- Home |
- My Reservations |
- My Trips |
- My Cart ( Empty) |
- Login |
- Help
Acapulco
Group Travel
Acapulco Overview For Group Travelers
Acapulco Group Attractions
There are plenty of things to do and places to see for groups traveling to Acapulco. Explore top attractions our experts recommend. Visit Capilla de la Paz. Check out Isla La Roqueta. Don't miss Playa Pie de la Cuesta. Click here to start planning your trip now.
Things To Do for Groups in Acapulco
Book group trip activities before you go. Select from our handpicked tours and experiences for groups traveling to Acapulco. Find everything from day trips to tours to concerts and shows to outdoor activities to discount attraction cards-and more. We can help your group find and book the best group activities. In Acapulco, try Acapulco Shotover Jet, Coyuca Lagoon Tour in Acapulco, or Acapulco Beginners Scuba Diving Course. Explore other group activities and tours available in Acapulco here.
About Acapulco
A stunning bay overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Acapulco is the port with the greatest tourism tradition in Mexico. It has gorgeous beaches, delicious fish and seafood establishments, important trade centers, and a first class hotel infrastructure.Acapulco Districts
Acapulco de Juárez has always been characterized by its strong tourist impact, both national and international. Featured in hundreds of films, a favorite of well-known '50s and '60s Hollywood stars, attractive to hotel impresarios and investors, and today, the destination of many a Mexico City inhabitant seeking sun and sea on the weekends.One of the main attractions has remained unchanged through time; traditional Acapulco continues to be an ideal place to stroll. You can visit various areas such as the Fuerte de San Diego, which served as protection against the attacks of dangerous buccaneers in times when pirates were a common threat; Isla La Roqueta, with its Aca-Zoo, a small zoo with some native species; El Zócalo, with its well-known, curiously designed Cathedral; La Quebrada, and its daring divers; or the Playas Caleta y Caletilla, popular with Acapulco locals. The activities in this district tend to be fun and cheap.
The Zona Dorada ("Golden Area"), one of the largest districts in Acapulco, extends itself throughout the Avenida Miguel Alemán, also called Costera. In this area—compared by some to Sunset Boulevard—there is a large number of exclusive shops, restaurants and bars, and some four-star hotels.
If you're taking the panoramic road towards La Quebrada, you will find a district called Pie de la Cuesta, a small fishing village, famous for offering some of the most glorious sunsets you're ever likely to see. People travel from all over Acapulco just to catch a glimpse of this wonderful display. The sea is open, so the large waves make it dangerous to swim in. However, you can just sit and watch the sun setting with friends, or taste a dish or two at nearby restaurants.
Bahía de Puerto Marqués is the other district that nature seems to have blessed: natural charm and postcard sceneries abound. In this area, tourism has taken over with large hotels, shops, and eateries. One of its greatest attractions is its seafood market.
One of the most exclusive spots, with private beaches and large luxury hotels is Punta Diamante. One such hotel is the Hotel Las Brisas complex, with hotels and condominums. These places occupy the beaches of Pichilingue, far from the town and the Costera Miguel Alemán. This means the hotels have all sorts of services and facilities, and often host events like congresses and symposia. There are some shops and stores around this area as well.
Towards the international airport is an area with hotel complexes and all-inclusive resorts, some with world-class golf courses, and located near the Laguna de Tres Palos. The sea here is open, which makes it ideal for practicing sports such as surfing: however, it is not ideal for swimming. Throughout the beach, one can find many places selling typical local dishes, which you will be hard pressed to find elsewhere. This is the case of the delicious pescado a la talla dish, well-seasoned freshly caught fish.
Be it the old Acapulco, which enchanted Elizabeth Taylor, or the new one—with its large hotel chains, luxury shops, theme restaurants, and popular clubs, tourism is still going strong in the bay, as strong as it has ever been. If you visit Acapulco, be sure to try a bit of both worlds—you're likely to come back time and time again.
