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Fun in Acapulco
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Long before Cancun and Cabo had their first hotel, back before Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton built their love nest in Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco was the place for fun in the sun in Mexico. The original Tarzan film actor, Johnny Weissmuller, owned a hotel there, while John Wayne bought up several homes. Decades apart, presidents John F. Kennedy with wife Jackie and Bill and Hillary Clinton honeymooned in Acapulco. In between those presidential honeymoons, Elvis made a film with Ursula Andress called Fun in Acapulco. From the 1920s through the 1960s, Acapulco rocked.
Standing on the beach and looking across the sensuous curve of Bahia Acapulco, you see high rise hotels glistening in the sun, while the hills of the Sierra Madre mountains sparkle with hillside haciendas. Along the main highway from the airport are mercados alongside malls, fine dining restaurants next to taquerias, and budget hotels next to grand tourisimo resorts. Acapulco has all of the tourist stamps, such as Senor Frogs, Hard Rock Café and the original Carlos and Charlies’s restaurant.
The city has a rich history, complete with a noble indigenous people predating the Aztecs. El Conquistador Hernan Cortes used Acapulco Bay as the center of his shipbuilding operations, while privateers such as the English Sir Francis Drake forced Spain to build the Fort of San Diego to defend the city from pillaging. The port stands today as a reminder of Acapulco’s importance to the strength of Mexico and houses a museum commemorating the city’s history.
As if the miles of fine sand beaches along Acapulco Bay were not enough to tempt tourists to visit, the area boasts dozens of other sites including the Zocalo, or town plaza, where you can stroll through the landscaped gardens, listen to live mariachis in the gazebo, browse through curio shops, eat tacos and sip beers at the taquerias.
The diverse marine life and stunning underwater rock formations, caverns and grottos make the bay a scuba paradise. The rocky coves are rich with marine life and perfect for snorkeling. At the marina you can find local scuba and snorkeling outfitters who provide state-of-the-art equipment and excursion boats to the best locales. All of the best outfitters have online services to help you plan a safe and successful Acapulco Bay excursion.
Perhaps the most iconic tourist attraction in Acapulco is the La Quebrada cliff divers, who leap headfirst over the jagged outcroppings of rocks with Olympic grace and skill. Elvis featured the divers in his film—although a double was used for Elvis’ daring fete (in fact, Elvis shot all of his scenes in the studio, never even visiting Acapulco for the filming). The La Quebrada divers put on their show several times a day and can be viewed from the viewing platform across from the cliff. If you want to avoid the crowds on the viewing platform, you can dine at La Perla, a restaurant adjacent to the cliff.
Bay cruise boats take passengers from Acapulco Marina for cruises along the coastline and to the La Quebrada cliff area for viewing the divers. The boats moor several hundred yards away from the divers, but close enough to see the divers pray and prepare before plunging between the chasm of rocks and into the churning surf below.
If you’re looking for nightlife, Acapulco is renowned as the city that never sleeps. The clubs and cantinas stay open until the last reveler leaves—often staying open all night. Dozens of nightclubs circle the bay, pumping music, dancing and festivity into the warm evenings all year long.
Dining around Acapulco offers choices from local taquerias where catch of the day is grilled with traditional Mexican spices and peppers and served in freshly made tortillas, to family style cafes with children’s meals, to upscale continental cuisine that rivals the finest bistros in New York, Paris, or Rome. Kookabura restaurant, perched on the cliffs south of the city in the area known as Las Brisas, has one of the finest views of the bay. Pricey, but worth every peso.
Dozens of hotels line the beaches around the city of Acapulco, but I found them crowded, the beach and pool properties cramped by the neighboring resorts vying for position on the golden sands of the bay. Just south of the city proper, actually closer to Acapulco International Airport and about 20 minutes from the city, lays the Diamond Zone. Reigning from the center of the Diamond Zone on the beach called Playa Revolcodero is the Fairmont Acapulco Princess and its sister property the Fairmont Pierre Marques.
