Who we are: An engaged early 30s couple from the U.S. East Coast who love to travel and planned a spring break from work and grad school. We're happy to share the following information but, now that we're back in the real world, we don't really have time to answer any follow-up questions. (Still, give us a shout and maybe if we're trolling around we'll give a holler back.) Happy travels, and thanks to all who have contributed here!

Acapulco Travel Tips

Getting Ready
As with any trip, we started online by checking the articles and forums on frommers.com and fodors.com. We kept an eye on airplane tickets starting about 3 months out through kayak.com, using their 90-day charts to determine when prices were down to reasonable levels. Then we purchased tickets directly through the airlines. We flew Delta between the U.S. and Mexico City, then took local Mexican flights to Acapulco, flying on Aviasca to Acapulco and on AeroMexico from Acapulco. The hotel room was a gift from the family, so we didn’t need to do anything for it. Finally, we tried to brush up on our basic Spanish: our P’s and Q’s, directions, numbers, colors, meals, etc. This was needed for Acapulco moreso than other destinations in Mexico because Acapulco is where Mexicans go for vacation, and thus knowledge of English is less of a necessity for the people who work there because many of their customers are Mexican.

Packing List
A valid passport is needed to travel to and from Mexico. As a safety measure, you should make a photocopy of your passport and keep the copy with you but separate from your passport. Otherwise, pack for warm weather and for whatever activities you plan on doing: clubbing clothes, swimsuits, hiking shoes, etc. Those who tend to get cold might bring a light cover for the eveningtime. And we suggest including a travel-sized bottle of hand sanitizer in your 3-1-1 quart-sized bag. Other toiletries – sunscreen, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. – can be purchased in any of Acapulco’s markets if the need arises.

Customs and Documents
On your international flights into Mexico and back into the U.S., you’ll need to fill out a customs form that contains your identification and describes what’s in your luggage. When you go through customs in Mexico, they’ll take one half of your “entry” form and hand back to you the other half – the “exit” form. You’ll need to retain this “exit” form for your return to the U.S. If you don’t have this “exit” form, you’ll have to pay a fee. So it’s not like they won’t let you leave Mexico if you misplace the form, but your wallet will be a little lighter as a result.

Exchange Rate
In March 2008, the exchange rate was roughly 10 Mexican pesos per 1 U.S. dollar. Which makes things easy: just move the decimal point one spot, and you’ll know what you’re working with. We took out a few pesos at the money exchange in the U.S. airport at a bad rate of 9.45; our hotel in Acapulco gave us a decent exchange rate of about 10.60. Note that the symbol for Mexican pesos is the same as for U.S. dollars: $.

Lay of the Land
Imagine a lunar crater. Fill it halfway with water. Now cut that crater in half. That’s pretty much Acapulco. The bay is the centerpiece of the city, and empties to the south into the Pacific Ocean (yes, it’s weird that the Pacific is to the south, but that’s the geography). The city starts at the shoreline and rises into the surrounding hillsides, stopping at what would be the lunar crater’s rim. The sun rises above the eastern hillside, and sets over the western hillside. To the north: more hillside. At night the encompassing hillside’s combination of lights give the breathtaking effect of a star-filled sky. The western side of the city contains “old Acapulco.” There we found the famous cliff divers, the zocalo, the flea market, the old fort, the water taxis to Isla Roqueta, and some great seafood. The northern – more accurately, the middle – part of the city contained the beaches, the hotels, some of the clubs, more restaurants, and the bulk of the “touristy” things. Finally, the eastern side held the big clubs, the fancy restaurants, the spectacular nighttime view of the city’s lights, and the large cross overlooking the entire city. The main artery is the “Costera” road, whose varying 2-to-6 lanes run along Acapulco’s coastline linking the western side with the middle of the city. The road then ascends to access locations on the eastern hillside.

