Acapulco – History

The Spanish conquistadors, searching for a southern port, found the fishing village of Acapulco four months after the fall of México City in 1521. Acapulco – the name is Nahuátl – means "place of reeds" and is virtually the only natural port south of San Francisco. For 250 years Spain's trade with the Orient, carried aboard the Manila Galleons, passed through Acapulco. The first Spanish fort on the Pacific, Fort San Diego, now houses a small museum.

México's independence, in 1821, meant the end of Spanish trade through México, but just after World War II, a new highway from México City opened the port to and several Hollywood stars, including John Wayne and Johnny Weismuller, built homes here. Weismuller is buried here, in Valle de la Luz.

The Bay of Santa Lucía (Acapulco) is oval, with the long axis running parallel to the coast, which is east-west. The old city lies on the western end of the Bay, where a peninsula forms the harbor (map).

International visitors began to arrive with the inauguration of jet service, and in the 60's a brand-new "hotel zone" spread around the eastern half of the Bay. Unfortunately, this growth brought considerable pollution, and by the 80's the Bay was filthy. Thankfully, the present City government has done a great deal to improve the situation.

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