Our visit to Mexico was a very brief one having visited on a Port Day on a cruise of South America. This was several decades ago when Acapulco was a viable, although declining, tourist destination. Fashionable in the 1950s and 1960s with the Hollywood jet set, and later with travellers more generally, foreign tourism in Acapulco is largely now ‘on hold’ due to high rates of serious crime, whilst in parallel alternative locations in Mexico, such as the Yucatán Peninsula, have risen in popularity. This blog is therefore a trip down memory lane rather than a travel guide.
NOTE – Current Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises ‘against all but essential travel’ to Acapulco, so I am not advocating that you visit right now in line with the guidance. Check government advice before deciding to travel to Mexico, as it varies across the many regions of Mexico.
Where is Acapulco, Mexico?
Acapulco is located on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, in the state of Guerrero. The city sits on the wide and stunning Acapulco Bay, backed by high-rises and the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains. As our cruise ship arrived in Acapulco Bay, after a stop in Panama City, we were welcomed by a city which looked very attractive from the water.
It was easy to see why Acapulco was a thriving beach resort town ‘back in the day’, known for its glamorous visitors, vibrant nightlife, beautiful beaches. In fact, Acapulco was Mexico’s first great beach resort with rugged headlands and azure waters.
A very short historical overview of Acapulco
Some historical highlights help to understand the journey of this Mexican city from vibrant holiday destination to redundant resort [Source: Lonely Planet Guide]:
- Archaeological finds show that people had been living around the bay area of Acapulco for about 2000 years before the Spanish arrived.
- The Nahua tribe named the city Acapulco which means ‘where the reed stood’.
- The Nahua tribe were conquered by the Aztec empire, about 100 years before it then fell to the Spanish conquistadors.
- Spanish sailors took Acapulco Bay in 1521 and developed a successful port in the natural harbour, which became the jumping off point for exploration elsewhere in the Americas.
- Goods transported through Acapulco port from China and the Philippines included spices, silks, ivory, jade, porcelain (and slaves) which attracted Dutch and English pirates.
- The Mexican War of Independence ended the maritime trade here and Acapulco fell into decline for the next 100 years until tourism kicked in.
- Acapulco became a boom time beach resort by the 1950s and 1960s attracting the glamorous Hollywood set (including Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton). Then, as international flights became more affordable, wider tourism developed and Acapulco existed as a thriving tourist destination in Mexico for many decades.
The War on Drugs Crime
In 2006, a newly elected President declared war on the drug cartels. The result of this was that Acapulco became one of the most violent cities in Mexico with a high murder rate relating to drugs crime.
The upsurge in gang violence particuarly since 2014 means that the government currently advises ‘against all but essential travel’ to Acapulco. As a result, the city no longer attracts many foreign visitors, although a conference trade still exits. Any foreign visitors are encouraged to stay in the Tourist Zone (along La Costera de Miguel Aleman Boulevard) which is protected by armed police and armed checkpoints.
Memories of our day in Acapulco
We decided to hire a driver for our shore time in Acapulco, rather than go with the ship’s organised excursions – we were travelling with two young children and so this was both more cost effective and convenient than going on the tour buses.
Volkswagen Beetle Taxis
Top of our sightseeing list was a visit to La Quebrada, the home of Acapulco’s famous cliff divers. However, on arrival, I was side-tracked by a line of blue and white Volkswagen Beetles (known locally as ‘Vochos’). I had always wanted a VW ‘Bug’ but have never owned one…yet!
Volkswagen Beetles were introduced to Mexico in 1954 and manufactured here as affordable cars for the people, also becoming popular taxis in Mexico City, and beyond. Whilst Mexican production of the cars ended in 2003, they remain a cultural icon in Mexico.
La Quebrada cliff divers
Cliff diving has taken place in Acapulco for over a century but was formalised in 1934 as the La Quebrada Cliff Divers, one of the biggest attractions of the city. The cliff divers are professional high divers who perform daily, leaping off a rocky headland into the choppy ocean waters 40 meters (130 feet) below.
When observing the divers, I found myself holding my breath as they look perilously close to the rocks when they dive, and the channel of water below looks very narrow. Apparently, the water is only 4 meters deep here as well, so there is little margin for error on the dives. Even clinging to the cliffs waiting to dive looks terrifying…
Los Flamingos (Flamingo) Hotel
The legendary bright pink Los Flamingos Hotel sits on top of the highest cliffs in Acapulco, with spectacular views and sunsets over the Pacific Ocean and Roqueta Island.
It was built in the 1930s and quickly gained popularity as a glamorous location, before being bought by ‘The Hollywood Gang’ (including John Wayne, Errol Flynn, Cary Grant, and Johnny Weissmuller – Tarzan) in the 1950s. From then the Hollywood set, including Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, flocked to the hotel, and put it on the map.
We enjoyed a drink in the colourful bar overlooking the ocean whilst a gentle ocean breeze cooled us down. Sadly, it was too early in the day to sample the famous Coco Loco cocktail claimed to have been developed in the bar here.
Lunch with a view at Señor Frogs (no longer open in Acapulco)
For some reason our driver thought we’d like to take lunch at Señor Frogs, a Mexican-themed franchised bar. Maybe it was because we had a 7-year-old with us?
Anyway, whilst the food was as disappointing as expected, the view from the restaurant was incredible as the restaurant overlooked Acapulco Bay, looking back to the area we had visited earlier in the morning. So all was not lost!
Taking the long way back to the ship
After a drive around the city, taking in parks and notable buildings, we made a pitstop at a hat shop to buy straw hats before heading back to the ship.
Other options in the city for excursions had been:
- Fort San Diego – a fortress built over 200 years ago to protect Acapulco from British pirates. There is a museum inside which explains the city’s history from Spanish port to sleeping fishing village and international resort.
- Chapel of Peace – this church sits in a stunning position on El Guitarrón Hill with wonderful views of the bay designed to inspire peace. It is an interdenominational chapel with a 42-meter-tall Cross on top.
Our introduction to Mexico had been brief, but intriguing. I didn’t know at the time that it would take 19 years for me to return to Mexico, albeit to the other side of the country and for a longer stay on the Riviera Maya. Given Acapulco’s history and incredible location, I’d like to hope that it could come back on stream again as a safe tourist destination in the future, but time will tell…
Anyway, back to the cruise and our next stop – Long Beach, Los Angeles!
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