Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Mexico

Pronounced iks-tap-ah and zee-hwa-tan-eh-ho, respectively, these lovely Mexican towns are separated by only four miles. The cobblestone streets of Zihuatanejo, formerly a fishing village, take you past a plethora of interesting shops and art galleries. Ixtapa, in contrast to the slightly more commercial nature of Zihuatanejo, is home to what the ancient Nahuatl Indians referred to as "the white place": a beautiful stretch of white-sand beaches.