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ACAPULCO |
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Everyone - even if they've not the remotest idea where it is - has
heard of ACAPULCO , but few people know what to expect. Truth is that,
as long as you don't yearn to get away from it all, you'll find almost
anything you want here, from magnificent beaches by day to clubs and
discos by night.
What Acapulco undoubtedly has going for it, however, is its stunning bay
: a sweeping scythe-stroke of yellow sand backed by the white towers of
the high-rise hotels and, behind them, the jungly green foothills of the
Sierra. And, even though there are hundreds of thousands of people here
throughout the year - the town itself has a population approaching one
and a half million and even out of season (busiest months are Dec-Feb)
most of the big hotels remain nearly full - it rarely seems oppressively
crowded. Certainly there's always space to lie somewhere along the beach,
partly because of its sheer size, partly because of the number of rival
attractions from hotel pools to parasailing and "romantic" cruises.
Hawkers , too, are everywhere - there's no need to go shopping in
Acapulco, simply lie on the beach and a string of goods will be paraded
in front of you.
Though there's little to show for it now beyond the star-shaped Fuerte
de San Diego and a few rusty freighters tied up along the quayside,
Acapulco was from the sixteenth century one of Mexico's most important
ports, the destination of the famous Nao de China , which brought silks
and spices from Manila and returned laden with payment in Mexican silver.
Most of the goods were lugged overland to Veracruz and from there
shipped onwards to Spain. Mexican Independence, Spain's decline and the
direct route around southern Africa combined to kill the trade off, but
for nearly three hundred years the shipping route between Acapulco and
the Far East was among the most prized and preyed upon in the world,
attracting at some time or other (if you believe all the stories) every
pirate worth the name. In one such raid, in 1743, Lord Anson (the "Father
of the British Navy") picked up silver worth as much as £400,000
sterling from a single galleon and altogether, with the captured ship
and the rest of its cargo and crew, collected booty worth over a million
even then.
No one comes to Acapulco for the sights. By day, if people aren't at the
beach or asleep, they're mostly scouring the expensive shops. If you
only do one thing in Acapulco, though, make sure you see its most
celebrated spectacle, the leap of the daredevil high divers .
About the only place in Acapulco that gives even the slightest sense of
the historic role the city played in Mexico's past is the Museo de
Acapulco in the old town (Tues-Sun 9.30am-6.30pm; US$2.50, free on Sun).
It's situated inside the Fuerte de San Diego , an impressive, if heavily
restored, star-shaped fort built in 1616 to protect the Manila galleons
from foreign corsairs. The building's limited success is charted inside
the museum, where displays also extend to the spread of Christianity by
the proselytizing religious orders and a small anthropological
collection. Air-conditioned rooms make this a good place to ride out the
midday heat, and you can pop up on the roof for superb views over
Acapulco.
Along the Costera, the Centro Acapulco (Mon-Sat 10am-8pm) is packed with
upmarket shops, pricey restaurants and a futuristic disco. It is also
home to the Centro Cultural which has an art gallery, a crafts store and
a theatre and also hosts a regular programme of cultural events with a
regional bias. Check out the timetable.
Geared up for bored kids, the Parque Papagayo on Costera at Playa
Hornos, offers boating, roller skating and fairground rides. Further
east round the bay near the Centro Acapulco, the Centro Infantil CiCi
(daily 10am-6pm; US$6) has water-based rides and puts on dolphin
shows.Though it may not seem possible, there are even more restaurants
than hotels in Acapulco. To eat cheaply, though, you're confined to the
area around the zócalo . Places actually on the square tend to be quite
expensive but are great for lingering over breakfast at an outdoor
table.
Eating by the beach - where there's some kind of restaurant at every
turn - is of course very much more expensive, and increasingly so as you
head east, but, if you have the cash to spare, many of these places,
along with the fancy tourist traps between the hotels, are very good.
Throughout the tourist zone, especially along Costera, 100% Natural , a
chain of 24-hour "healthy" eating places, serve good salads, fruit
shakes, burgers and the like at grossly inflated prices. Alternatively,
you can choose from McDonald's, KFC , the Hard Rock Café and the raucous
Mexican fun bars Copacabana, Carlos 'n' Charlie's and Señor Frog .
One thing to look out for wherever you are on a Thursday is pozole , a
hearty pork and vegetable stew, served up almost everywhere. No one
seems to be able to explain why, but Jueves Pozolero is now an
institution.
Café Los Amigos , La Paz. Popular shady spot just off the zócalo.
Excellent breakfasts and tortas served all day. Hawkers are actively
discouraged so it's relatively peaceful.
El Amigo Miguel , Juárez 31. Two locations at the junction of Juárez and
Azueta, both serving good seafood at reasonable prices in clean, if
harsh, surroundings.
La Flor de Acapulco , on the zócalo. Good for Mexican dishes, cocktails
or just a coffee. Not the cheapest on the square but a pleasant spot to
linger, and a popular meeting place for travellers.
La Torta , La Paz, opposite the Marisol . Very much like its neighbour,
offering a great choice of inexpensive Mexican dishes.
Marisol , one block from the zócalo on La Paz. Offers a terrific variety
of tasty Mexican dishes at bargain prices - understandably popular.
Restaurant Astoria , inland end of the zócalo. Quiet café, cheaper and
classier than Las Flores , tucked just off the plaza under the shade of
a huge tree. Good coffee and light meals.
Restaurant San Carlos , Juárez 5, a block from the zócalo. Another great
budget restaurant in the centre. Good-value comidas corridas all day for
US$3. |
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