Printable Version

Bookmark or Share

Write to Alexandra

“Honeymoon Central” is still the utmost of glamour (source)

Although the jet set of the 70's and 80's have since moved further down the coast, Acapulco has maintained the character, charm and atmosphere that has made it a world-famous resort. It is still the most visited holiday spot in Mexico. In addition, the fact that Acapulco is the closest beach to Mexico City guarantees a flourishing future.

The city was built on a narrow coastal plain, squeezed between the Sierra Madre del Sur and the Pacific Ocean. The main bay is a long line of white-sand beaches surrounded by high-rise hotels. The six-mile bay is one of the world's great natural deep-water ports.

The weather is another of Acapulco's major draws -- warm waters, nearly constant sunshine, and year-round temperatures in the 80s.

Beside its natural beauty, Acapulco boasts several sites of artistic, cultural or historic significance.

This city initially made its mark on the map as a playground for the rich and famous of the 1950s. Once nicknamed "Honeymoon Central," it hosted among its regular visitors such stars as Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte and Gary Cooper. Elizabeth Taylor married Mike Todd here with Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher as witnesses.

Acapulco did lose some of the glamour of the 70s, but the city is now undergoing something of a renaissance. After the hurricane that struck in 1997, the government has invested over a billion dollars to rebuild infrastructure, clean up the bay, and improve local services. All this is has made Acapulco more accessible, and more pleasant.

History of Acapulco

Acapulco was founded by the Nahua Indians (the predecessors of the Aztecs) around 3000 B.C. Zapotecs, Mixtecs, and Aztecs tribe had strong cultural influences over pre-Columbian Acapulco, but the area never got subjugated by these larger civilizations and stayed firmly independent under local chieftains.

Acapulco was finally conquered by the Spaniard, shortly after Hernán Cortes defeated the Aztec Empire in 1521. Acapulco was became the only port of the new world authorized by the Spaniards to receive its legendary Galleon of Manila, deriving from Spain’s Asian colonies loaded with pricey merchandises. The city retained its importance as a world trading port for the next 300 years and during that time became a haven for pirates including Sir Francis Drake.

The war of independence (1810-21), during which Acapulco fiercely resisted the independent hero Morelos from taking over the city. The war stopped the Manila Galleon forever, and Acapulco entered a one century-long slumber, until 1927, when the Mexican government built a paved road direct from Mexico City. Thereafter, tourism became the main game in town.

In 1950, a new highway was built, which expedited the trip from Acapulco to Mexico City to a six-hour drive. Ten years later, an airport was constructed. Suddenly, mass-tourism flocked to Acapulco for the climate, the beaches, the setting, the food and the clubs. It became their second home. In addition, the biggest stars of the times were not left behind: nicknamed "Honeymoon Central", Acapulco counted among its regular visitors such stars as Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte and Gary Cooper. Elizabeth Taylor married Mike Todd there with Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher as witnesses.

By the 1970s, Acapulco began a protracted slide. The number of hotels and residents looking for work in them grew faster than the supporting water and sewer systems. Social tensions increased as the population of La Laja, a seedy cluster of tenements outside of town, grew to 8,000. By the 1980s, rural unrest in the countryside spilled over into the city. The police chief was assassinated by guerrillas. Occasionally, hostages were seized in Acapulco itself. Hassling of tourists became widespread, and the rise of new resorts like Cancun and Los Cabos proved tough competition for Acapulco.

But resort towns like Acapulco never die, they just go through cycles. After the hurricane that struck in 1997, the government and private interests invested over a billion dollars to rebuild infrastructure, clean up the bay, and improve local services. Tougher legislation reduced the number of street vendors and cut crime. And, nearly a decade later, Acapulco is back, minus the glamour. Its 15 minutes of global fame ended long, long ago, but it remains the closest premiere beach to Mexico City. This fact alone ensures a prosperous future.