Spotlight:
Acapulco – Fun For All
By Edited By Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady
Sep 12, 2006, 5:24am

The world gathers in Acapulco, a paradisiacal port on the Pacific Coast where visitors can enjoy the sun, sand and sea on its 12.5 miles of beaches that run from Barra Vieja to Pie de la Cuesta, passing through the classic golden sand sites known as Hornos, Condesa, Caleta and Caletilla. The Acapulco beaches are ideal for practicing any of the water sports that are available in this tourist destination or simply resting and relaxing to the sound of ocean waves.

Acapulco seduces the senses of its visitors with its natural beauty, ocean breeze, sunsets and intense night life and conquers palates with a large variety of dishes that satisfies the most demanding tastes.

NATURAL WONDER
Acapulco is the sunny destination par excellence with 300 sunny days per year and 12.5 miles of beaches that go from Barra Vieja to Pie de la Cuesta. Very few cities in the world have average temperatures that range from 70ºF to 90ºF year-round, in addition to Acapulco’s incomparable tourist attractions, its majestic natural beauties, the warmth of its people, and great entertainment and fun that lasts 24 hours a day.
Besides the sun, the sand and the sea, Acapulco has a large number of interesting sites that are full of magic and history, such as the spectacular Museum at the San Diego Fort, the House of Masks, the Palma Sola archeological zone, or the impressive Diego Rivera Mural, which is located in Acapulco’s traditional zone very near to the famous La Quebrada diving cliff.
But that’s not all, this beautiful port is also full of natural beauty and opportunities for adventure sports. Dare to break out of your routine and spend an unforgettable vacation sailing on the Tres Palos Lagoon, or skiing on the Pie de la Cuesta Lagoon, or enjoying the wild flora and fauna at the Puerto Marqués Lagoon where you can also admire the
Botanical gardens. Needless to say, you will certainly be surprised with the marvelous wonders that are hidden in this paradisiacal port.

RESTAURANTS AND NIGHT LIFE: Acapulco has more than 160 restaurants with spectacular views over the bay, with offerings of national and international cuisine, including each location’s respective and original specialty. The majority of the restaurants also have bars where you extend your stay with a good drink after enjoying a delicious meal. Acapulco’s vibrant and exciting nightlife is famous worldwide; this is the spot that features the best nightclubs, where you are sure to enjoy a great night of fun, thus making your day last from sun to sun.
SPAS: Acapulco is the ideal place for visitors to forget stress, the exhausting rhythm the large metropolis and the routine labor life of this new millennium, offering that spiritual peace and full contact with nature by the side of the sea, in the sun and on the beach.
To ensure this peace and quiet, Acapulco has world-class Spas in some of the hotels in the city that offer the best opportunity to relax. The Spas adapt to the pocketbooks of all individuals who are willing to enjoy the tranquility of the sea and the natural beauties of this destination, helping awaken their feelings, energizing their bodies and removing them from the daily mundane concerns, to dedicate a few minutes to their physical and mental health.
SHOPPING: The port offers a large number and great variety of stores and shopping centers to satisfy each visitor’s shopping needs and tastes. The main shopping centers in the city include La Gran Plaza and Plaza Bahía that include a variety of boutiques, clothing stores, shoe stores, jewelries, and high-end department stores, national restaurant chains, movie complexes, bowling alleys, art expositions and many options packed with family fun and entertainment.
SPORTS-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Acapulco offers the largest variety of activities, in or out of the sea, as well as more than 50 tennis courts throughout the city and in certain hotels. Another great, traditional and sophisticated sport that attracts an ever-growing number of fans is golf. Golf courses in Acapulco are world-class and at a championship level, surrounded by unique and singular beauty. This destination has four spectacular 18-hole golf courses located at the Mayan Palace Hotel, The Fairmont Acapulco Princess Hotel, The Fairmont Pierre Marques and the
extraordinary Tres Vidas course on the side of the sea, in addition to the Golf Acapulco Club with its nine-hole golf course.
People who enjoy extreme sports can take the dare and bungee jump from a platform that is 165 feet high. We recommend a ride on Shotover Jet fast boats on the Puerto Marqués lagoon, or a jungle tour through the Coyuca Lagoon mangroves for people who love nature and eco-touristic activities. Those who love water sports can take a yacht or boat to practice sports fishing, sailing, snorkeling, and windsurfing, jet skiing, or simply walking on the beach. Acapulco offers endless opportunities and activities for every single individual who wishes to visit this paradisiacal spot.
Surfing is another sport you can practice on some of the beaches in the port, such as the Revolcadero or Pie de la Cuesta beaches recommended for the most intrepid, while the Condesa beach is a great option for beginners.
On the other hand, Tennis or the white sport, has regained a great deal of importance in the port thanks to championships such as the Mexican Open that has gathered a large number of international players. The port’s hotels feature great open tennis facilities and offer specialized programs for children, youth and adults alike.
Bowling is another recreational activity the port offers and the Bahía shopping center has 28 automated tables to ensure you are able to spend hours of fun with your family and friends.
Visitors can also engage in a wide variety of eco-touristic activities in this marvelous port of Acapulco. One example can be found in the Botanical Garden that recently opened its doors to the public and is located on a six hectare extension of land within the deciduous tropical jungle. This beautiful site is home to a great variety of native regional plants and its principal objective is to conserve biodiversity and the zone’s natural flora and fauna. The magic of this site will fill you with energy and offer you the opportunity to learn a little more about the wildlife that abounds in this extraordinary site that offers a great panoramic view of the bay.
Other places that have conserved their natural beauty over the course of the years include the Pie de la Cuesta Lagoon, also known as the Coyuca Lagoon, a natural sanctuary bordered by coconut trees, leafy palm trees and a vast variety of fauna that offers visitors the opportunity to practice different water sports such as skiing, sailing and fishing.
CULTURE: Don’t let the opportunity slip away and make sure you get out and visit one of the sites that have been present throughout the course of the time.
THE SAN DIEGO FORT: This marvelous architectural jewel calls for a mandatory visit as you visit the Acapulco that was built in 1616 to defend the port from pirate attacks and now houses the Historical San Diego Fort Museum with 12 permanent exposition halls and one temporary exposition hall that exhibits interesting collections of objects related to Chinese Nao, religious objects, objects for daily use, cloths, maps and ancient drawings. The Fort also features a multimedia nighttime show that narrates the history of the port of Acapulco and caters to groups in high season, with previous reservations.
THE HOUSE OF MASKS: Located on the side of the San Diego Fort in the Cultural Corridor, the House of Masks offers visitors the opportunity to discover this unique artistic expression. Artisans from the State of Guerrero lead us with multicolored masks on a fantastic journey through their religion and culture, as the mask is still closely related to their traditions and dances in certain towns and villages and is considered one of the richest forms of expression in popular art in the State of Guerrero.
HISTORICAL NAVY MUSEUM: Located downtown, the Historical Navy Museum of Acapulco plays a significant role in the history and culture of the Santa Lucía Bay that served as the most important port of trade for more than 250 years in the Hispanic new Pacific. The Museum has a library with a specialized collection on marine topics and a model boat construction workshop that is open to the public and visitors who are able to observe the detailed construction of navy model boats that are built to be included in the Museum’s collection. The workshop also offers the use of drawings, materials and techniques that correspond to the construction of the original navy fleet.
Thus the world gathers in Acapulco around the endless list of international events the Port celebrates throughout the course of the year.
Forthcoming events in the Port of Acapulco include:
Mexican Party’s brought to you from Acapulco (September)
The Acapulco 2006 International Golf Tournament, featuring Lorena Ochoa (September)
The International Air Show (November)

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