Travel Guide Acapulco

With the arrival of Hernan Cortés in 1530, Acapulco ("the place of reeds" in Nahuatl) became the port of one of the main trade routes with the Philippines. The Spanish colony was administered directly from the city. After the departure of the Spanish in 1810, Acapulco fell back into oblivion until the inauguration of the first road linking it to the capital in 1927, followed by the first hotels in the 1930s. Then, in the 40s and 50s, Hollywood stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and John Wayne began to frequent the bay (John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie even spent their honeymoon there!). It was at this time that the first airport was built. But as the "Pearl of the Pacific" gained a reputation as a first-class sun destination and visitor numbers topped the million mark, a massive rise in crime rates began to emerge. In 2000, the tourist paradise became a hub for drug and gun trafficking. Indeed, for several years now, Acapulco has consistently topped the list of the world's deadliest cities. In any case, tourists here often stay in their resorts to enjoy the most comfortable and peaceful of vacations. The avenida Costera Miguel Alemán runs along the entire Acapulco bayfront, from the center to the Acapulco Golf Club. This is where it finally ends, to make way for the Carretera Escenica, a scenic road built into the cliffs and extending to the bay of Puerto Marqués and Punta Diamante. The town and surrounding area were hard hit by Hurricane Otis in October 2023.