Car Hire Acapulco

Acapulco Mini Guide

Welcome to Acapulco
Acapulco is the largest city in the state of Guerrero, larger even than the states capital city Chilpancingo. It encompasses a major sea port, kisses the pacific ocean and is home to the largest beach in all of Mexico. It became famous in the fifties as a haunt for the Hollywood Jet Set and is still regarded as a swinging party town and has remained a firm favorite as a spring break destination for generations of American teenagers. It is both the oldest and most well known of all Mexico’s beach resorts. 

Goin’ loco down in Acapulco?
Acapulco, although not the same as it used to be in the days of Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor is still an amazing destination with endless options for all night entertainment. There are some amazing beach bars especially along the Costera Road between the Fiesta Americana Hotel and the Continental Plaza where you can watch the ocean as the sun goes down and prepare yourself for the long nights ahead. Men should be prepared to pay more than women for entry to most nightclubs which kick off generally after eleven at night and be ready to greet the morning as the clubs don’t usually close before five.

Most of the good hotels in Acapulco offer varied free entertainment programs featuring most often live local music. Don’t be misled however as Acapulco has more to offer than just nightlife.

So what else can I do?
You could watch grown men throwing themselves of cliffs the size of large buildings for a start. A local tradition that began back in the thirties is the La Quebrada Ciff diving, where participants compete to see which of them can dive from the highest part of the cliffs into the cool waters of the ocean. While it was started by locals it is now the realm of professional divers who leap from heights of forty metres and land in a small inlet only four metres deep and seven wide. The best time to view this amazing spectacle is on the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe when free style divers amaze the crowds with their daring stunts.

There are some fantastic boat tours available through the two lagoons and the mangrove of Acapulco Bay or why not take the popular mini cruise from Caletilla beach to the Island of Roqueta and avail of this unique oppertunity to view the underwater statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe which was created by Armando Quesado in 1958.

A refreshing retreat from the bustle of the tourist areas is the Zocalo, a traditional main square in the old part of town. Find a table outside a local cafe and sip your coffee under the shade of an ancient tree, there you will begin to feel the true spirit of old Acapulco. The San Diego Fort which dates from the sixteen hundreds with its remaining moats and battlements should satisfy the appetites of any history lovers among you as it’s now home to the Acapulco Historical Museum.

Acapulco at a glance

Acapulco was the dream destination of the Hollywood set in the 1950s. Today tourists can see what attracted the big names by hiring a car and visiting the sights such as the traditional resort area of the city, little changed from the fifties, as tourism grew bigger here by spreading south along the coast.

From La Perla restaurant watch the world famous cliff divers of La Quebrada. Their exploits, diving hundreds of feet into a narrow channel whilst having to judge the waves, have stunned spectators into silence over the years.

Whatever you prefer, a relaxing time lazing on the beach or a high octane party scene you will not be disappointed in a visit to Acapulco.