There are reasons that I, and so many other visitors to Zihua return to Villas del Palmar year after year. The location is great -- ten minute walk to the best beach in Zihua. The place is a tropical paradise (look at the pictures on their website). The price is certainly reasonable and best of all, the owners Ruben and Ivonne will quickly become good friends. They will tell you the best places to go in the area and often will join you there.

In November I reserved two rooms at Villas del Palmar for my adult son and myself. When we arrived Ruben gave us the entire 3 story villa with three bedrooms and kitchen for the price of the two rooms I had reserved. He offered to pick us up at the airport, but we had a car rented so didn't take him up on his generous offer. He knew approximately when we were to arrive and was at the entrance to greet us and make us immediately feel welcome, even though we arrived later than we'd anticipated. The hotel is set amid lush landscaping. The rooms have patios and balconies. Furniture and linens are basic but certainly clean. Rooms have fans and air conditioners. We found the fans to be sufficient in keeping us comfortable. This is a simple, quiet, sweet place off the beaten path. The hotel is across the road and down the way a bit from the beach, but the beach is easily accessible. We enjoyed the fact that this little place is off by itself. I think what made the stay so exceptional was Ruben's graciousness and easy going manner. He responded immediately to my reservation request, and communication was easy because he is organized, friendly, and upbeat. We felt that we had a lot of privacy and could truly relax. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for an authentic Mexican experience away from the big fancy hotel scene.

My husband and I loved this villa in Zihua during Christmas vacation. Once you enter the gates, it's surprisingly cool around the lush garden and rock pool. We had Villa 1a, upstairs which consisted of two floors - one with a king-bed, double-bed, a patio with a hammock overlooking the pool, and another patio with a couple of chairs overlooking the street. Upstairs was an open-air kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, bar, dinette, 2 twin beds, ceiling fan and great bird-watching views. Everything is made with natural materials - the floor is marble with little fossil imprints, the bed frame is made of palm tree trunks, the closet doors are bamboo, stucco walls, palapa roof. Just lovely.
There is A/C in the bedroom which we didn't even need at night. We stayed cool with just the ceiling fan. Some meowing sounds woke us up in the morning which turned out to be birds that sound just like cats. There was some street noise and music from the neighborhood but I have ear plugs just in case. Ruben, our host, will go to great lengths to make people comfortable. He hired a welder to stop the metal grates outside from rattling whenever cars passed over it!
There's not a lot of hot water in the shower but you don't really need it because you are usually trying to cool off from the day's heat outside! We are used to warm climates being from South Texas but this tropical heat can be brutal. I can't imagine the heat during the summer months. Seriously, take a siesta or a dip in the pool during the heat of the day.
We went to every restaurant Ruben recommended and loved each one! Kau-Kan, Il Mare are both down the street, Jungle Pizza is right next door, El Mango and Pancake House are in El Centro, and Cafe Chuleto is on Playa Principal.
Go to the super mercado for drinks, snacks and breakfast items.
Villa del Palmar is about a 5-minute walk down the street from Playa La Ropa. Use the chairs at Paty's beach shack and order drinks and snacks there.
Visit the new El Refugio ecological park outside of town and ride the chicken bus there! Practice your Spanish but most everyone speaks English anyway.
Although not a luxury place by any means, Villa del Palmar was just our kind of place -- unpretentious, laid-back, comfortable, clean and very relaxing -- just what we needed. And we have a new amigo in Mexico!
See http://dinabwilson.blogspot.com/ for what to do in Zihua!

My daughter, a friend and I stayed in October to attend a wedding on La Ropa. Ruben and his staff were super friendly, and we loved the jungle vegetation, birds and poolside setting. It's not glamorous and doesn't have the views of the condos up on the hill, but we loved the relaxed, jungle vibe and Mexican feel of the villas.