Acapulco

Acapulco de Juárez, commonly called Acapulco, is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, 380 kilometres (240 mi) south of Mexico City.

Acapulco is the most populated city in the state of Guerrero. In 2010, the city had until then a total population of 673,479 inhabitants.

Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico's history. It is a port of call for shipping and cruise lines. Acapulco is Mexico's largest beach and balneario resort city.

The city is one of Mexico's oldest beach resorts, which came into prominence in the 1940s through the 1960s as a getaway for Hollywood stars and millionaires.

Acapulco was once a popular tourist resort, but due to a massive upsurge in gang violence and murder since 2014 it no longer attracts many foreign tourists, and most now only come from Mexico itself. It is both the second deadliest city in Mexico and the second-deadliest city in the world; the US government has warned its citizens not to travel there.

TOURISM

Acapulco is one of Mexico's oldest coastal tourist destinations, reaching prominence in the 1950s as the place where Hollywood stars and millionaires vacationed on the beach in an exotic locale. In modern times, tourists in Acapulco have been facing problems with corrupt local police who steal money by extortion and intimidate visitors with threats of jail.

Acapulco's reputation of a high-energy party town and the nightlife have long been draws of the city for tourists. From November to April, luxury liners stop here daily. Despite Acapulco's international fame, most of its visitors are from central Mexico, especially the affluent from Mexico City.

Acapulco's main attraction is its nightlife, as it has been for many decades. Informal lobby or poolside cocktail bars often offer free live entertainment. In addition, there is the beach bar zone, where younger crowds go. These are located along the Costera road, face the ocean and feature techno or alternative rock.

Another attraction at Acapulco is the La Quebrada Cliff Divers. The tradition started in the 1930s when young men casually competed against each other to see who could dive from the highest point into the sea below. Eventually, locals began to ask for tips for those coming to see the men dive. Today the divers are professionals, diving from heights of forty metres (130 feet) into an inlet that is only seven m (23 ft) wide and four m (13 ft) deep.

There are a number of beaches in the Acapulco Bay and the immediate coastline. In addition to sunbathing, the beaches around the bay offer a number of services, such as boat rentals, boat tours, horseback riding, scuba diving and other aquatic sports.

One popular cruise is from Caletilla Beach to Roqueta Island, which has places to snorkel, have lunch, and a lighthouse. There is also an underwater statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe here, created in 1958 by Armando Quesado in memory of a group of divers who died here.

Many of the scuba-diving tours come to this area as well, where there are sunken ships, sea mountains, and cave rock formations.

Another popular activity is deep-sea fishing. The major attraction is sail fishing. Fish caught here have weighed between 89 and 200 pounds. Sailfish are so plentiful that boat captains have been known to bet with a potential customer that if he does not catch anything, the trip is free.

AIRPORTS

Many airlines fly to Acapulco International Airport.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

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 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-served rules.

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.