December
The city government is working hard – re-paving streets and cleaning shacks off the beaches – in preparation for the Acapulco 2000 Millennium Celebration which will, of course, coincide with the height of the Season here, during the perfect weather we expect from Christmas through the month of January.
Because of celestial consequences, the last full moon of the Millennium, on Wednesday, December 22, is expected to be unusually big and bright. On that night the moon will be as close to the Sun as it ever gets, making its light about 7% stronger than in summer. And it will be as near the earth as it gets (perigee) that day, making it appear some 14% larger than it did at the last full moon. And that day is the Winder Solstice – the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, or slightly north of Acapulco.
Restaurants
Luxury
The consensus is that Madeira’s, on the hillside in Las Brisas, is far and away the best restaurant in town.
An associated restaurant, Le Jardin des Artiste, across from the Continental Hotel, has also had good reports.
El Olvido, on Diana Circle, is set on a terrace just above the beach, and is quite good.
El Campanario has a magnificent view, but the food, according to reports, is only so-so.
The most expensive restaurants, without a doubt, are Casa Nova and Coyuca 21, both of which are lovely and have nice views.
Economy
For more economical fare, La Fogata, just a block off the Costera, next to La Comercial Mexicana Centro and not far from Fort San Diego, has really good shish-kebab (“alambre”), chopped beef tacos (“tacos de res”), and smoked port chops (“chuletas ahumadas”) – for the equivalent of about US$3.
Closer to Caleta beach, on the street leading to the bull ring and across from La Jolla Motel, is the little family restaurant La Cabaña de Pedro, which has daily luncheon specials for US$2.50 and a wide variety of good Mexican (not Tex-Mex) food. The pechugas con mole is one of my favorites.
For seafood, most people recommend either of the two Pipo’s – one near the convention center and another behind the “CROM” building (a bus stop) on the Costera.
Sightseeing
City Center
The somewhat “eastern-looking” Cathedral, built in 1936, faces the little town square, or Zócalo, which was re-done in the 1960′s and again in 1997. There are some interesting little shops near the Zócalo and an artisan’s market.
For good merchandise and honest pricing, go to Sanborn’s, on the Costera just two blocks from the Zócalo. They handle everything from cigars to jewelry; from good pastries to electronics, and they have a fair restaurant. For fine jewelry, try Margarita’s in the basement of the Oviedo Building between Bancomer and Sanborn’s – but be prepared to haggle over price.
Divers
The “cliff divers” perform at La Quebrada, about six (uphill) blocks from the Cathedral. You can watch from the Hotel El Mirador Plaza las Glorias, where drinks will cost you a bundle, or you can walk down some outdoor steps to a viewing area where you can watch for free – except for the tip which the divers or their assistants will collect. Twenty pesos per person should
be quite enough.
Pie de la Cuesta
The “Sunset Beach,” because of road construction, is difficult to get to and there have been assaults on the road. It was largely destroyed by 1997′s Hurricane Pauline and has not been rebuilt. The waves and the sunset (if there are no clouds, which is unusual) are impressive but you must ALWAYS ask for prices in advance and you should not plan on entering the water. For one thing, the “remolinos” (rip currents) are very strong; an experienced California swimmer drowned here in 1998. For another, there are many sharks.
Beaches
In the Bay
All beaches are public to the high-water mark, and you can walk for miles on sand. Virtually all the better hotels have roped off their beaches to discourage wandering vendors, which are arrested if the guards can catch them. The beaches in front of Papagayo Park – where there is a gigantic flagpole on the Costera – are popular and wide open; you can cross the street to Gigante to buy snacks and soft drinks, if you want.
Outside the Bay
Caleta and Caletilla Beaches are on the open ocean side of the peninsula, and are protected by the island of La Roqueta, which has a beach of its own. These are the beaches for the family, because the sea is cleanest and wave action at all three is usually very calm.
La Roqueta is my personal favorite; a “direct” round-trip ticket goes for about 20 pesos; a “paseo” will cost about 30 and take you on a brief tour of the sea including a view of the underwater shrine to the Virgin of Guadeloupe – revered by all of those here who work on the sea.
Charities
Be wary of donations to private organizations. One group of friends spends much the greater part of its income on administrative costs. The Board secretary, for example, operates her private business in the organizational offices, and draws hefty “honoraria” (in lieu of salary); her secretary makes more than all the medical personnel in the “clinic.”
If you wish to help Acapulco’s children, you can make a direct tax-free donation to either of two organizations providing assistance:
(1) D.I.F. (Contact Dr. Luis Rodrigo Barrera RÃos, Director General, Desarrollo Integral de la Familia, telephones 483-3032 / 483-3442 / 483-9812); or
(2) The Salvation Army (Contact Major Daniel Guerra, telephone: 482.3974)
The Author
I was born in the geographic center of Texas (Brady) on Texas Independence Day (2 March), but left at 16 and have lived in Madrid, New York, San Francisco, Manila, Albuquerque, Galveston, and Iowa City.
I like Acapulco best and I’ve been here for the past five years. I enjoy the peace, the friendly people, and the low prices. I avoid boredom by teaching English in an up-scale private academy and at a Seminary. In my other life I was a practicing psychiatrist.
I wore black western boots when I was on the Rodeo board in Austin; now I wear sandals (except when in the classroom).
I can provide fairly comprehensive information on Acapulco, and limited help on México City and Oaxaca.
