 feet deep, offshore from the Westin Ixtapa and near a large morro called El Sacramento. The anchor had been laying (Should be "lying") there, unnoticed, for 400 years.

Ed Clarke, who came to Zihuatanejo on vacation and never left, explains that currents here are minimal compared to those of the Mexican Caribbean. "We imitate a drift dive. Once the divers are in the water, the boat hoists anchor and follows their bubbles. The divers can go anywhere they want, staying in a relatively contiguous group; the boat is right there with them. Here", Ed explains, "instead of being swept along with the current, you can go into little chimneys and tunnels through the rocks, look at all the sea life, and just hang out or hover. And it's paradise for photographers. They can remain stationary and take their time to frame each picture just the way they want it".

Dives are tailor-made according to the skill level of the participants, and safety takes top priority. There are also excursions especially for snorkeling. Some of the best snorkeling, where the bottom is 15-20 feet deep, is at Manzanillo Beach, just south of Zihuatanejo Bay and accessible only by boat.

Deep Sea Fishing

In addition to golf and tennis, sportfishing is a big attraction. The annual international Sailfish Tournament offers major prizes and places Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo on the map as a prime sportfishing destination.

Soaring sailfish weighing up to 175 pounds are the primary game during most of the year. Black and blue marlin range between 275 and 400 pounds. Recently, whoppers topping the 1,000-pound mark have been landed. There are also large schools of Yellowfin tuna up to 300 pounds, as well as delicious dorado (mahi-mahi).These coastal waters abruptly drop depths of over 1,000 fathoms. Most of the consistent action happens just 5 to 15 miles offshore, giving anglers an optimum fishing day. Closer to shore, more species are always ready for battle; high-flying roosterfish and hard-fighting grouper (pargo) thrill small game anglers, as do Spanish mackerel, wahoo, bonito and barracuda.

The resident skippers are descendants from of generations of commercial fishermen who have always harvested relatively small amounts according to the needs of local consumption, although the catch-of-the day is also served at modest beach eateries and exquisite restaurants.

Sport skippers practice the conservationist catch-and-release procedure, unless clients prefer to savor some of their catch. Keep in mind that seafood has been a nutritional staple in this pueblo for centuries; so, for back-on-land epicurean pleasure, local restaurants are pleased to prepare and serve filets of fresh tuna or dorado brought in by contented anglers.

In the friendly fishing town of Zihuatanejo, it's delightful simply exploring the handicraft marts and beachside seafood eateries, and strolling along Paseo del Pescador (fisherman's walk) to watch local fishermen either preparing to head out to sea in their small "panga" boats, or returning with fresh merchandise for sale to markets or restaurants in the area.