Now I’m gonna talk about Acapulco and it’s attractions,tourism,history. This is the place that I’ve always wanted to go. Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, 300 kilometres southwest from Mexico City. The area has a population of 786,830. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay. Acapulco is also Mexico’s largest beach. Acapulco features a tropical wet and dry climate. The climate here is hot with distinct wet and dry seasons. The warmest areas are next to the sea where the city is.
Tropical Storms and Hurricanes are threat from May through November. The city is best known as one of Mexico’s oldest and most well-known beach resorts. Acapulco is still famous for its nightlife and still attracts many vacationers, although most are now from Mexico itself. The resort area is divided into two: The north end of the bay is the “traditional” area, where the famous in the mid 20th century vacationed and the south end is dominated by newer luxury high rise hotels. The name “Acapulco” comes from Nahuatl language Aca-pol-co, and means “where were destroyed or washed away the reeds”.
History There are two stories about how Acapulco bay was discovered by Europeans. The first states that two years after Hernan Cortes sent explorers west to find gold. The explorers had subdued this area after 1523, and Captain Saavedra Ceron was authorized by Cortes to found a settlement here. The other states that the bay was discovered on 13 December 1526 by a small ship named the El Tepache Santiago captained by Santiago Guevara. In 1920, the Prince of Wales visited the area. Impressed by what he saw, he recommended the place in Europe, making it popular with the elite there.
During the 1960s and 1970s, new hotel resorts were built, and accommodation and transport were made cheaper. It was no longer necessary to be a millionaire to spend a holiday in Acapulco, the foreign and Mexican middle class could now afford to travel here. However, as more hotels were built in the south part of the bay, the old hotels of the 1950s lost their grandeur. Tourism Acapulco is one of Mexico’s oldest coastal tourist destinations, reaching prominence in the 1950s as the place where Hollywood stars and millionaires vacationed on the beach in an exotic locale.
But nowadays, tourists in Acapulco have been facing problems with local corrupt police who steal money by extortion, and intimidate visitors with threats to jail. Acapulco’s reputation is that of a high-energy party town, where one can “have dinner at midnight, dance until dawn then relax in the daytime on the beach”. The south end of the bay holds the newer constructions, including the high rise hotels. In this area, no one walks as almost all transportation is by car, limousine or golf cart. Over the years a number of problems have developed here, especially in the bay and the older sections of the city.
The large number of wandering vendors on the beaches such as Tamarindos, who offer everything from newspapers to massages are a recognized problem. It is a bother to tourists who simply want to relax on the beach. In the last decade, drug related violence has caused problems for the tourism trade here. Another problem is garbage that has accumulated in the bay. Attractions Acapulco’s main attraction is its nightlife, and has been for many decades. Informal lobby or poolside cocktail bars often offer free live entertainment. In addition, there is the beach bar zone, where younger crowds go.
These are located along the Costera road, face the ocean and feature techno or alternative rock. There is also a bungee jump in this area as well. Another enigmatic attraction at Acapulco are the La Quebrada Cliff Divers. The tradition started in the 1930s when young men casually competed against each other to see who could dive from the highest point into the sea below. Eventually, locals began to ask for tips for those coming to see the men dive. In addition to sunbathing, the beaches around the bay offer a number of services, such as boat rentals, boat tours, horseback riding, scuba diving and other aquatic sports.
One popular cruise is from Caletilla Beach to Roqueta Island, which has places to snorkel, have lunch, a small zoo and a lighthouse. There is also an underwater statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe here, created in 1958 by Armando Quesado in memory of a group of divers that died here. The major attraction is sail fishing. Fish caught here have weighed between 89 and 200 pounds. There is a small museum called Casa de la Mascara which is dedicated to masks, most of them from Mexico but there are examples from many parts of the world.
The Botanical Garden of Acapulco is a tropical garden located on lands owned by the Universidad Loyola del Pacifico. Most of the plants here are native to the region, and many are in danger of extinction, such as the Peltogyne mexicana or purple stick tree. Another attraction is the annual French Festival takes place throughout Acapulco city and offers a multitude of events that cement cultural links between Mexico and France. The main features are a fashion show and gourmet food fair. If you wanna spend a good time,just to relax, you should go to Acapulco.
