Acapulco
Acapulco has hosted yachting as part of the 1968 Summer Olympics. The city was devastated by Hurricane Pauline in 1997.
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Acapulco as a holiday resort
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (August 2007) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Since the 20th century, Acapulco has been a popular resort for tourists taking long holiday weekends and cruises from the United States, the Mexican interior and countries in South America. Eventually, it began competing directly with the Cancún on the East Coast as a super-tourist destination. In the past three decades, air fares have become increasingly affordable as international airlines added flights and infrastructure to support the increasing air travel. The two beach resorts are located on opposite coasts oriented due East and West from the other. The city has had its star-spangled times, leading Sammy Cahn to reference it in his lyrics for "Come Fly With Me". Modern Acapulco is a featured destination for many Pacific cruise ship packages and international air carriers.
In recent years, within the younger crowd, Acapulco has made up some ground on Cancún as a popular spring break destination. This growing popularity may be because Acapulco offers a different unknown experience and a larger, international student crowd than Cancún due to its prominence as an international tourist resort with many available international transatlantic and transpacific flights. Apart from just the beach, Acapulco's best known island Roqueta, is a great attraction which is typically reached by glass-bottomed motor boats (enabling a clear view of the sea bottom). As in Cancún, water sports such as water skiing, para-sailing, scuba diving, deep sea fishing, sailing and snorkeling excursions are available in many price ranges amongst the picturesque coastal waters.
Several real estate, hotels and timeshares had been developed in the Acapulco Diamante (Diamond Acapulco) zone. A very important development has been built by Mayan Resorts the largest vacation club and golf operator in Mexico.
Beginning in the 1990s the government invested more than US$1 billion in an effort to upgrade Acapulco's infrastructure. Sewage systems have been improved and tons of trash have been hauled off the beaches. The water has once again been pronounced safe for swimming, although Mexico uses a lower standard for water quality than Europe.
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Transportation
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (August 2007) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
From the U.S., many airlines now fly to Acapulco year-round. While in the city, there are many buses and taxi services one can take to get from place to place, but most of the locals choose to walk to their destinations. However, an important mode of transportation is the government subsidized 'Colectivo' cab system. These cabs cost 10 pesos per person to ride, but they are not private. The driver will pick up more passengers as long as seats are available, and will transport them to their destination based on first come first serve rules. The colectivos each travel a designated area of the city, the three main ones being Costera, Colosio, Coloso, or a mixture of the three. Coloso cabs mainly travel to old Acapulco. Colosio cabs travel through most of the tourist area of Acapulco. Costera cabs drive up and down the coast of Acapulco, which is where most of the hotels for visitors are, but also includes some of old Acapulco. Where a driver will take you is partly up to his choice. Some are willing to travel to the other designated areas, especially during slow periods of the day.
The bus system is highly complex, and can be rather confusing to an outsider. As far as transportation goes, it is the cheapest form other than walking in Acapulco. The most expensive buses have air conditioning, while the cheaper buses do not. For tourists, the Acapulco city government has established a system of yellow buses with Acapulco! painted on the side of them. These buses are not for tourists only, but are certainly the nicest and most uniform of the bus systems. These buses travel the tourist section of Acapulco, driving up and down the coast. There are buses with specific routes and destinations, generally written on their windshields or shouted out by a barker riding in the front seat. Perhaps the most unusual thing about the privately operated buses is the fact that they are all highly decorated and personalized, with decaling and home made interior designs that range from comic book scenes, to adult themes, and even to "Hello Kitty" themes.
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Attractions
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (August 2007) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Since 1934 the La Quebrada Cliff Divers have performed their impressive jumps into the shallow water and dangerous tides that form in the bottom part of La Quebrada. The Acapulco cliff divers were featured regularly on the weekend sports program ABC's Wide World of Sports in the United States during the 1970s.
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Nightlife
Generally, Acapulco offers a very good nightlife. Its main clubs are considered to be the Alebrije (the largest in Latin America), Palladium, and the Baby´O which many consider as the best nightclub in Mexico.
During spring break, many bars and night clubs sign special contracts with U.S.-based travel companies and cater specifically to the needs of the American crowd, which pay in advance through the travel company (the venues cater to everyone, however). Due to this, there are distinct areas in which the American spring breakers are dominant, mainly around the coast where most hotels are located. Most clubs are open bar, while the smaller bar establishments are pay on tab (these also tend to have DJ or live music and dancing). Of the American favored clubs, the top three are Palladium, Mandara, and Privado, all located within a mile of each other.
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References
- ^ Robelo, Cecilio A. (1912). Diccionario de Aztequismos, new ed., México: Imp. del Museo N. de Arquelogía, Historia y Etnología, p. 43–44.
- [1] Armella de Fernández Castello, Corina, Acapulco, Ed. Estoril, 1997.
- [2] Brush, Charles F., Pox Pottery: Earliest Identified Mexican Ceramic, Science, Vol. 149, No. 3680, pp. 194-195, 1965
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External links
- Acapulco travel guide from Wikitravel
- Acapulco City Guide
- Official Municipal Website of Ciudad de Acapulco (Spanish)
- Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
- Guerrero Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
- Acapulco climate statistics
- Tourism Website of Acapulco 100 pics, maps and videos
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See also
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