Acapulco
Acapulco was religiously named as “Santa Lucia” but its official name is “Acapulco de Juárez”. Acapulco is one of the main principal tourist destinations in the world and it is the major Mexican sea port located in the state of Guerrero southwest of Mexico. Visitors from around the world flow to Acapulco each year seeking beautiful beaches and crystal blue waters of the deepest azure. There are many recreational activities in Acapulco as well, with everything from deep sea fishing and scuba diving to tennis and golf competitions.Geography
Acapulco was built on a narrow strip of low ground, about 800 meters wide, between the shoreline and the lofty mountains that encircle the bay to the north and the east. Access to Acapulco city center from inland is through the mountains via a 2 kilometer tunnel that was constructed around the 1990s. A passage through the mountains, called Abra de San Nicolas, was constructed, and this passage allows cooling sea breezes to reach Acapulco city center.
The climate of Acapulco is tropical, with warm to hot temperatures year-round. Rains are heavily concentrated in summer, while winter is mostly dry and sunny.
The climate of Acapulco is tropical, with warm to hot temperatures year-round. Rains are heavily concentrated in summer, while winter is mostly dry and sunny.
Attractions & Activities
There are many other activities to do in Acapulco. Usually tourists are stuck between the wild nightlife and the beautiful beaches and spend their holidays in between this two. However we suggest you try something new in Acapulco. Cliff Diving is among these activities. Daily cliff diving tours are done and tours cost about $50 approximately. The price includes dinner and a stunning show of the Acapulco cliff divers and lasts about 3 hours. Another activity could be a visit to the Fort of San Diego. Touring the fort takes about 2-3 hours. Don’t forget to see little museum inside the fort. Another must-see is the Zocalo. Zocalo is the main public square and is the center of the “old” Acapulco. There are many restaurant and cafes in the Zocalo Square. Zocalo is best to be visited on Sundays. Bungee Jumping, Parasailing and Ballooning are also very famous activities in Acapulco. You can contact a local tour company for arranging these activities.
Other alternatives for spending a good time in Acapulco could be the water parks. There are 2 main water parks in Acapulco. Cici water park is located along Costera. You can also have a chance to swim with the dolphins at Cici. El Castillo de Los Moyis is a new themed water park near Cuesta. This waterpark is worth a visit with its nice restaurant and beach.
Other alternatives for spending a good time in Acapulco could be the water parks. There are 2 main water parks in Acapulco. Cici water park is located along Costera. You can also have a chance to swim with the dolphins at Cici. El Castillo de Los Moyis is a new themed water park near Cuesta. This waterpark is worth a visit with its nice restaurant and beach.
Shopping
For shopping alternatives, our first recommendation would be the Artisan’s Mall which is located across Plaza Bahia. You will find many cheap crafts and souvenirs in this open air mall. Be sure to make a negotiation for the price asked by the salesman. Zocalo Square (described above) is also a famous location for shopping in Acapulco. You will find hundreds of shops selling almost every kinds of gifts and stuff. If you prefer malls, La Gran Plaza is the most famous shopping mall in Acapulco. Another, but smaller, alternative is the Gallerias Diana. Gallerias Diana is smaller but has better shops and a Starbucks. Plaza Bahia is also smaller than the La Gran Plaza but has more local shops compared to the other malls described above.
History
The name Acapulco is derived from ancient Nahuatl words with the meaning ‘place of giant reeds.’ Archaeological findings show that when the Spanish discovered the Bahia de Acapulco in 1512, people had already been residents in Acapulco for about 2000 years.
The Spanish, eager to find a commercial route to Asia, built a port in Acapulco and ship building facilities in Acapulco were developed. In 1565, Friar Andres de Urdante discovered the Pacific trade winds that helped the commercial ships to quickly and safely reach Asia. For more than 300 years Spanish trading galleons made the annual voyage from Acapulco to the Philippines. Gold, silks, spices and other goods were unloaded in Acapulco, carried overland to Veracruz, then onto waiting ships for the transatlantic trip to Spain. Meanwhile, Dutch and English privateers such as Sir Francis Drake were busy plundering the ships. To protect their investments, the Spanish built the Fuerte de San Diego (San Diego Fortress). Unfortunately, it was the Mexican War of Independence (1810–1822), not pirates, that all of a sudden killed this trade route.
For the hundred years, Acapulco declined in importance and remained relatively isolated from the rest of the world until a road linked it with Mexico City in 1927. Rich Mexicans began travelling to Acapulco. Then Hollywood came into calling and by the 1950s Acapulco was becoming a attractive jet-set holiday resort. But by the 1970s, overdevelopment and overpopulation caused the Acapulco bay to become polluted with raw sewage. Foreign investors took their cash to the newer resorts of Cancun and Ixtapa. Once again, Acapulco’s heyday was over.
In the late 1990s, Acapulco launched a series of ambitious revitalization programs, pouring millions of dollars into cleaning up the Acapulco bay. The big move came in 2002, when American college students, attracted by cheap rooms and a welcoming eager hotel industry, began pouring into Acapulco, replacing Cancun as Mexico’s top Spring Break hot spot. Today, Acapulco is experiencing something of a renaissance, investing in luxury resorts, condos, boutique hotels and restaurants in hopes of reclaiming its unforgettable title as the ‘Pearl of the Pacific’.
The Spanish, eager to find a commercial route to Asia, built a port in Acapulco and ship building facilities in Acapulco were developed. In 1565, Friar Andres de Urdante discovered the Pacific trade winds that helped the commercial ships to quickly and safely reach Asia. For more than 300 years Spanish trading galleons made the annual voyage from Acapulco to the Philippines. Gold, silks, spices and other goods were unloaded in Acapulco, carried overland to Veracruz, then onto waiting ships for the transatlantic trip to Spain. Meanwhile, Dutch and English privateers such as Sir Francis Drake were busy plundering the ships. To protect their investments, the Spanish built the Fuerte de San Diego (San Diego Fortress). Unfortunately, it was the Mexican War of Independence (1810–1822), not pirates, that all of a sudden killed this trade route.
For the hundred years, Acapulco declined in importance and remained relatively isolated from the rest of the world until a road linked it with Mexico City in 1927. Rich Mexicans began travelling to Acapulco. Then Hollywood came into calling and by the 1950s Acapulco was becoming a attractive jet-set holiday resort. But by the 1970s, overdevelopment and overpopulation caused the Acapulco bay to become polluted with raw sewage. Foreign investors took their cash to the newer resorts of Cancun and Ixtapa. Once again, Acapulco’s heyday was over.
In the late 1990s, Acapulco launched a series of ambitious revitalization programs, pouring millions of dollars into cleaning up the Acapulco bay. The big move came in 2002, when American college students, attracted by cheap rooms and a welcoming eager hotel industry, began pouring into Acapulco, replacing Cancun as Mexico’s top Spring Break hot spot. Today, Acapulco is experiencing something of a renaissance, investing in luxury resorts, condos, boutique hotels and restaurants in hopes of reclaiming its unforgettable title as the ‘Pearl of the Pacific’.