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No longer the sleepy seaside community
where Lana Turner would be seen driving down the main beachside avenue
in her convertible, Acapulco is now a bustling, tropical city of
two million people.
But before considering this a minus, keep in mind that Acapulco has long
catered to tourism, and is well accustomed to servicing an ideal
vacation for all sorts of travelers.
Hotels tower over the main strip, which runs along the Costera Miguel
Aleman Boulevard and around a large Pacific bay used until the late 18th
century by the Spaniards as a way to reach their stakes in the
Philippines.
Today, the city is the disco capital of Mexico, and is world-renowned
for the lifestyle that goes to sleep at dawn and wakes in the late
afternoon for shrimp soup and ice cold beers by the pool.
At the same time, tranquil waters and plenty to do make this destination
ideal for families or intrepid singles. Adventurers will find a coast
running north and south from the city, filled with the hundreds of miles
of secluded beaches and placid rivers that run to the sea.
Acapulco is also a food city, and restaurants abound. Seafood is
obviously the main course here, but at least one nice restaurant in town
is known for its succulent grilled goat.
So, while the crowd has changed the city, it isn’t necessarily for the
worse. Though other beachside destinations in Mexico have taken away
from Acapulco what once was its prerogative, the city and surrounding
area (called La Costa Chica, or The Small Coast) is still a
worthy retreat for the beach mongers of the world.