It had been a while since my passport was last stamped, and over two years since I stepped foot on sand, so my recent trip to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Mexico was both desperately deserved and long-awaited. Unlike other places I’ve visited in Mexico via Pacific and Caribbean cruises, or Tijuana day trips from San Diego, Ixtapa and Zihua’ were much less touristy and much more affordable and authentic, which made for the perfect relaxing vacation K and I needed. Although neither of us speak much Spanish, it was still relatively easy to get around; not only do a lot of Americans and Canadians travel here, it’s quite a popular vacation spot for Mexicans as well.

So what did we do? Not a whole lot. Our objective was to refresh, reset, and take it all in. We ate, we leisurely explored, and we put in a whole lot of hours by the pool. Here are some of my favorite photos from the trip.

As you can see, we indulged on cervezas, margaritas, and piña coladas, as well as pico de gallo and jicama with every enchilada, quesadilla, tortilla soup, or seafood meal. We dined at Tamales y Atoles Any, Deborah’s Chili Beans, Bogarts, and Ata Sushi Bar which I would recommend if you’re visiting.

We also saw a ton of animals, including dolphins we could see from the pool, bats at twilight, a gang of iguanas crossing the road and climbing trees, pelicans fishing along the shore all day, and crabs creeping around the pool. Unfortunately, many of the animals were hard to capture, but one evening we came across a huge colony of iguanas hiding in trees. I may have some video footage for a possible vlog soon.

While the surf was far too rough to swim in, we were more than set with our place’s two pools and the lack of noisy children around. If this is sounding like an incredible vacation, well that’s because it honestly was. I always hear about those “child free” resorts and wanted to know what it’s like. We kind of unintentionally got that, minus all the rowdy spring breakers. #getoffmylawn #26goingon46

For even more photos from my trip, be sure to follow me @chelseapearl on Instagram. I geotagged all of my photos to help prospective travelers find the good stuff. And don’t you worry, I obviously have a few beachy outfit posts lined up for the coming weeks. If you haven’t already, be sure to catch up on my Mexico empties, where I review all of my beach essentials I used up on the trip. Adios!