The first and most famous of the resort cities on Mexico's Pacific coast was once the New World's gateway to the Orient, but today it's a fast-growing city of well over a million inhabitants with a schizophrenic mixture of high-rise hotels, designer shopping plazas and tri-lingual restaurants shielding a hidden city of auto-parts stores, polluted rivers and crowded apartments. The city is definitely not everyone's idea of fun, but most visitors to Acapulco are happy to laze on the city's numerous beaches, which offer equipment for just about every sport that can be done on or under the water.

The famous cliff divers of La Quebrada have been amazing visitors since the 1930s with their graceful finesse as they dive from the seemingly suicidal height of 45m (148ft) into a narrow crevasse, which appears to contain only enough water to wash their feet. Not surprisingly, the divers pray at a small shrine before flinging themselves into the void. You can get a great view of the divers from the bar of the El Mirador Hotel. For less crowded beaches, try the Pie de la Cuesta, 8km (5mi) northwest of the city center, which is a good alternative to the glitz of the city. There are great views of Acapulco's bay on the road to Puerto Marqués, 18km (11mi) southeast of the city. Just south of the Peninsula de las Playas is the so-called underwater shrine, a submerged bronze statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe

DMC Companies

(the links below will open a new window and bring you to another website)

• Betanzos International
• Cabo Traveler Advisors
• Contactincentives D.M.C.
• Destination Mexico
• Eventos Turisticos Royale
• Go Mexico Groups & Incentives S.C.
• Terramar Travel Management
• Tropical Incentives DMC
• Unlimited Incentives

Summary|Culture|Acapulco|Mexico City
Puerto Vallarta|History