Spotlight:
Acapulco Continues Reign as Mexico's Legendary Beach Resort
By Acapulco.com
Jan 13, 2004, 7:23am

Acapulco: The mere mention of its name conjures images of glamour, sunbathing celebrities, romantic walks along the beach, and some of the best discos along the Pacific. As Mexico's first major beach resort and tourist destination, this city initially made its mark on the map as a playground for the rich and famous of the 1950s; today, its chic popularity has been rivaled by other Pacific Coast resorts.

Yet, Acapulco remains the mother of all resorts, not only in terms of age and size but also in terms of the great variety it offers. No matter the size of your vacation budget, here you will find the epitome of the carefree ambience for which Mexico is famous. For those seeking the never-ending party, lively bars, restaurants, and discos line the Costera Miguel Aleman, the city's main hotel strip; a number of sandy beaches await the tender steps of romantic couples; and shops, parks, and the world's only island zoo--on Roqueta Island--stand ready for the steady influx of vacationing families.

As for accommodations, this resort city boasts over 300 hotels and villas, plus dozens of affordable beachfront motels. The birthplace of the Mexican resort industry, Acapulco also holds bragging rights to a number of vacation staples such as cliff-diving, tequila poppers, the swim-up pool bar, and hotel rooms with private swimming pools. What's more, the bay's long stretch of scenic beaches, especially Playa Condesa, offers many watersport sand boating opportunities, not to mention excellent people watching.

Acapulco's resort activities center around three main areas. Puerto Marqués lies just past the southern tip of the Bay en route to the airport; here you will find both a residential area and the location of a multi-million dollar self-contained complex of resorts, golf courses, and marinas. Many of Acapulco's most famous and exclusive resorts, however, lie nestled in the steep hillsides of the Bay between Puerto Marqués and downtown. This forms the heart of the city's vacation strip and includes the majority of luxurious high-rise hotels; high-energy night haunts, such as the glittering Palladium, Enigma, and Zucca; fabulous beaches, suitable for both morning and afternoon bathing; and a multitude of dining and shopping opportunities.

Acapulco's downtown area rests on the northwestern edge of the bay, and is the location of "Old Acapulco," the small, rustic town that gave rise to the extravagant resort. Also located here is the zócalo, the original town square, which makes an excellent place to relax for a moment and catch one's breath, as does a stroll through Plaza Álvarez. Lodgings in this downtown area are generally less expensive and much less fancy than in the rest of Acapulco.

New visitors to this long-established resort town should be aware that this is a land where temperatures tend to hover around 80 degrees and where tropical showers are generally brief and occur at night, which means that they rarely interfere with the long stretches of sun shining down upon each day.

This is also a land where life does not slow once the sun goes down; the pace here is literally non-stop. As a city of close to 1.5 million full-time residents, its tempo is more urbane than idyllic. If you enjoy a secluded beach resort, this town is probably not for you. However, if old-fashioned glamour, style-consciousness, non-stop action, and great weather are what you're after, Acapulco still offers everything you might need for your dream vacation.

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