Airport to Acapulco
The airport is on the eastern outskirts of Acapulco. We paid 250 pesos (25 dollars) for a cab ride to our hotel, which was right in the middle of the tourist area (Playa Condesa). So 250 pesos is likely the standard rate you can expect. Tipping is expected just like in the U.S., so the whole thing will cost around 300 pesos (30 bucks). If you’d like to get some pesos before the ride, there’s an ATM in the airport. The baggage claim area also has a nice little bar with beers for 40 pesos each (which is a little steep, but every airport in the world has high prices), which is a nice way to start the trip!

Renting a Car
Do not rent a car – we repeat, do not rent a car – unless you’re planning to make multiple long excursions outside of Acapulco and really feel like it’s worth the risk and hassle. The driving in town is absolutely crazy. If you’re still toying with the idea of renting a car, we’d recommend going into town and seeing for yourself how traffic is before taking the plunge with your own set of wheels. And if you do, most definitely get good insurance.

Getting Around
If you heed our advice above, you won’t have your own car in Acapulco. Not a problem. Three great modes of transportation still exist: taxis, buses, and your feet.

Taxis
If you’ve ever wondered what happened to the old Volkswagen Beetles that populated America in the previous decades, they’ve all migrated south to Mexico and are now working as cabs. Taxis are everywhere in Acapulco, and empty taxis will honk at folks on the street even if they aren’t looking for a ride. A taxi ride in town will fetch a price of 20 to 90 pesos. The cabs are not metered. Before you even get in a taxi, it’s recommended to confirm the price to your destination – if you don’t, you might be shocked at the number of pesos the driver requests once you reach your stopping point. You can bargain the price before embarking, and if you don’t like what you hear just walk away... another taxi will surely appear in a matter of seconds. As in the U.S., tips at the end of the ride are expected.

Buses
Props to the English-speaking Mexican couple who recommended that we “ride the disco bus” after they witnessed us give up on bargaining with a taxi driver for a ride to the zocalo. What the cabbie said was a 70 pesos ride quickly became a very enjoyable 4-and-a-half pesos-per-person (45 cents!) adventure on one of the many buses that lumber along the Costera road. Identifiable by the blue “Costera” painted on their sides (other buses are painted in maroon), the Costera buses will take you anywhere you want to go along the Costera road... although not as quickly as a taxi. We suspect that, rather than being operated by the municipality as you’d find in the U.S., each Acapulco bus is driven by an independent owner-operator who is a member of the bus-driver’s union. Because of this independence, each bus is uniquely decorated according to the preference of the driver himself. Some older drivers have quiet, air-conditioned buses, with words indicating as such stenciled to the side near the door (which, naturally, stays closed during the trip to keep the cool air inside). Other younger drivers blast salsa or 80s music through their open windows as they navigate the Costera’s chaotic traffic patterns – these are the fun “disco buses” that we were told about. Hop on one of these and bounce to the beat as you observe the smaller vehicles zip around the large metal fortress you’ve just boarded and feel the Acapulco breeze come through the windows. Formal bus stops exist along the Costera, but you don’t need to find one to catch a bus. When you see one coming, just raise your hand like you’re hailing a cab and the bus will stop. Then give the name of your destination, and the driver will say “si” if he’s going your way. He’ll even give you a glance in the mirror to signal when you’re getting near your stop. If you know where you’re going and want to get off, just stand up and walk to the front.

Walking
Everything that’s land-based in Acapulco is accessible by foot. The only question is how far can you go and how quickly must you get there. If time isn’t of the essence, then a stroll along the beach or on the Costera’s never-dull sidewalk is a great way to get from place to place. And if you tire of walking, stop in a bar and grab a cerveza to recharge your batteries. The most difficult part about walking in Acapulco is crossing the Costera. Breaks in the traffic do occur, but not often. When the traffic does abate, prepare for a real-life game of Frogger. Quickly dart to the median, and then wait for the next break to make it safely to the other side. If a car in one lane is kind enough to stop, give a quick glance around the stopped car to make sure that the other lanes don’t contain oncoming traffic!

