Speaking about culture, no visit to Acapulco is complete without stopping at the Fuerte de San Diego, an anti-pirate star-shaped fortification that was used centuries ago to repel the Pirates of the Pacific (no relation to the Pirates of the Caribbean). From Caleta Beach (and from the Zocalo as well) you can take a crystal-bottom boat for a day trip to the Roqueta Island. Inside, you will find a museum with the history of Acapulco as well as exhibits from the many commercial trading boats that have visited Acapulco in the past such as the Nao de China. PS. How about taking a break and visiting the virgin beaches of Barra Vieja? Sweat streamed over the khaki chinstrap of his camouflage helmet. They said the ads weren’t appropriate during the coronavirus pandemic. (function(d, sc, u) { Its name? On Friday afternoons there’s an invasion from the capital and for 48 hours Acapulco’s tourist strip becomes a heaving buzz of horse drawn carriages, emblazoned with Disney characters and neon tubing. And yet… there is still hope for Acapulco for hope never dies. But outside of those luxurious, tourist-oriented areas, Acapulco is a pretty dangerous city. Mexico has also suffered from some clumsy efforts at tourism promotion. Google “Acapulco” and the first items to pop up after Trip Advisor and Wikipedia entries are reports referencing “Mexico’s murder capital.” "We have to change that perception,” she said. But now that I’ve seen Acapulco with my own eyes, all I can tell you is that, so long as you’re not heading here to buy cocaine, and you take heed of local advice not to wander around certain parts of town (like you would any other major city), then Acapulco certainly isn’t off-limits. Acapulco was founded in the 16th Century as a merchant port in the Pacific Ocean and was famous at its time for the many pirates that tried to attack it (today, the only pirates found in Acapulco are the ones selling counterfeit DVD’s).
There will come a day when Acapulco will be more than an empty shell of its former glory. Hector Astudillo bragged that Acapulco has reduced the number of COVID-19 deaths to an average of 9.6 per day and alleviated the overcrowding that plagued the city's hospitals earlier in the pandemic. You don’t need me to tell you that US-Mexico relations are strained, but from what I could see, January’s US State Department Level Four travel advisory – a strict “do not travel” warning – is certainly having an impact. A few days earlier, officials took down a pair of Acapulco video ads touting the faded resort’s reputation as a nightclubbing spot — despite the fact that nightclubs are currently closed to enforce social distancing. “I can understand why foreigners are scared,” Miguel went on, as we continued onto the barrio of La Quebrada to buy 15 peso (55p) shrimp tacos and watch Acapulco’s famous cliff divers launch themselves from heights of up to 80 feet into the balmy Pacific. “People believe everything they read in the newspapers, but for ‘normal’ people it’s not as crazy as that.”. In the end, I recommend you not to give in to paranoia and just enjoy the many wonders that this beautiful city of Mexico has to offer. Would you like to? According to the latest US State Department travel advisories, you’re in as much danger here than in Syria and Afghanistan. In early August, the country's VisitMexico.com site was plagued by systematic bad translations of place names, with the state of Nuevo Leon becoming “New Lion” and the well-known Caribbean resort of Tulum somehow became “Jumpsuit.” The website has since been replaced by an online image promising a new site will come online Aug. 20. But if you’re just here to hang on the beach, drink cheap beers and get some sun, then there’s absolutely nothing to worry about.”.
I used to make 3,000 pesos (£115) a day, taking foreigners to and from the airport, but now I just take people up and down the strip.”. But in the 1970s and ’80s, the resort’s infrastructure crumbled and poor, crowded settlements sprang up inland from the bay, sparking rising problems of unemployment, crime and pollution. “Now we have hardly any, and that’s created a huge dent in our economy. “We used to have 10,000 US students a week at this time of the year,” he said, sipping from a frosty glass of michelada – beer mixed with spicy red salsa. Near the Quebrada you will find an outdoor theatre known as Sinfonia del Mar (Symphony of the Sea) where locals gather each day to experience an epic sunset of wonders. Back in 2013 I left my old 9 to 5 life behind and I haven't looked back ever since. You can make a booking for this and more properties via our Booking.com Affiliate Link of Wonders! There will come a day when foreigners won’t be afraid of Acapulco. Located near the Airport and the Residential area of Acapulco Diamante, Barra Vieja is a natural wonder of Acapulco. At least anecdotally, I can testify that “gringos” are few and far between, and some locals like Alejandro, the owner of a beach bar I met as a tangerine sun set over the Pacific, believe that the current slump is just another result of anti-Mexican US propaganda.