My visit to Club Med Ixtapa in 1994 came on the heels of four idyllic days spent with my then seven-year-old daughter in the quaint Mexican fishing village of Zihuatanejo. While we hated to leave "Z," we decided to keep to our schedule and headed up the coast to Club Med, an all-inclusive resort village set on the Pacific Coast. We were going on the recommendation of adventurous friends who had switched to vacationing at Club Med villages once they had kids; they swore it was the easiest family vacation for busy working parents. Club Med had refined its hugely successful singles concept and made it work for families: kids' clubs, in place during school holidays, were broken into five age groups, including one for toddlers and one for teens.

My first impressions were good. All paths lead to the heart of the Mediterranean-style village, a grand plaza with a main restaurant, a bar, a huge swimming pool and a showroom for nightly entertainment. The beach, which borders the village, is long enough to offer both solitude and camaraderie. Before we could even unpack, it was sunset--the hour to drop Nicole off at the Mini-Club, where she would have dinner and an evening activity with her peers and counselors, or G.O.'s (gentils organisateurs, French for congenial hosts). Then she would rejoin me at 9 P.M. for the evening's cabaret show. As we crossed the village, I think we were feeling some antipathy to the idea of separation, and she clutched me a little before she left. I went off to watch the sun drop behind Ixtapa Island, at last finding time to write in my journal.

Soon I saw the Mini-Club children scattering in all directions, deep into a treasure hunt. Nicole came running up to me with her new friend, Mary, excitedly recounting what they had to find. She was elated by the company of kids, and a new phase of our vacation began. With her peers, Nicole tried out scuba gear in the pool, tennis lessons, games, arts and crafts and swimming. I got to be a kid, too, playing tennis, windsurfing and games of pool volleyball.

The high point for Nicole was the circus workshop, a weeklong training session that culminates in a remarkable performance complete with trapeze acts, juggling, acrobatics and clowning. I couldn't screw up my courage to try the trapeze myself, but it was enough for me to watch Nicole, strong and fearless, as she climbed the rope ladder to grab the high-flying trapeze, thrilled with the opportunity to soar.

OPEN:

Mid-November to May

BEST TIME TO GO:

Winter or Spring

BEST PARENTS' NIGHT OUT:

Children eat early and then have an evening activity, offering parents free time together until the family is reunited at 9 P.M. for the evening show.

BEST ACTIVITY FOR KIDS:

The circus, unquestionably, tops the list. Everyone is a star under the guidance of expert trainers. To watch a child suddenly blossom under glittery makeup, leotards and stage lights might be worth the price of the vacation to some parents.

BEST WAY TO RELAX:

Sleep on the beach, read a book by the pool, bodysurf and cherish the absence of television and telephones.

Please call 800-CLUB-MED for current prices and package information.

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated July 2005.