In the spring of 1971, when I arrived in Zihuatanejo, there was little need for maps or guidebooks of the area. At that time there were only some 4000 residents and a handful of buildings in this quaint little fishing village. Much to the dismay of thousands of early tourists, the Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa area on the Pacific Coast of Mexico has been "discovered" and now boasts a population in excess of 130,000 people. My guidebook is an attempt to update (now in it's sixth edition) the many changes that have taken place over the years in this once small fishing village cum resort destination. The focus of this book is to impart information not on the Internet or through any readily available sources. Easily read maps and a multitude of short stories are also included in this edition. After reading this guidebook, my desire would be that you would know where to go and what to do to maximize the enjoyment of your vacation. Many tourists have nicknamed this guidebook the "Zihua Bible" and I certainly hope this edition lives up to such exalted expectations. It is very ironic that Zihuatanejo means land of women of little importance but has been populated by a large number of single foreign women since the early 70's that can only be described as strong and very important in their societal roles.