For years I’ve been hearing and reading about the Fairmont Acapulco Princess. Friends have stayed there and come back with stories about the fabulous Fairmont service made personal by the genuine hospitality of the Mexican staff. My reservation at the Fairmont included airport transfers, so when I arrived at the Fairmont, a bellman was awaiting and greeted me by name. After a few minutes checking in, the bellman escorted me to the Pearl tower, one of three separate towers that make up the Princess.
The bellman swept wide the door of my fourth floor room in the Pearl with a flourish and I stepped into a room so chic and sophisticated I sent a note on my Twitter saying, “I have not loved a hotel room this much since the Dorchester in London.” Of course, the Dorchester and the Pearl are two vastly different design styles, yet it was that jaw dropping, awe-inspiring sensation one gets upon the first sight of something that overwhelms the senses.
The colors of hibiscus and bougainvillea pair with a brilliant sky blue, giving the room a fresh tropical motif that is at once sophisticated and chic, but not hip and trendy. A carpet runner stretches across the base of the bed, complimenting the design scheme. Rather than curtains and drapes, the sliding glass doors to the patio are covered with large wooden-slatted sliding shutters, which unfortunately, obscure half of the view from the window, even when the slats are open.
The bathrooms in the Pearl tower are roomy, with dual sinks and a vanity with shelves below for storage of personal items. While I appreciate Fairmont’s policy for ecological conservation of resources, it goes a bit too far when eliminating the bathtub in favor or a large marble shower. The Fairmont Acapulco Princess does provide bathtubs in the other two towers on property, but luxury travelers with a conscience should have the option of a nice, soaking bathtub.
My view from the Pearl stretched across the resort, looking over one of the large freeform pools, to the wide white sands of the Pacific. This pool is one of five that adorn the resort, including a salt-water swimming lagoon. A large waterslide into the saltwater lagoon made a big splash among the kids who slipped down and climbed back up over and over while parents sipped Margaritas and micheladas from their poolside lounge chairs.
Dining at the Princess can be as casual as snacks and beverages served around the pool, to fine dining at one of their four restaurants. If you’re a breakfast fan, be sure to try the Mexican buffet at Chula Vista. I made a reservation at Veranda for Italian cuisine, expecting to have a little salad and pasta. I was seduced by the dinner buffet, which included beef Carpaccio (one of my favorites), a pasta salad bar, soups, hot pasta selections, seafood, a pizza bar and a dessert and pastry bar.
Fairmont’s Willow Stream Spas located on select Fairmont properties have a reputation for elegance and sophistication. Willow Stream at the Acapulco Princess engages your senses from the first fragrant step through the doors. I took in three treatments during my stay, including the indulgent Balance body ritual, which began with a lovely foot scrub, followed by a full body scrub and a finishing massage. A pedicure the next day pampered my tour-torn feet, while a customized facial on the third day exfoliated, stimulated and moisturized my face, décolleté, hands and feet. Willow Stream features separate men’s and women’s relaxation areas with sauna, steam and Jacuzzi in each.
The fitness center is available to all guests and provides a variety of services including personal training, fitness assessments, lifestyle management and weight management consulting. Personal trainers are available for personal consultation for customized programs to meet each guest’s lifestyle and fitness needs. Within the fitness center, you’ll find free weights, stair climbers, stationary bikes, and Keiser, Cybex and Precor equipment.
Golfers have a paradise of choices in between the championship links at the Princess and the Pierre Marques, the Fairmont sister property adjacent to the Princess.
If you’ve been to Cancun, Cabo and Puerto Vallarta, perhaps it’s time for you to visit somewhere new. Acapulco has hundreds of hotels and resorts ranging from humble to palatial, with a price point for any budget. Watch your travel sites for Mexico airfare sales and resort specials. Be sure to check out the links below for more information about sightseeing, arranging tours and learning more about the diverse culture and beauty of this traditional Mexican seaside treasure.
All photos copyright 2009 by Carolyn Burns Bass
Acapulco Tourism and Visitors
Fairmont Acapulco Princess
Scuba and Snorkeling
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