Acapulco History
Acapulco: From Piracy to Tourism Imagine an unspoiled paradise, on the coasts of the Pacific, where only a few animal species live, the sun, the sea and the vegetation making up a green and ochre landscape. Thus was Acapulco Bay over 3000 years ago. The first inhabitants of this area were the Nahuas, a tribe that was a predecessor to the Aztecs, according to archaeological findings dating back to over 2000 years ago.In 1521, Francisco Chico, by order of Hernán Cortés acting on behalf of the Spanish Crown, arrived in this area, the first foreigner ever to step on Mexican territory, and named it Santa Lucía. The newly founded city quickly became an important trading center between Asia and America, with ships constantly coming and going to and from the East, and which brought, among many other goods, spices into America. As a result of the economic boom, the population increased threefold and its wealth attracted the attention of legendary pirates such as Sir Francis Drake, Morgan, and Cavendish.
In order to defend the port from the frequent pirate attacks, a castle was built: Fuerte de San Diego, which would later fall prey to an earthquake in the 18th century, and would be destroyed as a result. Acapulco is, after all, one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the country.
At the beginning of the 19th century, King Charles IV declared Acapulco Ciudad Oficial and it became an essential part of the Spanish Crown. In 1810, José María Morelos attacked and burnt down the city during the War of Independence. Acapulco recovered its importance during the Gold Rush. Many of the ships stopped in the port on their way to Panama, and more than a few of the passengers were so taken by the natural beauty of its beaches that they decided to settle there.
In 1920, Acapulco started its voyage towards becoming an important tourist destination, with the visit of the Prince of Wales and future King Edward VIII. Acapulco's charm had captivated the royalty and they soon recommended the place all around Europe. The idea to create a hotel and trading infrastructure came from a Texan businessman named Pullen, responsible for the construction of what is now known as Old Acapulco. Years later, President Miguel Alemán radically transformed the port, installing electricity, drainage systems, pavements, and building the first road from Mexico DF to the port, which brought much more tourism to the area.
The economy grew and foreign investment increased with it. 1950 marked the beginning of the golden age of Acapulco. It became the "in" place among millionaires and Hollywood stars. Elizabeth Taylor chose Acapulco for one of her weddings; Sinatra, Eddie Fisher, John F. Kennedy, and Brigitte Bardot were regular faces on Acapulco´s beaches.
During the 1960s and 70s, 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 to the beautiful city.
During the 1990s, the road known as the Ruta del Sol was built, crossing the mountains between Mexico City and Acapulco. The journey only takes about three and a half hours, making Acapulco a favorite weekend destination for Mexico City inhabitants.
Acapulco is still expanding and its infrastructures constantly improving with ever-growing foreign investment. No doubt it is worth visiting this Mexican destination, where the landscape and sunset are still the same as they were when Nahuas admired them from the deserted beaches so many years ago.
Acapulco Entertainment
Nature gave the "Pearl of the Pacific" a remarkable number of some of the most stunning beaches in the planet. The natural beauty makes Acapulco perfect for those visitors who are after the pleasures of the sun and the sea, and have been searching for the perfect sand and water to relax in, enjoy, or play sports in.All the beaches in Acapulco are open to the public, including those near the most exclusive hotel resorts. The following beaches are particularly worth visiting: Barra Vieja, enormous in length; Laguna de Tres Palos, which eventually leads to the Pacific; Playas Caleta y Caletilla in old Acapulco, a favorite among the locals; La Isla La Roqueta; Playa La Angosta; Playa Condesa; and the Laguna de Coyuca.
While still on the subject of beaches, it's necessary to mention the Playas Hornos y Hornitos, a swimmer's paradise; and Playa Icacos, one of the finest places in Acapulco. Playa Pie de la Cuesta is the ideal place to sit and watch the sunset; what you see on the postcards in nothing compared to the magical experience of seeing it live. Surfers find its waters a true paradise. The waves of Bahía de Puerto Marqués are not particularly swimmer-friendly, but many people prefer them for water sports. At Playa Revolcadero you have the chance to ride a horse along the shore and check out stunning views.
