|
We did the best we could with our camera but pictures fail us. Paradise is an experience that involves all the senses. In the photos, you can see that, with the floor-to-ceiling glass doors pushed aside, the line between being indoors and being outside, is virutally non-existent. Think of this place as an open-air, 2,200 sq ft, observation platform that is continually awash in fresh ocean air breezes (daytime) and cool, earthy, mountain breezes (nighttime). Here, you can watch the sunset from the couch, reading chair, or balcony lounger, as easily as you can from Amara's private, beachfront, cabana bar.
In fact, from the 14th floor, you get sunset panoramas that extend far beyond what you are used to. At sea level, a six foot person sees the horizon 6.6 miles away. On the 14th floor, the horizon is nearly 13 miles away. Ocean sound is similarly augmented. When you sit in the livingroom, it sounds as if you are sitting on the beach.
At sunrise, Ixtapa's salmon-colored, picture-postcard islands are dramatically spotlighted by the first rays of the sun. Over morning coffee, we've watched humpback whales spout and breach by the islands while schools of small fish roil the calm ocean surface as bat rays fly out of the water in hot pursuit. It is easy to imagine that, from a 14th floor perch, you can see forever (and over the 11 story N.H. Krystal to the northwest); however, you might not realize that the acute angle down to the surfline allows you to see down into the water. The sight of dolphins sub-surfing the waves right below us is a real treat. We provide binoculars for those who want a closer look.
We dare you not to spill your coffee when pelicans or frigate birds flash silently past you, just a few feet from the balcony. These soaring experts use Amara's ocean breeze updraft and typically cruise at the 14th floor level; if they fly any higher, they lose the updraft because the breeze turns inland over the penthouse above us.
On the balcony (actually a lanai because it is protected from the tropical sun by the penthouse terrace above), the view of Playa Palmar's pristine beach is unobstructed for over a mile in either direction.
At one end, you can see the boats leaving Ixtapa's splendid recreational boat harbor. Beyond that is Punta Ixtapa, some really nice beaches, and Isla Grande (Ixtapa)...a nice half-day outing for swimming, snorkling, and relaxing. The water taxi to the island is brief, and about three dollars per person.
At the other end of the beach, is the massive headland that creates the northwest edge of Zihuatanejo Bay and protects Ixtapa, as it has done throughout history, from sourthern hurricanes that march northward and slam the Baja coast from August to October.
At nightfall, Playa Palmar's skyline turns magical, only to be upstaged by the moon. From high above the ocean, a sparkling moonbeam extends from the tide line to the islands and beyond. Perhaps you will even have a chance to catch moonset on the water: a sight to behold.
This is not to say that the panoramas from the huge picture windows in the mountain view bedrooms are anything to sneeze at. The sunrise and moonrise can be dazzling and seasonal lightning storms in the Sierra Madres are spectacularly active, brilliant, and LOUD.
The view to the northwest extends for over ten miles up the coast, encompassing the palm tree tops of Playa Quieta, craggy Isla Ixtapa, serene Playa Linda, the coastal foothills, the white sand of Playa Pantla, and the headland the marks the start of Troncones. Looking north you see the verdant green Sierra Madres. Finally, to the southeast, you can see the Hwy 200 snaking over the hills that separate nearby Zihuatanejo (a bustling city of 65,000 people, a popular destination for American and Canadian tourists, and a port o' call for cruise ships) from sleepy Ixtapa.
Close in, you can see parts of both golf courses, the botanical park, the Zihuatanejo-to-Playa Quieta bike path, Boulevard de Ixtapa, the Zona Commerical (restaurants, bars, sports bars, dance clubs, botiques, banks, Mexican style convenience and craft stores, etc.) and so on.
The sound of the surf, the daytime onshore breezes, and the nightime offshore breezes fill every room. The inside becomes part of the balcony and the balcony becomes part of all you can see. We push back the huge sliding glass doors and leave them that way for our entire stay, night and day. On the 14th floor mosquitos are a non-issue. Likewise, at the center of the Amara building and tucked under the penthouse, the view is not blocked by the 11 story, N.H. Krystal to the northwest.
The daytime breeze is straight off the warm Pacific. It is filled with a heady mixture of sea air and the bouquet of tropical flowers in Carlos' magnificent gardens below. The nighttime offshore breezes are cool and earthy smelling. They are dense and moisture laden from the the jungle that covers the Sierra Madres. The sound of the ocean is ever-present and you will have to slide some of the doors closed to listen to the 5.1 sound system and cable/DVD TVs.
(NOTE: The cabana's sunset toast is an Amara custom. It is also "last call." Our home owners association bartender(s)serve, at cost, snacks and refreshments to owners and guests throughout the day. A beer, coke, or bag of chips all go for what you pay at the local supermarket. A mixed drink is around 3 dollars. Simply sign for these treats and settle up with the administrator before you leave. While the cabana remains available for evening card games, moongazing, or beachside conversation, service ends when the sun slips below the horizon.) |
