During its heyday, Acapulco was the playground for the rich and famous including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland; John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline honeymooned here. It was immortalized in films like Elvis’s Fun in Acapulco and TV’s The Love Boat. Acapulco’s gorgeous arc of beaches that sweep around Bahía de Acapulco can be a relaxing place to soak up the sun – if you can ignore the pesky beach vendors. But step off the sands and you’ll soon be hit by a harsh reality: terrible traffic, crowded sidewalks, smoggy fumes, aggressive touts, poverty, homelessness and a significant crime wave.
Bustling Acapulco does offer pockets of calm: romantic cliffside restaurants, the impressive 17th-century fort, a world-class botanical garden and the old town’s charming shady zócalo. And when you tire of the crowds, secluded beaches and seaside villages like Pie de la Cuesta and Barra Vieja are just a short drive away.
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