Articles about Acapulco
City Info

About Acapulco City

by: Travel by México

About Acapulco City, Acapulco
City Info

About Acapulco City

by: Travel by México

Acapulco is perhaps the most important touristic destination in the country due to its proximity with Mexico City. But the truth is that it has always been a special meeting place thanks to the magic that it encompasses.

Founded approximately two thousand years ago by the Tiahualca Indians, it become later on in the time of Hernan Cortes, a shipbuilding center, as well as a departure point for multiple expeditions along the Pacific throughout the 16th century. An important quantity of raw materials coming from the far east also arrived to its coasts, but this seaport was destined to grow towards another direction.

By 1945 the highway that would connect it directly with the great capital would be finished, making it possible in those times to simplify the long and exhausting trip to only 6 hours. By 1964 the International Airport of Acapulco would be built, turning it into a real international jet-set paradise that, nowadays, continues its worldwide fame.

Acapulco recently received a large sum investment destined to the infrastructure’s restoration and expansion, making it possible for the touristic area to be extended as far as Barra Vieja, including the Punta Diamante. Big hotel chains and simple inns have met increased visitors’ demands, making it possible to offer lodgings to all kinds of tourists. However, it is certain that the most famous and frequented hotels are located along the harbor’s beaches, which buzz with the noise of bathers, street vendors, and with the many entertainments offered, one after another.

Acapulco is a collection of attractions of all sorts: endless parties in all of the night clubs or restaurants along the Costera Miguel Aleman Avenue, stores that offer all kinds of crafts and souvenirs, boutiques with the most recent European fashions and fine jewelry, exclusive residential areas owned by famous artists, the Yacht Club, large capacity convention centers and, last but not least, an ideal location for organizing cultural and artistic festivals for the masses.

The diversity of water sports or entertainment found in this famous port is so vast that it satisfies any visitor: deep sea fishing, water skiing, scuba-diving, parachuting, gliding, wind-surfing, jet skiing, bungee jumping, day excursions by boat or speed boating along the Papagayo River.  And of course, we couldn’t leave out the tennis courts and  golf courses, which have been the headquarters of multiple international tournaments and cups.

But Acapulco, aside from being a city of unlimited fun, is also a city which is rich in history and monuments, the legacy of past centuries. For example the San Diego Fort,  built in the 17th century in order to protect the seaport from pirate attacks, serves today as the site of the Acapulco Historical Museum (Museo Histórico de Acapulco). In the so called Acapulco Viejo (Old Acapulco), where the zócalo is situated, still stands the architectural enchantment of the Our Lady of Solitude Cathedral (Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad), surrounded by outdoor restaurants with live music. Visitors can rent from this spot motorboats with which one can navigate and fully appreciate the harbor, arriving to the cross that adorns the bay and that is part of the Ecumenical Peace Chapel (Capilla Ecuménica de la Paz).

And how can we leave out our awe for the audacity of the La Quebrada divers who jump from the top of a cliff  40 meters high in order to plunge precisely into a narrow canal 7 meters wide and 4 meters deep! During the night the divers continue to amaze the spectators, by lighting the dangerous descent with lit torches.

There is no doubt that the natural environment of Acapulco is also one of the reasons why it has received such attention. For people who enjoy eco-tourism, fascinating excursions by boat take you to the Laguna de Coyuca, looking over the canals which twist around the dense underbrush of the area. And at the Laguna de Tres Palos, the birds with multicolored plumage fly over the outskirts, forming their own natural habitat to be another of the attractions which catches the attention of nature lovers.

And what would this sunny paradise be without sunbathing. At Bahia Santa Lucia tourists spread their towels over the sand, and abandon themselves in pure relaxation while sipping on a refreshing drink or enjoying a seafood cocktail.

The beaches: Pie de la Cuesta, Caleta or Caletilla, are ideal for longer stays lounging in a comfortable chair or just enjoying the warmth of the sand. And Revolcadero is the perfect location for those who surf, or Puerto Marques offers the excitement of jet skiing in its waters. This is Acapulco! The ideal bay to be enjoyed 365 days of the year.