The Seasons of Zihuatanejo

Some people think that it would be boring living where there is only one season, eternal summer! Because we come from Canada, a country where distinct seasonal weather determines much of our lives - our homes, our activities, our clothes; it takes a little more time and the use of different senses to notice the subtle differences that determine the seasons here. I now realize there are many mini-seasons that occur during the months we live in our winter home.

When we arrive, it is the "quiet season"....before all the seasonal tourists arrive. The ocean is calm, the water is clear and the streets and beaches are empty. The locals welcome our return. It is pure bliss.

Shortly after that, we enter the season of the Virgen del Guadalupe and Navidad with the huge crowds of Mexican tourists. We become a minority as we watch the Mexicans enjoy their annual vacations on the "Costa Grande".

In January, the season of the major influx of Norte Americanos begins. The streets and restaurants are full of "snowbirds"who are coming for their first or their twentieth winter in Zihuatanejo. Familiar faces stroll along the streets and the town takes on a rhythm and pace. Yoga classes are full and the chairs at the beachside palapas are once again occupied by faithful customers who return year after year to their favorite cafes, with friendly waiters who greet them by name. The bathtub like waters of the Pacific Ocean take on a slight chill, and the breeze in the afternoon has a cooling quality that we welcome. Locals begin to wear sweaters and we talk about using our blankets, or at least top sheets for the first time this season.

Now March is here and two events mark this season as we end our winter here. One I experienced in a painful way while on vacation in La Manzanilla a few years ago. This is the season of the stingray, small sand-colored rays which move into the warm shallow waters to lay their eggs during the last week of February and the first week of March. I know they have no intention of attacking persons, but because they are so totally camouflaged and because novices like I once was, do not know where to look for them, they can inflict an excruciatingly painful cut with their razor sharp tale cartilage when threatened by a foot placed too near. I am ever so careful when I enter the water these days.

The final event awaiting us is the arrival of mango season...the small tasty autulfo mangoes that hang from the trees on long strings and are the most tasty and delicious fruit are beginning to appear in the markets. Further south, in Oaxaca and Chiapas, the markets were full of the golden orange kidney bean shaped mangoes, but here, we are waiting.....they aren't yet quite ripe, but we are hoping that they soon will make their appearance in large enough numbers so that we can begin to shop for the little treasures before we return home. It will be hard to compare the 8 pesos/kilo price here with what we will pay back in Canada for these now globally marketed taste treasures. Vive Mangoes!!