Acapulco is a city with layers. The glamorous 1950s resort that attracted Hollywood is gone. The mega-hotel strip of the 1980s is faded. But underneath all that, there is a big, loud, Mexican beach city with genuinely interesting history and some of the best sunsets on the Pacific coast.
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Old Acapulco
The historic center around the Zocalo is the original Acapulco — a Spanish colonial port that handled the Manila Galleon trade between Asia and Mexico for 250 years. Fort San Diego, the star-shaped fortress on the waterfront, is now a museum covering the galleon era. It is one of the best colonial-era museums in Mexico and most tourists skip it entirely.
La Quebrada cliff divers still perform. Divers leap from 35-meter cliffs into a narrow cove, timing their jumps with the incoming waves. It is genuinely impressive. Shows happen several times daily.
The Hotel Zone
The Costera Miguel Aleman is the main hotel strip along Acapulco Bay. It has seen better days — many of the big hotels are tired. But the bay itself is beautiful, the sunsets are spectacular, and prices are far lower than other Mexican beach resorts.
Pie de la Cuesta
A 30-minute drive northwest of Acapulco, Pie de la Cuesta is a long beach on a sandbar between the Pacific and the Coyuca lagoon. No development to speak of, just palapas on the sand. The sunset here — looking west across the Pacific with the lagoon behind you — is one of the best I have seen anywhere in Mexico. The surf is rough so it is more of a sunset-watching beach than a swimming beach.
Getting There
Pullman de Morelos and Estrella de Oro buses run from Mexico City Terminal Sur (4-5 hours). The coastal highway from Zihuatanejo is about 4 hours by bus. Acapulco has an international airport with domestic flights.
