Perched on a hillside, Club Intrawest overlooks Zihuatanejo Bay,  famed for it's fishing village and the beach in the 1994 film Shawshank Redemption that Tim Robbins dreamed of escaping to in Mexico.  ©Gail Fisher

Reflecting palm fronds on a pool of tranquil blue and pink, the perspective plays tricks with one's mind.  Where the infinity pool at Club Intrawest ends, the sea begins, as dusk descends over Playa La Ropa in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. ©Gail Fisher

At the end of the day, sails are taken down on Playa La Ropa, one of Zihua's most magnificent beaches, a short a 20-minute walk or a five-minute taxi ride from town. ©Gail Fisher 

Polo Flores, right and Gustavo Farfan, left, were our fishing and snorkeling guides aboard the "Reny," where we spent the day enjoying the the Zihuatanejo Bay from a different perspective. ©Gail Fisher 

From the perceptive of the "Reny," our fishing boat, Polo Flores, guide, waves to a swimmer as he approaches Club Intrawest Vacation Club on the shore of Playa La Ropa where we were staying for the week in Zihua. ©Gail Fisher 

The locals enjoy an evening at Playa La Madera, (Wood Beach), a half mile stretch of sand where humble family eateries, restaurants, bungalows and hotels dot the cement and sand walkway. ©Gail Fisher 

Locals sell their wares including hammocks on Zihua's Playa La Ropa, or "Clothing Beach." According to legend, the beach got it's name when a Chinese textile ship crashed and spilled it's silks which washed up on the sand. ©Gail Fisher 

As the sun begins to rise over the calm bay, fishing boats return from a night's work to Playa Principal, the main beach in the center of town of Zihuatanejo. ©Gail Fisher 

At the first rays of dawn, the morning light illuminates fishermen hauling up their boats on the main beach in Zihua. ©Gail Fisher

Locals enjoy a game of soccer in the early morning hours at the public basketball court on the waterfront in the main plaza in Zihuatanejo. ©Gail Fisher 

Visitors can enjoy the natural charms of the local fishing scene in the mornings at Playa Principal where the beach in Zihua turns into a lively market. ©Gail Fisher

Left, Juan Metador Sacristan sells fruits and vegetables daily in his cart along Paseo del Pescado(Fisherman's Walk) in Zihua as Mateo Maldonado, right, holds up a small Sierra he caught during the early morning hours. ©Gail Fisher 

Mahi-Mahi, Bonita, Black Shipjack, Sierra, Wahoo, Tuna, are an assortment of some of the fish that are caught in the waters of Zihuatanejo. ©Gail Fisher 

Zihuatanejo, in the state of Guerrero, only four miles south of Ixtapa's bustling high-rise hotels, has a laid back vibe surrounded by cliffs, sand and sea. A fisherman tries his luck casting a line on Playa Principal. ©Gail Fisher 

Along the trees, perched on branches, during the morning hours, Great Egrets nest in the inlet leading to the Muelle Pier in the Bay of Zihuatanejo.  ©Gail Fisher

The Great Egret is a migratory bird, moving south and sometimes making it's home in the warm winters in the inlets of Zihuatanejo, Mexico. ©Gail Fisher

Fishing boats line the inlet leading to the Muelle Pier where water taxis ferry tourists to Playa Las Gatos, a popular beach for snorkeling, located across Zihuatanejo's Bay for 40 peso or $3 USD. ©Gail Fisher

Located at Playa La Ropa, diners at El Manglar from table side, can observe American Crocodiles swimming through the mangrove trees. Earlier in the week, the Fire Department had to remove one of these crocs from Zihua's beach when it wandered out of the estuary. ©Gail Fisher

Primarily a herbivore, Green Iguanas, full grown, can average 6 feet and weigh 11 pounds, leap quickly from branch to branch like this one seen sunning himself at the estuary near the patio at El Manglar restaurant. ©Gail Fisher

The magic of Zihuatanejo is in early morning light, when the colors seem to vibrate and give life to reflections on a Great Egret in the placid inlet off the Bay. ©Gail Fisher