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Acapulco
Special Events
Many of the special
events that take place in Acapulco are coordinated from the Acapulco
Convention Center, located on the Costera in front of Costa Azul. A good
plan is to visit the Convention Center when you arrive and check their
calendar of special events and shows so you can pencil them in your
vacation plans before you get completely distracted by the beaches and
the night clubs. Ask any taxi to take you to the "Centro de Convenciones",
take a Costera bus in the right direction (ask anyone), or call
484-6626.
Back to Acapulco Special Events
is Mexico's free entry international air event, where extreme
aerobatics are going to take place performed by civil and military
professional pilots, using the nature's perfect scenery of Acapulco's
bay. In 2005, the air show will be held from Oct 31 to Nov 2.
Bullfights in
Acapulco on Sundays from November through March. Don't forget to bring
your camera or video camera!
The Acapulco Music Festival
The Acapulco Music Festival ("Acapulco Fest"
or "Acafest" for short) is held annually in May at the
Convention Center in Acapulco. It is a huge event lasting a
whole week and features dozens of famous Latin artists. There
are two separate events/stages going on concurrently - each with
its own admission (a schedule for 2004 is shown below). |
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Mexican Open Tennis Tournament
The Mexican Open is a clay court tennis
tournament held annually at the Fairmont Princess Hotel in
Acapulco. Players from all over the world compete in the
tournament - traditionally, many of the players are from Central
and South Mexico and Spain. For tennis fans, this event is an
enjoyable and relaxing way to enjoy your days in Acapulco while
allowing for plenty of time to hit the restaurants and night
clubs in the evening.In addition to the tennis matches, there
are your usual assortment of booths for snacks, drinks, meals,
and merchandise. The stadiums are in the sun, so bring your
sunscreen or better yet, find a seat higher up in the shade.
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Mexican Professional Wrestlin
Mexican professional wrestlers in
masks, it was overcome by the urge to go to "Las L uchas"
(the fights). Professional wrestling fans in Acapulco were
treated to an impressive line up of "next generation" wrestlers
including Hijo del Santo, Blue Demon Jr., and my favorite, Hijo
del Perro Aguayo.here was also this little guy in a monkey
costume (photo above right) who won over the crowd. The main
acts were pretty good, but I didn't much care for the closing
act, which was a caged wrestling match with three incredibly
vertically and horizontally challenged wrestlers and LOTS of
fake blood. But still, I'll probably go next year if they
come again.
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Famous Mexican wrestlers in attendance
Hijo del Santo and Blue
Demon Jr. (photo above left), Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Negro Casas,
Ultimo Guerrero, Rey Bucanero, Shocker, El Dandy, Hector Garza,
Tarzan Boy, Scorpio Jr., Emilio Charles
Location: The Acapulco Convention Center in Costa Azul When: In
2004, the event was held in late November. I do not know if this
event is annual. |
Spring Break Vacations in Acapulco
MexicoIt feels like spring break in Acapulco year-round, but
during March the city transforms into party paradise. The Golden
Zone along the Costera is alive with students and just about
everyone else enjoying their break in Acapulco. Along with
Easter and the week after Christmas, spring is the high season
for vacations in Acapulco. The beaches and hotels are full of
hungover gringos and gringas during the day and the bars and
discos are packed with a melting pot of foreigners and locals
every night. All night.Unlike other
resort towns in Mexico, Acapulco is a great destination to enjoy
your spring break in the company of the local Mexican people.
So, it feels more exotic and more like Mexico than destinations
where 90% of the people are foreigners. If an ordinary
destination is what you want, you might as well stay in your own
country.
Here is a quick run down on the 5 weeks of spring break in
Acapulco, starting the last week of February and continuing
through the month of March:
week #1) fun, on the edge of crazy
week #2) crazy
week #3) out of control
week #4) crazy
week #5) fun, on the edge of crazy |
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The Acapulco Fair
The Acapulco
Fair sets up in the Convention Center every year during the
Christmas holidays. It runs from a week before Christmas to the
week after the New Year. There are many rides for kids and
adults, however, there aren't any major roller coasters. The
rides reminded me of the fairs from the 80's - there was one
called "Starship 2000" and one with glamorous airbrushings of
Mel Gibson and Michael Jackson.
There
also have all the usual carnival games and prizes and over a
thousand vendors (I got trapped in the shopping maze and
couldn't find an exit for an hour). The fair is cheap and fun,
and a great place to take the kids if you visit Acapulco over
the New Year.
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Activities:
Rides (from the 1980's), Carnival Games, Shopping, FoodBullfights:
You can attend bullfights in Acapulco on Sundays from November
through March. Don't forget to bring your camera or video
camera!
