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Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez
Go for 3 nights for a bay beach and the cliff divers; skip if you want calm water and quiet — the bay is loud and the open-ocean surf is rough.
Acapulco is Mexico's original Pacific resort: a working port with a sheltered bay, a cliff-diving show running since 1934 and a long beach strip, La Costera, that runs from the old town to the hotel zone. It is a beach-and-food stop, not a sightseeing city. Three nights covers the bay, the fort and one day trip; two is enough if you only want the divers and a beach day. The rainy season runs Jun–Oct and the surf outside the bay is dangerous.
- Country
- Mexico
- Local name
- Acapulco de Juárez
- Best months
- Nov–May (dry season)
- Avoid
- Jun–Oct (heavy rain, hurricane season)
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MXN
- Money
- Currency is the Mexican peso (MXN, $). Cards work in hotels, chains and many restaurants; markets, street food, small shops and colectivos are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget M$700–1,200 excl. bed · Mid M$1,200–2,500 excl. bed · High M$2,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telcel has the widest coverage; AT&T and Movistar are cheaper in cities. SIMs sell at OXXO shops and phone stores; registration with an ID may be requested — check.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 911 · Tourist assistance 078
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 127 V · 60 Hz · US plugs fit; many older sockets have no earth pin.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10–15%; check the bill for an included 'servicio'.; Bars: MXN 10–20 per drink or 10%.; Petrol station attendants: MXN 10–20; more for windscreen and tyres.; Guides and drivers: 10% or MXN 200–400 a day.; Supermarket baggers (often older volunteers): MXN 5–10.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; garrafón (20-litre jugs) and filtered water in hotels.
- Toilets
- Put paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places; public toilets charge MXN 5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Street or market meal | M$35–120 |
| Beach-restaurant seafood plate | M$150–350 |
| Beer: beach bar / shop | M$40–80 / M$20–35 |
| Taxi within the Costera | M$50–120 |
| Shared cab or bus ride | M$8–12 |
| Fort San Diego entry | M$80 |
| La Quebrada viewing platform | small fee (check) |
| Marinabus bay ferry | M$60 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ACA · Acapulco International Airport (Juan N. Álvarez)
- About 25 km southeast of La Costera; flights from Mexico City take about 35 min. Airport transfers to the hotel zone run roughly US$23–50 round trip depending on season and class.About 16 mi southeast of La Costera; flights from Mexico City take about 35 min. Airport transfers to the hotel zone run roughly US$23–50 round trip depending on season and class.
Typical fares
- Taxi, La Costera → La Quebrada or airport
- M$120
- Shared cab, flat fare
- M$12 per person
- Bus, non-air-conditioned / air-conditioned
- M$8 / M$9.50
- Marinabus, Puerto Marqués → Malecón
- M$60
Get around
Taxis are unmetered: agree the fare before you get in. Shared white-and-yellow cabs charge a flat low fare per person; buses are cheaper still and stop anywhere you wave. AcaBus needs a reloadable card. Driving yourself is not advised — traffic, scarce parking, streets that change names and no signage.
See and do
Known for
- La Quebrada cliff divers
- La Costera beach strip
- Fort San Diego and the Manila galleon trade
- Bay beaches and seafood
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pie de la Cuesta | Bus marked Pie de la Cuesta PLAYA LUCES from the bay side of La Costera, between Escudero and Diego Mendoza | About 45–60 min |
| Puerto Marqués | Local bus east along the coast, or taxi | About 30–40 min |
| Barra Vieja | Taxi, roughly 20 min past the airport | About 45–60 min |
| Isla de la Roqueta | Water taxi or glass-bottom tour boat from Caleta beach | About 20–30 min each way |
Sleep
- La Costera (bay front)
- The main boulevard along the bay: hotels, bars, beaches at the door. Loudest and most convenient; prices fall as you move west toward the Zócalo.
- Zócalo / old Acapulco
- Town square with the cathedral, cheap family restaurants and more local life. Cheapest beds; 10–15 min walk to the western end of the bay beaches.
- Caleta and Caletilla
- Open-ocean beaches protected by Isla de la Roqueta, usually cleaner water; water taxis to the island leave from here.
- Diamante / Puerto Marqués (east)
- Resort strip and La Isla shopping centre near the airport; quieter, needs a taxi for everything.
- Las Brisas (hill)
- Hillside resorts above the bay with private beach clubs; you cannot walk anywhere, and taxis to and from charge more.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much to go there? | ¿Cuánto cuesta ir allá?KWAN-to KWES-ta eer a-YA |
| Please stop here | Pare aquí, por favorPA-re a-KEE por fa-VOR |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta por fa-VOR |
| Is it safe to swim here? | ¿Es seguro nadar aquí?es se-GU-ro na-DAR a-KEE |
| Without chilli, please | Sin chile, por favorseen CHEE-le por fa-VOR |
| Where is the bathroom? | ¿Dónde está el baño?DON-de es-TA el BA-nyo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; a kiss on the right cheek among friends; avoid: Skipping 'buenos días' when entering a shop
- Punctuality: Be on time for tours and buses; avoid: Expecting social events to start on time
- Talking: Warm small talk, family, food, football; avoid: Jokes about cartels, the wall or migration
- Churches: Covered shoulders, quiet; avoid: Photos during mass
- Dining: Say 'provecho' to other diners when leaving; avoid: Rushing the waiter
Scams and watch-outs
- Agree every taxi fare before entering; hotel-arranged taxis usually cost more than street cabs.
- Do not swim in the open Pacific at Pie de la Cuesta or Playa Revolcadero: the surf and undertow are dangerous. Swim inside the bay or at Caleta/Caletilla.
- Jun–Oct is hurricane season; check forecasts before booking flights.
- Police stops of rental cars have been reported as an on-the-spot cash matter; if you drive, keep documents in order and ask for a receipt.
- La Quebrada dive times change and the viewing platform charges a small fee: check the day's schedule locally.
Acapulco's tourist strip is busy and policed, but Guerrero state has a high violent-crime rate and trouble is concentrated away from the bay: stay in the Costera, Zócalo and beach zones, avoid driving at night, and do not carry more cash or cards than you need.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Acapulco yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- La Quebrada cliff divers
- La Costera beach strip
- Fort San Diego and the Manila galleon trade
- Bay beaches and seafood
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Acapulco municipal government: acapulco.gob.mx/
- Wikivoyage: Acapulco, revision 5243525 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5243525
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
AcapulcoAcapulco de Juárez
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No US consulate in Acapulco: the US Embassy is in Mexico City and handles Acapulco (check for the current consular agency). Other countries: embassies in Mexico City.
Tipping: 10–15% in restaurants; MXN 20–50 for porters and guides' helpers. Carry small notes for taxis and beach vendors.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/acapulco). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.