Mexico

Maybe it's the romantic history of spice ships and pirates; maybe it's the golden beaches, tropical jungles and lagoons; or perhaps it's the high-rise hotels, glittery nightlife and famous daredevil cliff-divers that have made Acapulco the first and foremost resort town in Mexico.

Before the 20th century

Acapulco was named by the Náhua tribe: the name means 'where the reeds stood' or 'place of giant reeds'. Archaeological finds show that by the time the Spaniards arrived, people had been living around the bay area for about 2000 years, and had moved from being a hunter-gatherer society to being an agricultural one. The Náhua were conquered by the Aztec empire about a hundred years before it in turn fell to the Spanish conquistadors.

By order of Hernán Cortés, Spanish sailors took the Bahía de Acapulco in 1521. Port and shipbuilding facilities were established here because of the substantial natural harbor, and it was the jumping-off point for further explorations and conquests, such as that of Peru. Acapulco became the only port in the New World authorized to receive Spanish galleons from the Philippines and China. It was therefore an important link in the trade route between Europe and the Orient, the longest and most profitable commercial route in the world, and remained so until the early 19th century. Goods transported through its port included spices, silks, ivory, jade, porcelain and slaves. During the annual Acapulco Fair, lasting three to eight weeks after the galleons arrived from Manila in spring, traders converged on Acapulco from Mexico City, Manila and Peru.

All this treasure was an invitation Dutch and English pirates could not resist, and by the 17th century their ships abounded in the Pacific and along the coastlines of Mexico and Baja California. To ward off the pirates, Fuerte de San Diego was built atop a low hill overlooking the bay.

Because of the sea port's strategic importance to the Spanish crown, Fuerte de San Diego became a focus of rebellion in 1812, when the discontented population rose up against their Spanish colonial rulers in the War of Independence. The royalists were besieged in the fort for four months before finally surrendering to the Mexican troops. Much of the city was subsequently destroyed, and as independent Mexico severed most of its trade links with Spain and Spain's colonies, Acapulco fell into decline for the next hundred years.

Modern history

The city's isolation from the rest of the world ended when a paved road was built in 1927 linking it with Mexico City. As the capital grew larger its citizens began flocking to the Pacific coast for vacations. A new international airport was built, and by the 1960s Acapulco was a booming resort, its reputation as a playground for the rich and famous.

Acapulco later declined in favor somewhat as it began to succumb to pollution and over-development. A massive clean-up program was undertaken in the 1990s, including hotel renovations and infrastructure improvements as well as water-treatment plants. Unfortunately, it was hindered by Hurricane Pauline, which pounded the city in 1997, killing hundreds with high winds, flooding and mud slides.

Recent history

In 1999 Mayor Zepherino Torreblanca was voted in as Acapulco's first opposition-party mayor since 1923, with promises that he would restore some of Acapulco's prestige, clean up the environment and redistribute its profits to the city's poor. Competition from Ixtapa and Huatulco - carefully designed to shield tourists from the ugly truths of Mexican poverty - means only a fifth of visitors to Acapulco are from overseas; the bulk of visitors are from Mexico City's middle class. Spring-breakers from the US, attracted by discounted rooms and a welcoming hotel industry, began coming to Acapulco in droves in 2002, shifting the balance towards a younger crowd.

Top Accommodation

Top Restaurants

Acapulco's weather is fantastic all year round. The wet months are between June and October but temperatures stay comfortable across this period and the humidity never gives too much cause for complaint.

Average weather

• Temperature
• Rainfall
• Sunshine

Transport

Getting around

Acapulco has a good local bus system, with buses every few minutes to most places you'd want to go. The fancier, yellow, air-conditioned buses that ply La Costera along the bay cost slightly more. All have their destinations clearly marked on the windshield. Walking along La Costera is easy (although crossing it can be chancy); a novel alternative is a decorated horse-drawn cart.

Hundreds of blue-and-white VW cabs scurry around Acapulco like cockroaches, maneuvering with an audacity that borders on the comical. Drivers sometimes quote fares higher than the official ones, so ask locals the going rate for your ride and agree on the fare with the cabby before you climb in.

Be aware when trying to find your way around Acapulco that street names and numbers are generally not logical or well marked.

Getting there and away

Acapulco's Alvarez International Airport is a busy hub, particularly for flights to and from the United States but also from Europe and Canada. Many flights connect through Mexico City or Guadalajara, both short hops from Acapulco. The airport is 23km (14mi) southeast of the city center and there are shuttles that will take you into town. Acapulco has two major, 1st-class long-distance bus companies: Estrella de Oro and Estrella Blanca. Both offer frequent services, with various levels of luxury, to Mexico City and other major cities in the country, from where you can catch cross-border buses. Many car rental companies hire out Jeeps as well as cars. Several have offices at the airport as well as in town and some offer free doorstop delivery. Acapulco is one of Mexico's busiest ports, and visitors also arrive by cruise ship.

Health & Legal Requirements

Dangers and annoyances

A 2006 report ranked Acapulco fifth among Mexican cities for number of crimes committed per capita, which surpasses Mexico City. Smugglers use the Guerrero coast as a drop point for shipments of cocaine from Colombia, much of which then passes through Acapulco on its way to the United States. A significant portion is sold for use within the city itself, mostly in the form of crack. Violence between rival drug cartels has escalated greatly, and in late 2005 it may have spilled over (no one's talking) into a touristed area when four city residents were killed in a hail of bullets in the parking lot of La Quebrada. At least 15 people died in drug-related violence in early 2006, including four killed in a dramatic shootout between police and suspected traffickers on a downtown street a couple of kilometers inland from the beach.

Still, tourists who avoid Acapulco's inland neighborhoods probably have more to fear from the rough surf at Playa Revolcadero (which does claim lives), the raw sewage that flows into the bay following rains and the traffic on La Costera.

The Casa Consular receives many reports from visitors who have suffered thefts from their hotel rooms in the area around the zócalo. Secure your valuables!