Acapulco Bay in 1910
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Far from the towering hotels, the old, rustic neighborhoods of Acapulco still feel like a typical mexican city.
If the eastern half is a glitzy, highly commercial district into whose clutches the first-time visitor immediately falls, the moment you enter Old Acapulco, the traffic seems to slow and people return to traditional ways.
Old Acapulco encompasses the western side of the bay, and is packed with actual houses, smaller family-style hotels frequented by middle-class Mexican vacationers, and the quieter beaches of Caleta and Caletilla.
Hotels are not as luxurious as in Golden Acapulco, but much cheaper and, some would say, more authentic. For less than $50 a night in low season, you can get an air-conditioned, ocean-side room with a balcony, fridge and shower in an older hotel with two pools set about with mango trees and flowering bushes.
The oldest fort in America fought the like of Francis Drake. (source)
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The Oldest Fort in America
Anchored right in the center of the city, the five-sided San Diego fort was built to protect the legendary Galleon of Manila, coming from Spain’s Asian colonies loaded with pricey merchandises, against marauding Dutch and English Pirates.
Cortes had just defeated the Aztecs empire when he undertook a new mission: to find a sailing route to China. He discovered the Bay of Acapulco. This discovery was followed in 1528 by a decree from the king of Spain mandating that "Acapulco and her land will be the place where ships of the south will be built." From now on, and for 200 years, Acapulco had a monopoly over Asian routes.
The city prospered rapidly thanks to this trade, but all this wealth attracted some uninvited guests - like Sir Francis Drake and his pirates, who sailed into the bay from the high seas, raiding the city and its galleons numerous times.
In 1631, the Spanish built this fort, the first in the Americas, to protect those precious galleons, and the city grew from here. The fort's pentagonal design permitted defense in all directions; it was surrounded by a moat and was capable of housing 2000 men with enough provisions and ammunition for a year.
The pirates never subdued the fort, but an earthquake destroyed it in 1776. The fort was rebuilt, and the massive five-pointed maze of moats, walls and battlements was completed in 1783.
It successfully defended Spanish interests until the early 19th century, when it saw battle in the War of Independence. After a ferocious battle against independence hero Morelos, the fort eventually fell to the Mexican troops, and the Spanish and their treasure ships departed.
The fort now houses the Acapulco Historical Museum, which contains an interesting collection of rare art pieces dating back to the founding of Acapulco. Free on Sunday and holiday.
Acapulco's brass band playing in the Zocalo. (source)
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The Zocalo: Best Spot for Socializing
Acapulco is a real metropolis, with over a million inhabitants and 400 years of history. And the central plaza, or Zocalo, is the heart of the city. It may not be as grandiose as the town squares in the colonial cities of central Mexico, but nevertheless, it’s a good place for people watching, socializing, or sharing the Mexicans' addiction for talking the world over for hours at the plaza's benches and cafés.
This shaded plaza, overgrown with dense trees, is filled all day with vendors, shoe-shine men, and people lining up to use the pay phones. After siesta, they drift here to meet and greet. On Sunday evening there's often music in the bandstand.
The zócalo fronts Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, the town's modern but unusual church with its stark-white exterior and bulb-shaped blue and yellow spires.
Next: A walk through the Old Beaches of Acapulco  .
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