Amy

Trying to plan a trip for 3 of my girlfriends and I age 26-30 in late Sept. early Oct- heard the dollar is doing well in Mexico- we are so unsure of where to go, definitely don't want Cancun or Cozumel- thinking Acalpulco, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas?? Any suggestions more than welcome. Worried about hurricanes as well but we've ruled out the Carribean for that rason.

Rick

Acapulco is a big city, with lots of night clubs, restaurants, etc. Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo is laid back with not a lot to do, but is very clean and Zihuatanejo is more authentic Mexico. In Acapulco, I like the Hotel Malibu for about $70 a night in high season. It's right on the beach and has a nice pool area, though the rooms are a little small. Try www.mytravelboard.com/pacificmexico/ for Acapulco, or www.zihuatanejo.net/wwwboard/ for Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo. These are 2 message boards where you can ask questions for those specific areas. Good luck

Cozannie

Hi Amy,<BR><BR>Just an observation...the west coast of Mexico, particularly the coast near Acapulco, has been hit harder by hurricanes and flooding in recent years than the Mexican Caribbean. It's "iffy" to plan a trip anywhere on the coast of Mexico during that time of year if you are worried about the weather. But I say GO FOR IT, if you are with your girlfriends you will probably have a great time no matter what!

Susan

Of the places you mentioned (no contest!) Puerto Vallarta but in "Old Town" (not out in the typical Americanized resorts of Nuevo, Marina, or Hotel Zone districts). Maybe I'm missing something, but I haven't heard of a hurricane hitting PV, some rain that time of year maybe... I've spent a dozen+ trips fantastically enjoyable trips there.

alex

I personally thought that Acapulco was one of the wildest places I have been - the clubs are crazy and very cheap. You can drink all night for $5-7 US. There are lots of great restaurants too. We stayed at the Fiesta Americana Condesa and it was a reasonably nice hotel in a good central location. The beach is not nearly as nice as Cancun. It would depend on what you are looking for from a vacation. If you are looking to party, I would definitely recommend Acapulco.

amy

interesting. not really looking for crazy partying- prob. more into the beach, hiking, great restaurants, shopping, maybe take a boat tour, more laid back than crazy.....

alex

There are other things to do there like day trips to Pie de la Cuesta, Taxco for silver shopping, shopping in town (Zocalo), the cliff divers at La Quebrada, hiking (there are mountains all around but I would only go with a group during the daytime), the shotover boat, boat tours galore, etc. If long white stretches of beach are what you are after, it certainly is not for you - the beach is more golden and quite narrow in places. Along the Condesa are mostly hotels and beach bars where you can lay on the beach and have a cervesa, play volleyball, bungee jump, etc... The beach service at the FA Condesa was impeccable. Like Rick said, Acapulco is a big city and not just a tropical resort so it has all of the pluses and minuses of a big city.