In many years, the citizens of Zihuatanejo recommit their City of Peace in an amazing celebration with educational programming and marches for peace.
Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico: City of Peace
We welcome the citizens and leaders of Zihuatanejo, Mexico: City of Peace. The Zihuatanejo Peace Team, directed by Wendy Carbal, is dedicated to expanding the safety, prosperity, and quality of life for all people of the Guerrero State. The town of Zihuatanejo is the seat of the municipality of Zihuatanejo de Azueta and as such is the governmental authority for approximately 416 communities, with a total population of 104,609 as of 2005, and an area of 1,921.5 km2 (741.9 sq mi). There are small indigenous communities in the municipality which speak Nahuatl and Tlapaneco.
Note: Introduction page with information primarily at the time of joining International Cities of Peace. For updates, please contact the liaison.
The Zihuatanejo Peace Committee is very active in planning workshops and activities for youth and young adults.
Each year, the community makes an endeavor to commemorate the International Day of Peace.
The Zihuatanejo Peace Pole Monument is located in Olof Palme Peace Park, along the beachfront.
There are two possible origins for the name Zihuatanejo. One origin might be from the Purépecha language meaning “water of the yellow mountain”. Another possible origin might be from Nahuatl (Cihuatlán) meaning “place of women.” Cihuatlán, or “place of women,” refers to the western paradise of the Nahuatl universe, the home of the “goddess women.” According to tradition, these women arose in the afternoon to lead the sun at dusk to the realm of the dead, Mictlan, to give a dim light to those who have died.
The town of Zihuatanejo’s main attraction is its bay, which is well-protected from open ocean. It is a favorite place to moor boats from small private ones to large yachts during the winter months.
ABOUT THE LIAISON
Wendy Carbajal is Directora del Comité de Paz en Zihuatanejo, Ciudadana del Mundo.
CONTACT INFO
Wendy Carbajal
wendypiensadiferente@hotmail.com
Zihuatanejo Peace Committee
zihuatanejo.comitedepaz@gmail.com
For more information about Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, visit:
www.Imagine-Mexico.com
ABOUT ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO (from Wikipedia)
The Municipality of Zihuatanejo, Guerrero is in central Mexico, located on the Pacific Coast in an area called the “Mexican Riviera.” It is a tourist community comprised of two areas-Zihuatanejo, the original fishing village, and Ixtapa, a developed resort area. The city has about 120,000 residents. Zihuatanejo is known for its natural beauty and beaches.
Zihuatanejo, or Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, is the fourth-largest city in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Politically the city belongs to the municipality of Zihuatanejo de Azueta in the western part of Guerrero, but both are commonly referred to as Zihuatanejo. It is on the Pacific Coast, about 240 km (150 miles) northwest of Acapulco, and belongs to a section of the Mexican Pacific Coast known as the Costa Grande. This town has been developed as a tourist attraction along with the modern tourist resort of Ixtapa, 5 km (3.1 mi) away. However, Zihuatanejo has kept its traditional town feel. The town is located on a well-protected bay which is popular with private boat owners during the winter months.
Zihuatanejo spent most of its history until recently as a sleepy fishing village. The federal government’s decision to develop the nearby resort in the 1970s has had major implications for both the city and municipality of Zihuatanejo. The area is now the third most-visited area in Mexico, after Cancún and Puerto Vallarta, and the most popular for sports fishermen. Zihuatanejo’s population jumped from 6,887 to 37,328 by the early 1990s. Recently, a new highway called the “Maxipista Siglo XXI” was built to connect Zihuatanejo with Morelia, cutting the travel time from Mexico City to about six hours.
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