Acapulco Philharmonic Orchestra:
Monthly concerts on the first or second Friday of the month (visit
or call the Convention Center for dates). The shows start at
9:00 pm, but get to the Convention Center 30-45 minutes early
for free |
Cliff Divers: The cliff divers ("Clavadistas")
are perhaps Acapulco's most well known attraction. Head on over to La
Quebrada at 1:00 pm to see their breathtaking dives, or enjoy drinks and
dinner and a repeat show in the evening. Take the Cliff Divers
TourAcapulco Cliff Divers by NightExperience the sophisticated ambiance
of "Club la Perla" located on the edge of the daring cliff of "La
Quebrada" while you enjoy the spectacular show of the legendary Acapulco
cliff divers. The price of the tour includes dinner and tips to the
waiters (drinks are not included). Seeing the cliff divers in Acapulco
is a memorable experience and has been one of the main attractions of
the city for decades.
The Tour is Approximately 3 Hours
Tour Departure Time: Daily at 7:45 pm
Price (per person): US$53
Fort of San Diego:
Read more about it on the Acapulco history
page. Touring the Fort takes around 1-2 hours, and the museum has some
interesting exhibits. Good for the family. You can also see the Fort and
other sights in Acapulco on the Historical Tour
Zocalo: The main public square and center of the "old"
(original) part of Acapulco. For tourism purposes, Sundays are the best
day to visit. There are plenty of places to eat and shop in Zocalo. This
section of town deserves more coverage than I currently have on Travel
Acapulco, and so I plan to explore this part of the city more in the
future. This area seems to be especially popular with Canadian tourists.The Bungy - Acapulco Thrills and Attractions
The Bungy - Acapulco Thrills and Attractions
For an extra head rush, try it upside down or with a friend (on New
Year's Eve 2004 there was a couple who jumped togetherupside down at the
stroke of midnight).
One jump costs US$50 (includes a special
T-shirt), with better deals on subsequent jumps. A set of pictures or a
video of your jump are US$20 extra.
Location: Right on the beach at La Condesa, near the mains strip of
bars. You can't miss it. There is usually a crowd on the sidewalk below,
ready to take your loose change (just kidding about that last part).
Parasailing in Acapulco
Parasailing in Acapulco comes
with a great view of the
Acapulco bay, and is my
top-ranked thrill on the
activities page. They are also
fun to watch if you are just
relaxing on the beach.
Parasailing rides should only
cost you US$20, which is a
pretty good deal compared to
other activities on the beach
(except other favorites such as
swimming, tanning, and sleeping
off your hangover).
Location: Go to Condesa beach
and look up (the main beach has many
different names, but is basically one
giant stretch of sand). There is usually
at least one person in the air at any
given moment. During
spring break, it can be difficult to
reserve a ride.Thinking about purchasing a parasail in
Acapulco for commercial purposes?
You can get excellent prices, service,
and training at
Acapulco Beach Parasails
The balloon is a
familar sight on
the beach in
Acapulco. It is
actually
permanently
tethered, so
rides consist of
floating up and
down, but you
will have the
best view of the
city and the bay
from the
balloon.
Remember to take
your camera
and/or video
camera. The
balloon would be
nicer without
advertisements,
but then rides
would be more
expensive.
Depending on
your
perspective, you
get to see ads
from Nescafe,
Nestle, or
Carlos V.
However, from
inside the
balloon, you
just get a
wonderful 360
degree view.
Balloon rides
are reasonably
priced at only
US$10 per
person.
Location: On
the main strip of the
beach, toward the south
end in front of Costa
Azul (and Planet
Hollywood and the Hard
Rock Cafe). You can't
not see it. The
Skycoaster is right next
to it, inside Cici water
park.
The
Skycoaster
-
Acapulco
Thrills
and
Attractions
he Skycoaster is a giant swing, located on the beach near the giant balloon. It's sort of a "bungy-lite", so if you are afraid of the bungy and don't want to be a total coward in front of your friends, you can take a ride of the skycoaster. It's also less expensive than the bungy, and they can strap together up to three people on the swing.
Rides on the Skycoaster cost US$15 for one person, US$25 for two people, and US$30 for three people at a time.
Location:
On the
main
strip of
the
beach,
toward
the
south
end in
front of
Costa
Azul,
next to
the
Balloon.
The
Skycoaster
is
located
inside
of Cici
water
park,
but you
do not
have to
purchase
a pass
for the
park in
order to
use it.
Barra de Coyuca: Head on over to Pie de la Cuesta for the sunset. Barra de Coyuca is the point where the bay meets the lagoon. It's an adventure to get there, but it is a magical place.
Las Brisas: Many of the best restaurants and night clubs are located on the hills in Las Brisas. On the top of the mountain there is also a huge cross at the "Chapel of Peace".
Water Parks in Acapulco
Cici: A water park which is fun for kids and the family, located along the Costera near Costa Azul (next to Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe). You can also swim with the dolphins.
*Tip for families: Go to a Mexicana grocery store, buy something and ask the clerk to stamp your receipt. You'll get a 2for1 or maybe a 3for1 discount entrance fee for the water park. *from duamtherrien on our forum
El Castillo de Los Moyis: A new, themed water park in Pie de la Cuesta. Make a day out of visiting Pie de la Cuesta and enjoy the beach, waterpark,
restaurants, and sunset
Acapulco Parks
Papagayo: Probably not worth the trip, except to visit B & B Jewelers. There's a small carnival with rides, but don't expect Disney World. There's also a very, very small zoo
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