Fiesta Americana Hotel
We stayed at the Fiesta Americana Hotel, on Playa Condesa – the main tourist beach. The hotel was great, which is what one would expect from one of the pricier hotels in town. Quite a few families were there, as well as older couples, younger couples like us, and a smattering of spring breakers. We saw signs for kids activities, so it appears that the hotel is very family-oriented. The hotel has an open-air lobby, lobby bar, business center, small market with okay prices on things like sunscreen and snacks, a couple of restaurants, a Starbucks next door, gym, concierge, room service, and – of course – pools. The pools were beautiful: one large main pool on a large deck overlooking the bay, and another smaller pool down near the beach. Both pools have full bar and food service until 6 p.m. Beach access is available, and the entrance to the beach is patrolled by a security guard. We felt very comfortable leaving our bag and sunglasses on our deck chairs and hopping into the pool to cool off from the sun. The main pool is long enough that you can swim some laps if you’re so inclined (bring goggles). We stayed in a suite with a king-sized bed, bathroom, couch, breakfast table, small kitchenette (mini fridge, microwave, sink, dishes, utensils, and coffee machine), TV, ironing equipment, and balcony with a grand view of the bay. Actually, we stayed in two such rooms: the first two nights we were in a west-facing room, but the noise from a neighboring nightclub was so loud that we requested a change to an east-facing room. If you’re into the party scene, a west-side room will be fine; if, however, you want to be lulled to a peaceful night’s sleep by the sound of the waves coming through your open balcony doors – without being startled awake at 2:30 a.m. by a nightclub’s fireworks display – then request an east-side room. It appeared that west rooms end in odd numbers, and east rooms have even numbers. (Note: We’re not sure how many other hotels have this noise problem, but if you can see from your hotel balcony a huge bungee-jump crane with a big red Coca-Cola bottle attached to it, you might be in for a raucous night.) Each room also has a small safe in the closet: secure your passports, other important documents, extra money, and any other valuables there. (Note: Every hotel in a foreign country should have safes, either in each room or a main safe behind the check-in desk, and those safes should be used by guests to store valuables, including passports.)

Best Beach
Two quick general notes about the beaches. First, vendors will constantly approach you trying to peddle their wares: you’ll quickly learn how to say “no, gracias” to everyone. Second, the beaches are federal land, so you’re free to go anywhere on the beach. Playa Condesa, the locus of the tourist area, is a fairly narrow strand that steeply curves down into the water, where some fairly powerful waves await. It was not our favorite beach, but if you want to do an aquatic activity like rent waverunners you’ll have a wealth of options there. We particularly enjoyed Playa Papagayo, also known as Playa Hornos or Playa Hornitos, which is the next beach to the west. It’s a flatter beach with tamer waves, located across the Costera from Parque Papagayo and easily identified by its huge Mexican flag and large statute of a spear fisherman holding his spear and fins. Beachside restaurants put out tables and chairs covered by canopies that you can rent for the entire day for something like 60 pesos, but feel free to lay a towel down on any free section of sand. If you want to order an ice-filled bucket of cervezas, any of the restaurants will be happy to oblige. Also nice is the beach on Isla Roqueta, described below.

