Touristic port on the Pacific Coast of Mexico
Acapulco Bay, Mexico
Even though it has a long history as an important commercial port for the Pacific coast of Mexico, Acapulco, known as the “Pearl of the Pacific” didn’t come into its own as a resort and tourist magnet until the 50′s and 60′s when the up-and-coming Hollywood crowd took it over as its favorite hangout. Tourists began flocking to its gorgeous bay and golden sanded, palm-lined beaches and marveling over the spectacular cliff divers of La Quebrada, who drop from 136-foot crags into a narrow inlet of water and tremendous surf on the shores of the Pacific.
Acapulco beach hotels
Acapulco is located 326 km from Mexico City and is connected to that metropolis by a new toll highway that has cut travel times to much less than half of what they were in the 70′s and 80′s. It’s now about a 3-1/2 hour drive whereas it used to take 7 and 8 hours. It is connected along the coast to Ixtapa Zihuatanejo to the north and Puerto Escondido and Huatulco to the south by Federal highway 200.
The drive to Ixtapa Zihuatanejo is about 3 hours. By bus, it usually takes a little longer because of the stops along the way… budget about 4 hours if you’re making the trip in that fashion. To Puerto Escondido, the trip is usually 5 to 6 hours.
Acapulco is serviced by direct flights from a multitude of international points of departure, with many flights also arriving through connections via Mexico City, and a large number of cruise ship companies service the port during much of the year.
Acapulco’s old town port area is a beehive of small, crowded streets, and in this area is found the town’s municipal market, a major distribution center for produce as well as other staples and dry goods.
The Costera Miguel Aleman constitutes Acapulco’s hotel row and stretches along the gentle curve of its well-protected bay toward the hills to the south of town, providing access to unlimited shopping, restaurants, hotels and activities providers as well as to the beaches themselves. Along this stretch, from just past the downtown area all the way over the hill toward the airport, is every imaginable size, shape and category of hotels, boutiques, restaurants and bars, discos and yes, shopping malls — including Wal-mart, Sam’s Club, Sanborn’s, Bodega Aurrera and Comercial Mexicana mega stores, Costco, Baskin and Robbins ice cream parlors, McDonald’s, Subway and more.
Almost all of Acapulco’s most coveted activities and hangouts are located along this strip. The city has a plenty of night life , clubs and discotheques, and its many superb restaurants specialize in wonderful seafood as well as offering fine, international cuisine.
This destination offers more than twenty beaches and a plethora of water sports and beach activities including sport fishing, scuba diving and snorkeling, bungee jumping, water skiiing, para-sailing, beach volleyball and horseback riding. Golfing is another popular activity at both the Acapulco Princess Golf Course and the Club de Golf Acapulco.
Acapulco Attractions and Activities:
San Diego Fort, Acapulco
The Fort of San Diego (Fuerte de San Diego), in the old town of Acapulco overlooking the port and cruise ship docks, is an historical landmark that was built in the early 1600′s and restored in the 18th C after it was destroyed by an earthquake. The pentagonal structure now hold Acapulco’s Museum of History.
Tour to Isla La Roqueta and a view of the Underwater Chapel (La Capilla Submarina) – glass-bottomed boats that allow one to see the underwater life, take visitors to the island and over an underwater shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico’s patron saint. The island itself has good beaches and restaurants for a day of beachside relaxation. Boat tours leave from the Caleta pier (Muelle de Caleta).
The Cathedral, Nuestra Senora de la Soledad, is located on Acapulco’s main plaza or zocalo in downtown Acapulco. It is a modern structure, built in 1930 featuring distinctive blue domes and other unusual designs and statuary, certainly worthy of a visit.
The Centro Internacional de Convenciones Acapulco (CICA) or Acapulco Convention Center is Acapulco’s pride. Located at Ave. Costera Miguel Alemán No. 4455 within the city’s prime touristic zone, the Convention Center complex was built in the 1970s and comprises several buildings in the midst of landscaped gardens. The center contains several theaters and there are often exhibitions, special activities and attractions, concerts, festivals and workshops going on that are of interest both to visitors to Acapulco and its own residents.
The cliff divers of La Quebrada is a show of extraordinary diving skills not to be missed. Generations of divers have dived from the rugged cliffs of La Quebrada, dropping nearly 140 feet into a the surf pounding a narrow inlet of the sea below. There are shows daily at 1 p.m. and there are also evening dives with the cliffs spectacularly lit.
The Beaches of Acapulco
Of course Acapulco’s beaches and the myriad of watersports are one of the great attractions of this resort area. Acapulco’s main beaches are:
Pie de la Cuesta
Caleta Beach (Playa Caleta): The original, old Acapulco town beach, great for swimming but also can be quite crowded and overrun by wandering vendors plying you with food, beach clothing, jewelry and other souvenirs.
Icacos Beach (Playa Icacos): Beach in the area of La Palapa Hotel that is a popular spot for sunlovers and water sports fun-seekers. A place to find para-sailing, jet-skis, or to take a ride in a hot air balloon.
Condesa Beach (Playa Condesa): Another of the popular main beaches accessible from Acapulco’s hotel row. Vendors and sports opportunities abound.
Puerto Marques: Located 15-20 minutes outside of the main hotel row area on the way to the airport to the south. A calmer beach.
Revolcadero Beach (Playa Revolcadero): A more solitary and private beach near the Princess Hotel south of town. Surfing events are often held here.
Bonfil Beach (Playa Bonfil): Located between Puerto Marques and Playa Revolcadero, Bonfil offers a more tranquil beach scene than the town beaches and is a favorite surfing spot in Acapulco.
Pie de la Cuesta: Just outside of town to the north, an open-ocean beach that can have powerful waves. Great beach for watching spectacular sunsets, with good, simple thatched-roof seafood restaurants.
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