Mexico Guide
Acapulco and the Pacific beaches
Arrival
Acapulco divides fairly simply into two halves: the old town, which sits at the western end of the bay, with the promontory of La Quebrada rising above it and curving round to protect the sheltered anchorage; and the resort area, a string of hotels and tourist services following the curve of the bay east. From Playa Caleta on the southern fringe of the peninsula, a single seafront drive, the Costera Miguel Alemán – usually just "Costera" – stretches from the old town around the bay, linking almost everything of interest. You can reach everywhere near the zócalo on foot, but to get further afield, frequent buses (look for "Caleta/Base", "Zócalo" or "Hornos") run all the way along Costera. From the east, "C Río" buses travel past the big hotels, then turn inland onto Cuauhtémoc, where they pass the Estrella de Oro bus station and the market before rejoining Costera before the zócalo. "Caleta" buses continue round to Playa Caleta.
Most long-distance buses arrive at the Central de Autobuses on Ejido, 3km northwest of the zócalo, from where you can pick up buses marked "Centro" or "Caleta" to get to the area where the cheaper hotels are located. To get to Ejido from the zócalo, look for buses marked "Mocimba". Estrella de Oro buses from Mexico City arrive at their own terminal, 3km west of the zócalo, again connected to the centre by "Caleta" city buses, or to the hotels along Costera by "Río/Base" buses. Both stations have a guardería. The busy international airport (information on 
744/435-2060), 23km southeast of the city, is accessible by expensive taxis (M$190–225 from most points) and the Transportaciones Aeropuerto shuttle service (M$85 one-way; will pick up from hotel; 744/462-1095). Cheaper is to take a town bus to Puerto Marquéz, then another from there to the airport. Frequent flights leave Acapulco for numerous domestic and international destinations. For flight details, contact any travel agent or the airlines.