Best Restaurant
Of course, in Mexico you need to be careful of the food as well as the water (including the ice). Strangely, the nights we got sick were the nights that we ate at nicer places, which claim to use purified water and ice. So it’s really a crap shoot on, well, when you might get the craps. Our favorite restaurant, by far, was one that didn’t make us sick, had a glorious nighttime view of Acapulco, offered a quaint open-air dining area, and served up delicious traditional Mexican fare: Su Casa, located up the northern hillside from the golf course. The huge-portion carne asada combination plate was wonderful, as was the ceviche appetizer and flan dessert. Be sure to order a margarita. Other nice restaurants were El Olvido, located off of the Diana traffic circle on Playa Condesa at the rear of a shopping plaza, and Kookabura, on the eastern hillside with a grand view of Acapulco’s twinkling lights. Other fancy places that we heard about but did not visit were, from east to west, Zuntra, Baikal, El Faro, El Campaniero, and Hotel Los Flamingos. Your hotel’s concierge can help you make a last-second reservation, and men should be sure to ask the concierge if pants must be worn at the restaurant (all of the restaurants we visited allowed shorts and flip flops, but others are a tad more formal). If you’re looking for good fresh-catch seafood, try one of the “Amigo Miguel” restaurants near the zocalo: seafood paella is only served on Sundays, but the seafood and rice dish was a huge and tasty substitute. For a good cheap breakfast, try any of the Sanborns locations, which offer both American- and Mexican-style breakfasts. Definitely try an order of huevos rancheros (eggs with salsa and refried beans). For a modestly priced Mexican lunch or dinner try any of the El Fogon locations or go to a Playa Condesa place that we believe was called Bamboo for good seafood tacos and quesadillas. To get your health-food on, visit any of the 100% Natural locations for a Mexican twist on organic dishes and fruit smoothies (watch out for the complimentary peppers they provide – they’re hot!). Finally, for a quick fix, hit up the aptly named Tacos & Beer anytime between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Best Drinks
Again, you’ve got to beware of the water in Mexico, which includes the ice used to make any mixed drink (and even the water used to make coffee!). If you want to be safe, stick to beer or wine (“vino”; red wine is called “vino tinto”). We found that any bar connected to a hotel uses “safe” water and ice, so it’s okay to order a mixed drink at those locations. We’re guessing that the nightclubs are the same way. The best margarita we found was at the lobby bar of the beautiful Hotel Tortuga, located on the inland side of the Costera in the Playa Condesa area. From the outside the hotel doesn’t look like much, but venture inside and gaze up at the orange walls and green hanging vines as you sip down a tasty frozen concoction! The margarita at Su Casa was also delicious, and we had no complaints about the dry martinis served at El Olvida and Kookabura. If there are two or more in your party, try the large pitcher of sangria at 100% Natural (they call it “vino tinto con frutas,” but it’s sangria nonetheless). For bottles of local Mexican wine, try vintages from L.A. Cetto or X.A. Domecq vineyards. Beer-wise, we felt that Victoria was the worst beer out there, but good selections included Pacifico, Negro Modelo, Sol, and of course Corona. Be sure to request “limon, por favor” (lime, please) if limes don’t accompany your cervezas. A great place to grab a beer is at the zocalo, where you can sit and watch the people go by from any of the tables set up on the plaza or from the second floor of the restaurant La Flor de Acapulco.

Best Adventure
If you have 70 pesos and a pair of tennis shoes, make a daytrip to Isla Roqueta (Roqueta Island). The island is located just off the western tip of Acapulco bay, directly across from Playa Caleta. It’s identifiable from Playa Condesa by the daytime as the big hunk of forested land that does not have any residences on it, and by the nighttime as the dark hunk of land with a lonely lighthouse light shining on top. To get to Playa Caleta, ask a Costera bus if it goes to Playa Caleta. If so, hop on, and your destination will be a bustling pier about 25 minutes to the west after winding through some narrow streets. From the bus, walk to the pier and simply ask someone who looks like they know what’s going on (perhaps a restaurant waiter) for the “Isla Roqueta taxi.” They’ll direct you to the ticket counter run by the union of water taxi drivers, who will ask for 70 pesos per person for the round-trip ticket. Actually, “water taxi” isn’t the right term – the one- or two-story boats carry dozens of people who can peer through the glass-bottom areas to see the sea life below – and “drivers” isn’t the right term – these guys are tour guides who put on a pretty decent show. The trip from Playa Caleta to the island takes about 30-40 minutes, and includes a jaunt by some big mansions along the water, a zig-zag to a cropping of rocks just off the island that contain both an above-water and below-water shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe, then a stop at a boat serving food and beer (with the option of adding some chili pepper to your food or drink) before finally docking at the island. Our particular boat provided some added excitement: one crewmember grabbed his scuba mask, dove in, caught a pufferfish that was momentarily brought aboard, and used some fish food to lure a bunch of fish under our boat so we could see them through the glass (we all tipped him afterward). Once on the island, you can venture around until 5 p.m. when the last taxis depart: this time making a straight 10-minute shot from the island to Playa Caleta. Because the service is run by a union, your return ticket is good on any of the boats. Next to the dock is the island’s main beach, which was quite crowded on the Friday afternoon that we went... but take any of the hiking trails around the island and you might just find a secluded beach of your own! The hilly hike around the island took us about an hour, with stops at the various viewpoints that overlook the southern cliffs high above the ocean. The trail needs to be cleaned up – trash is strewn in various places, downed trees occasionally block the path, and near the beach the trail leads you through a kind-of-eerie old zoo that no longer contains animals – but most of the trail is paved (including steps for the hills) and every 300 yards or so is a trail map that tells you where you are. Number 10 on the map was a highlight: “el faro,” the lighthouse at the top of the island. The lighthouse is operated by the Mexican Navy, and a camouflaged marine with a machine gun stands guard... but our friendly “buenas tardes” (good afternoon) and a request to venture onto the grounds was honored with a smile and a nod. We climbed to the top of the lighthouse for a 360-degree view of Acapulco. Although there were no signs allowing us to go to the top (or prohibiting us from doing so), another set of travelers had just descended so we figured it was okay. Perhaps asking the guard whether we could go up would have been the better thing to do, but we encountered no problems regardless. The main thing is to watch both your step and your head as you ascend and descend the spiral stairs. If the entire hike around the island makes you thirsty, grab a 25-peso Corona at the rollicking Palao restaurant, which has a Hawaiian luau theme and its own beach where swimmers are welcome.

