Nestled between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Mexican Riviera, Troncones is located 30KM north of Zihuatanejo, in the state of Guerrero.
Troncones is part of the Ejido General Emiliano Zapata. Ejidos were one of the important results of the Mexican Revolution. They were a means by which people could acquire ownership of land. Under the Agrarian Land Laws of Mexico people who lived in an area and who worked the land could apply for ownership via an Ejido. Ejido lands were communally owned but individuals had rights to home sites and land that they farmed. During the 1990’s in the era known as the “Neo Liberal Reforms” the Mexican Constitution was amended to allow for Ejido members; Ejidatarios to own land directly.
In the early 1970’s a group of families settled in the Troncones area and applied to the Government to establish an Ejido. The Ejido, comprising about 1,600 hectares (about 3,950 acres) was granted in 1978. There were 53 Ejidatarios from ten to thirteen families. Later they applied to privatize the land and were granted ownership in the form of lots and parcels in 1994. Some parts of the Ejido were retained as communal or Ejido owned land. The village church, fairgrounds, clinic and schools are located on Ejido land.
After the development of the beach resort in Ixtapa in the 1970’s Troncones began to attract visitors. After the land was privatized, several foreigners bought beach lots and developed small hotels. As time went on Troncones, with its lovely beach and quiet life style became a tourist destination.
In its early days access to the village was via a dirt road from the highway and along the beach. There was no electricity and no phone service. Electricity was brought in to the village in about 1990. Phone service was installed in 1999.
In 1999 a group of residents and business owners from “the beach” formed the Association for the Preservation of the Environment of Troncones (APCAT). The objective of the association was to work with the Ejido to promote development in the community. The first projects were a bridge, water supply, road maintenance, electric upgrade, and telephone service.
Throughout its history APCAT has worked closely with the Ejido. From 2004 to 2007 the Ejido, villagers, APCAT and the Municipal Government worked together to drill a new well and upgrade the village water system.
The beach road was paved from 2012 to 2016. Electricity, phone service and internet were upgraded in 2015. From 2017 to 2018 a second well was drilled and additions to the village water system were made.
Today Troncones is a modern village with a resident population of about 1,000 people.