Since its "discovery" by Spanish colonialists in 1512, Acapulco has held a special place in the history of Mexico and in the hearts of Mexicans.
The Beginning - Trade with the Orient
At first, and for hundreds of years, Acapulco served as the only port in the New World through which goods passed from China and the Philippines to Spain. The annual Acapulco Fair drew traders/merchants from afar to peruse goods arriving on the Nao de China vessels. Mexico's independence from Spain saw the Orient > Acapulco trade route end and Acapulco reverted to a sleepy waterfront city with limited trade.
Connecting to Mexico City - The Jet-Set Days - The Golden Years
Then, in the late 1920's a highway was constructed linking Acapulco with Mexico City, and news of Acapulco's beauty spread quickly and the town became a city and the city became an international jet-set destination. Stars of stage and screen flocked to Acapulco as early as the 1930's to enjoy the beauty and relative isolation, and those golden years carried through the 1960's.
Today's Acapulco
As tourism expanded so did the number of attractions, hotels and condominiums. With greater tourism came more people moving to Acapulco in search of work, or to live in the beautiful location. It's estimated that approx. 900,000 people live in or close to Acapulco. Although the rich and famous are still attracted to Acapulco and its natural beauty, most visitors are drawn from metropolitan Mexico City. The city is served by a modern international airport which makes it an easy destination to reach, and a toll road connecting to Mexico City by which people arrive on one of Mexico's excellent first-class busses or by private/personal vehicle. A comment frequently overhead when foreign visitors speak of Acapulco is: "It's so Mexican." Yes, Acapulco has the traditional flavor of a Mexican seaside destination where Spanish is the language mostly heard and the Peso is the currency mostly used.
The Future
Tourism-related development continues to expand in Acapulco, as the "new Acapulco" is under construction in the Diamante area and large plots of land in the vicinity of the city's international airport. The federal government is moving forward on the La Parota Hydro Electric project which will include the construction of a large dam in the area and the creation of several exciting water-based activity opportunities. To the north of Acapulco, along the state of Guerrero's Costa Grande region, the federal government is moving forward on a project that, over time, will see thousands of new hotel rooms constructed, new attractions developed, and more opportunities to enjoy a relatively unknown part of the area within a two hour drive from Acapulco.