Best Learning Experience
A short uphill walk from the zocalo, and directly inland from the cruise ship dock, is the Fuerte San Diego (Fort San Diego). Entrance is only 39 pesos, and in both Spanish and English the museum describes Acapulco’s early history as port city and seat of trade between Spain and the Philippines. After visiting the exhibits, be sure to take the stairs from the plaza up to the roof for a nice cannon-eye view of Acapulco. Once finished at the fort, walk down the road just a few hundred feet to the Casa de la Mascera (house of masks). Walk through and gawk at the artistry of the ceremonial masks on display, and don’t forget to donate a few pesos when you’re finished! (Note: Both the fort and the house of masks are closed on Mondays.) To round out your indoctrination into Acapulco history, head out to nearby La Quebrada to watch the famous cliffdivers put on their daredevil show. Getting there is about a 15 walk from the zocalo, but is partially up a steep hill. If you’re tired, hire a cab. The show takes place just beyond the Hotel Mirador. The divers are unionized, and tickets to walk down the steps and observe their feats from near the water are 35 pesos per person. We opted to pay the 35 pesos but grab a seat on the platform just to the right of the ticket counter. Another option for viewing is to pay either a 115 or 150 peso cover charge at the Hotel Mirador’s bar (we couldn’t catch the exact price through the waiter’s accent) and watch from a table there while enjoying the free drink that’s included in the price. The divers do their thing under a powerful set of spotlights at 7:30, 8:30, 9:30, and 10:30. We saw the 7:30 show, but have been told that the 10:30 show is the best because they dive while holding torches.

Best Nightclub
If you’re looking for a party, Acapulco is a great place to go with an abundance of nightclubs on the beach and in the hillsides. We, however, weren’t looking for that kind of scene during our visit. From what we heard, though, the best nightclub in town is Disco Palladium, whose color-changing lights and rooftop spotlights cannot be missed as you look at the eastern hillside. Some taxi drivers and folks on the sidewalk were handing out cards for “$30 Off” the cover charge at Palladium, so if you’re planning on heading up there you might want to nab one of those discounts. A taxi ride will probably cost 70 to 100 pesos from Playa Condesa. In Playa Condesa, the place with the 2:30 a.m. fireworks display is an outdoor dance club called Paradise.