Sailing in a yacht is one of the favorite activities among tourists who visit the Bay. Although the sea is not entirely calm and one requires some previous experience or simply natural talent to sail, fishing certainly poses no danger. Why not take your rod? You could catch anything from barracudas to sharks... There are special fishing tours you can book: the men in charge of the boats know where to find what you are after, and with their advice and suggestions, your experience is bound to be a success. Acapulco is also excellent for playing golf, with two very good golf courses, one of which is at the Fairmont Acapulco Princess, and the other at Fairmont Pierre Marqués, both with 18 holes. If you fancy a walk, visit some of the many arts and crafts shops, where a great amount of establishments specialize in Taxco silver and traditional arts and crafts from the Guerrero province. On Sundays, enjoy the folk music and try something special to eat at the Acapulco Garden Club. La Catedral is a chance to look into the history of Acapulco and the Centro Internacional de Convenciones Acapulco is famous for the amount of quality shows that run year after year here, particularly concerts and music festivals.
Acapulco Family Attractions
Acapulco offers entertainment for everyone, whatever age, tastes, or interests. For the little ones, stop at Mágico Mundo Marino or at the CICI Waterpark, famous for its slides and water games, as well as all sorts of trained sea animals.Acapulco Dining and Drinking
As is the case with all the Mexican beach destinations where international tourism has flourished, Acapulco has a great number of restaurants, bars, and discotheques, each one with a style of its own, offering special dishes and special features, which make them worthy of recommendation.In variety is the pleasure, or so the Spanish saying ("en la variedad está el gusto") goes, and in Acapulco Bay this has been taken very seriously. Taking advantage of tourists' taste for nightlife, the number of discotheques and bars in the bay seems to increase by the day. Popular ones around town include: Baby'O, Carlos 'n' Charlie's, the legendary Hard Rock Café, and its neighbor, Planet Hollywood.
If you prefer slightly quieter places, stop by one of the several piano bars along the coast, all of which offer an excellent selection of music in a somewhat more romantic atmosphere.
For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Acapulco has an enormous quantity of options to choose from, no matter the occasion, your food preferences, or your budget. There are restaurants located all along the hotel area, and also in the city center. The latter tend to be more reasonably priced, and mostly specialize in seafood or local cuisine. In the province of Guerrero, the traditional food is rather hot and spicy. Take this into account when ordering food: don't overdo it.
At most of the discotheques, there is a flat fee upon entry, and thereafter one can drink as much as one wants all night long. The most exclusive discos are in the area known as Las Brisas.
Where To Stay in Acapulco
If the port of Acapulco de Juárez, in the state of Guerrero, is one of the favorite places among royalty and celebrities, imagine the variety in terms of entertainment the city has to offer its visitors! Since the early 1960s, Acapulco has been a favorite tourist destination among both Mexicans and foreigners. The tourist boom brought hotel investors to the bay to transform the area entirely, providing a wide range of services and prices. For those who are after luxury and comfort, there are many selections, all of which offer first class services, bilingual staff, and are very near the most "chic" beaches in the bay.Another option is simply to stay in what are known as First Class hotels, some very close to Playas Caleta y Caletilla, one of the most traditional beaches.
For those of you who are just happy with somewhere clean to sleep and hot water, the "standard" hotels offer basic services at very reasonable prices, whatever your budget. So don't miss out on coming to Acapulco; if you are on a tight budget, stay at one of the places located on the Costera Miguel Alemán, at the center of all the fun and on one of the best beaches. There is yet another option in terms of accommodation: what are known as hoteles económicos, and rightly so, are often compared to places in Waikiki in Hawaii. These hotels offer basic services and facilities, but are perfect for those who only want somewhere to sleep and some hot water.
Acapulco has one of the best hotel infrastructures, with something for everyone, whatever your budget. The road known as Ruta del Sol, crosses the mountains into Mexico City. The journey between the two cities is only three and half hours, and has made Acapulco a favorite weekend destination among Mexico City's inhabitants. Acapulco continues to grow and improve in order to provide all its visitors with everything they might need, want, or enjoy. Acapulco continues to grow as a top Mexican destination, without spoiling, needless to say, the natural beauty of the Mexican Sierra Maestra.
Acapulco by the Numbers
Province: GuerreroLand Area: 11 square miles
Average Annual Rainfall: 59 inches
Average Days of Sunshine: 360
Average January Temperature: 81 degrees F
Average July Temperature: 92 degrees F
Time Zone: GMT -6, or -5 between April and October (daylight savings)
Electricity: 110-120 volts; standard, flat two-pin plugs
Country Dialing Code: 011
Area Code: 744
Population: 721,100
Major Industries: Tourism, Textiles, Petroleum