Taking day trips outside of the town itself is a great way to check out some pretty cool stuff in the area. Some places are quite close to town and only require a boat trip across the bay while others involve taking a local bus to towns in the surrounding hills away from the coast. Petatlan is a city about an hour or so by bus from Zihua. There is an impressive cathedral in the city on the main zocalo square which attracts a number of pilgrams each day - relics of a former priest reputed to have been responsible for several miracles are housed and viewable there.
Try to be there at mass on a Sunday or, if you're lucky, a wedding or other religious ceremony on a Saturday. Vendors surround the church yard selling ice cream, fresh peeled fruit, hammocks which are a great deal compared to Zihua , and there is a little place which is part of the cathedral selling colourful candles.
Petatlan has a rustic central mercado, a place you should visit after having eaten a meal. It isn't uncommon to turn a corner and be confronted by a wheelbarrow full of cows' heads.
Speaking of food, there is a super restaurant with friendly staff and excellent Mexican cuisine on the zocalo. Mi Pueblito II 3 Plaza Principal has been there since the s and is a great place to sit and have lunch. Semana Santa the two weeks before and after Easter would be a good time to go - with lots of pilgrims in town as well as the local fair where vendors line the main street selling all things Mexican.
Throughout the year, there are a fairly substantial booths selling gold jewellery by the gram. Good quality stuff and very competitive pricing - as Petatlan has been a gold centre for the past years. A few choices getting to Petatlan from Zihua are available - with varying costs.