Best Experience with a Local
Folks wearing turquoise blue, short-sleeved, button-down shirts are your best friends in Acapulco. They are members of a union of tourist guides who are paid by the Mexican government to answer questions and show tourists around – kind of like the uniformed city guides you find in American cities like Washington, D.C. The person who informed us of this service was Julio, a turquoise-shirted guide who approached us while we were hanging out in the zocalo. At first we were thinking, “Uh-oh, another person trying to hit us up for money,” but after our friend explained his job and offered to show us around we happily obliged. He walked us around the zocalo’s large plaza, up by the old cathedral on the plaza’s northwest corner, and then a few blocks northeast to the large Mexican Flea Market where we bargained for a few handcrafted gifts from the artisans there. Finally, Julio took us to the house of masks and Fort San Diego before saying goodbye: he had his two-hour English class to attend. We tipped him and thanked him for his services.

Miscellaneous
- If you’re looking for good prices on toiletries and foodstuffs, go to one of the Mega stores (called Commercial Mexicana, but with big orange signs that say “Mega” on them) or a Bodega Gigante store. The first is a Mexican version of Target, and the second is a supermarket.
- Electrical outlets are the same as in the U.S., so no adapters needed.
- We didn’t bring our cell phones, but we’re pretty sure they would have worked in Acapulco.
- Wireless Internet is available at different cafes around town, just look for signs.
- We were told that the only snorkeling in Acapulco is around Isla Roqueta, but that the water is too silty from boat traffic to really see that well.
- ATMs are everywhere, so money is easy to obtain.
- If you’re really missing American food, fast food chains are easy to find, and both Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood lie along the Costera to the east of Playa Condesa.
- Near the Hard Rock Cafe is a large building with “BINGO” on the front. Bingo isn’t the only thing going on there, though: you can also watch and bet on jai-alai, one of the fastest sports in the world. I really wish we’d checked it out... maybe next time.
- Bullfights are on Sundays around 5 p.m. through March.
- Unfortunately, Acapulco does not have a professional soccer team.
- Because of the bay, there are no surfable waves in Acapulco, but it looked like some longboarding could be done on the beaches to the east, near the airport.

Loved Acapulco.

My friend and I went to Acapulco in January. We are in our 50's and also stayed at Fiesta Americana in their wonderful one bedroom suite...what a wonderful view we had from our two balconies...I have been to Rio De Janiero and the view is so similar. Also the view of the Bay from the pool is another breath taking experience. The only complaint I have in regards to my entire trip in Acapulco was that the sand on the beach was very grainy and hard to walk on without sandals. So remember to pack those "flip-flops"

We also used the "Local Buses" which was always an adventure and everyone was always so friendly, even though we often were the only "tourist" on the buses. It is the cheapest way to get up and down the Condesa any time of the day.

On our first day there we got on the local bus that took us to the local WalMart, where we purchased a half gallon of milk, a large bottle of Kahlua, and a bottle of Vodka which we mixed every day in the blender in our fully stocked kitchen at Fiesta Americana.

Every night we walked on the Condesa (the Main Street) which was always well traveled by tourists and locals.......We always felt safe, and even with our very, very limited Spanish enjoyed wonderful interaction with the vendors and the locals in Acapulco.

I did have the opportunity to go to the "real city market" in Old Acapulco and that was an experience...and one that I would highly recommend to get a feel of every day life.....Needless to say there were few "tourist" at the Market, but again I only encountered kind people, who laughed when I took pictures of the tables of fresh fish, fresh chickens and God knows what else!

We did go see the Cliff Divers, which was enjoyable, the scenery was even greater.

And of course in Acapulco...there are always Tacos, Tacos and Tacos, Tacos and Beer, and Tacos with every known spicey seasoning there is.

You are right in "dont think about renting a car in Acapulco". We had initially thought of renting a car to go to Tasco, and were thankful that we didnt, as we may never have survived the drive with no guard rails on two lane mountain roads.

Tasco was a lovely place to visit, and probably the best place to buy silver. Would recommend this one day excursion from Acapulco.

If you havent thought about Acapulco.....please do so, it was a great place....beautiful views...friendly people and affordable.

Also try and stay at Fiesta Americana.

Sorry, I wont, repeat, wont tip a taxi driver in Mexico. It must be cause you are a gringo. Don't tip. Mexicans dont.

Thank you so much for posting this information. There's a shortage of people on this forum with experience in Acapulco. So this makes a great addition!

What weather like In Acapulco in Febuary