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For twenty years, fashion designer Betsey Johnson has been traveling to Mexico’s Pacific Coast where she owns two villas (to read about these unique properties, both of which can be rented, click here). Here she shares some of her top recommendations:

When you travel in Mexico where do you go? I love San Miguel de Allende. When I was decorating Villa Betsey, I was imagining an old monastery with arched ceilings and chandeliers in San Miguel. Occasionally, I also make the drive into the mountains to the colonial town of Pátzcuaro, which I love for its architecture and isolation. I went there even before the superhighway was finished to buy things for Betseyville, like costumes, embroidered textiles and ceramic dishes. I still get my rugs and new mats from there.”

What restaurants do you like in Zihuatanejo? “Almost every night I’m at Betseyville, I feel compelled to drive into Zihuatanejo for dinner. I love the Il Mare restaurant (Carretera Escenica; +52 755-554-9067; www.ilmareristorante.com) run by an Italian Mexican guy. It’s right near the hotel La Casa Que Canta. They always play all the songs from Moonstruck. It has great views over the harbor. It’s just fun and loud and Fernando, the owner, is great. In town I like this little hideaway with a garden and twinkling lights called Caprichos Grill House (4 Cinco de Mayo; +52 755-554-3019; www.caprichosgrill.com).

And what about hotels? “Before Betseyville I used to stay at La Casa Que Canta, (Camino Escenico; +52 755-555-7000; from the U.S.: 888-523-5050; www.lacasaquecanta.com), which has a great restaurant. Now if I want to spend a night in Zihuatanejo, I’ll stay on the beach at Hotel Villa del Sol (Playa La Ropa; +52 755-555-5500; from the U.S.: 888-389-2645; www.hotelvilladelsol.net). La Casa Que Canta is mostly couples, but at Villa del Sol I feel free. I love it for being in middle of Playa La Ropa. It’s very upscale and has a very good restaurant.”

What are your favorite travel memories outside Mexico? “I stayed at the old La Mamounia in Marrakech when it was the original palace with flowers floating in every fountain. I remember it as being the most beautiful and lush place, and I would get all hennaed up and dye my hair red and feel exotic.”

Where and how do you like to travel now? “Despite being a grandmother, I still like getting on a plane and going to a new place. After my Mexico houses, all I want to do is go to hotels again. I want to discover new places and new people and new restaurants. I can’t wait until Layla grows old enough to travel with me. I have been trying to get back to Marrakech, and I want to go back to Greece. I really like Santorini. The real difference between then and now is the time in between. I have so many great memories of countries long ago that I’m scared to go to now because I can’t see them in that same fresh first-time exotic way. I also want absolute luxury now, but I don’t want to be so insulated in a hotel world. I want luxury and real primitive funkiness, so it’s a hard mix. I get depressed when I go too long into a five-star hotel zone. I find myself in a taxi trying to find the real deal restaurant or market.”