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The Seven Beaches of Golden Acapulco

Golden beaches stretch between the bay and the boulevard (source)
Golden Acapulco refers to the long strip of towering hotels that invariably shows up on postal cards. Each of its seven beaches stretching around the bay has a distinctive style, and offer different kinds of watersports and beach activities.

Acapulco is 300 miles south of the Tropic of Cancer, so be ready for a hot trip - literally. During summer, it is quite common to see pedestrians plotting their moves from one piece of shadow to the next, like snipers. Sun & lifestyle in Acapulco has a way of mellowing out even the busiest Silicon Valley executives. The only important things here are sunscreen, water and a good hat. Everything else is details.

At night, when the lights come on, Acapulco becomes a partygoer’s paradise, and it is not uncommon to see bars and discos overflowing out onto the beach.

If you enjoy a secluded beach resort and intimate settings, this town is probably not for you. However, if old-fashioned glamour, style-consciousness, non-stop action, and great weather are what you're after, Acapulco may well be the place of your dreams.

 

Seven Pristine Beaches

Each of the seven beaches of Golden Acapulco has its own style, and caters to different kind of crowd. They have one thing in common though: they all stretch along La Costera, the grand boulverad of Acapulco.

Generally, water on the Acapulco Bay has gentle surf, making it ideal for swimming. Heavy traffic of motorboats, banana-tube riders and jetskiers lessen the enjoyment of quieter sport, so windsurfers and sailboaters who have their own equipment will usually venture to more southern beaches.

 

Playa Hornos & Hornitos

These broad beaches are the best place for fishing on its many rocky outcropping, with a pole or, like the locals, by throwing a net.

The surf is quite gentle and makes for safe swimming within float-enclosed beachside areas. Beyond the swimming floats, heavy motorized traffic of Jet-Skis and banana boats can be quite noisy and annoying for swimmers. No serious surf is possible.

These beaches are the most crowded of Golden Acapulco, for being near the largest hotels, and possibly for being on the side of downtown as well. Be prepared to see vendors of beach apparel, souvenirs, drinks, snacks and other items by the beaches, despite government efforts to relocate them to permanent stands along the boulevard.

 

Playa Condesa

Condesa is “Tourist Central” for singles.

If there is a happening beach in town, this is it. The Condesa, smack in the middle of the Bay Shore, is Tourist Central, especially for singles. This beautiful strip of sand between the Continental Plaza and El Presidente hotels is home to many restaurants and/or bars overlooking the beach, if not on the sand itself. Condesa is particularly gay-friendly.

Royalty and locals alike enter through Beto's Safari Restaurant on the Costera and proceed directly to the beach, descending 72 steps through a cool tropical staircase onto a balmy beach lined with rows of informal palapas - thatch-covered seating areas -.

 

Playa Icacos (East)

The most expensive hotels of Golden Acapulco are on Playa Icacos. Beaches are public, but often the hotels behave as if they were not, enforcing certain prohibitions around the front of their buildings.

The entrance to Playa Icacos is right by the very popular CICI amusement park, and its characteristic giant balloon.

 

Nightlife on the beach

If you find Acapulco to be a vibrant resort along a deep blue bay, at night, from the minute it flashes and sparkles with the city lights, you will see the city transform to a partygoer’s paradise. Especially in Golden Acapulco, where restaurants and discos tend to overflow out onto the beach.

Acapulco is home to clubs that are among the most impressive in the world. The Palladium is the largest and the most popular, visible from everywhere around the bay as the pink neon glow on the east side. It features a dance floor surrounded by a panoramic view of the Bay, designed as a post-modern fantasy. Enigma does not have a view, but an elegant ancient Egypt theme interior. The Andromedas has a more club-med feel, with its mermaid swimming in a tank next to the dance floor. The Alebrije is a favorite of the local Mexican population, and is generally cheaper. Finally, the Disco Beach, located directly on the beach is home of the famous foam parties, arguably the loudest and brashest of the city.

In addition, many bars-restaurants along the Costera have nightly dance music. Favorites include the Tropicana and the Copa Cabana, notorious for their huge cocktails.

Just don’t arrive too early at a party! In Mexico, the real fun never starts before midnight, and rarely ends before sunrise.

Source: Alexander's Travelogues: Acapulco, An Insider's View of Mexico

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