Beyond the high-rise hotels, the heaving discotheques and the theme restaurants that ring the bay like a string of chunky beads lies another Acapulco.
It is known as Acapulco Tradicional-Traditional Acapulco-and it seems far removed from the slightly tarnished glitter of the Acapulco most visitors come to know.
Old Acapulco is not quieter, or more pristine or lacking the hustle of the newer, more tourist-grabbing areas on the eastern side of the bay. Nor is it far from the high-rises on Condesa Beach and the luxury hotels of the Revolcadero beach front. It begins at the 17th Century Fort of San Diego and flows along Avenida Costera Miguel Aleman around the curve of Acapulco Bay to Caleta Beach.
But while the newer Acapulco strives for sophistication, old Acapulco settles for atmosphere. This is one part of the megabeach resort that is not interchangeable with every other megabeach resort.
”Cities extend, and the older parts tend to be forgotten,” said Jose Viramontes Rodriguez, of the Acapulco Hotel and Touristic Business
Association.
It is a pity, too, because old Acapulco has much of the traditional flavor-the Mexican-ness, so to speak-that many of the hotels, clubs and shops of newer Acapulco lack. An occasional thatched roof pokes up amid the shade trees along the waterfront. Pink, green and blue buildings are stacked in the hills above the water like pastel-colored blocks.
Square at the center
As in other Mexican cities, the heart of old Acapulco is the zocalo. It is a large, shaded brick square on Costera Miguel Aleman that bustles with activity.
Several small restaurants with outdoor tables are positioned at the edges of the square. Refreshment vendors hawk ice cream and fruit punches dipped from huge glass jars that sparkle like jewels in the sunlight.
Acapulco`s cathedral, a blue-domed building with Byzantine towers that was built in 1930, stands fortresslike at the far end of the zocalo facing the sea.
Narrow streets trickle off Costera Miguel Aleman, or La Costera, as it is called. They harbor dozens of small restaurants with oysters and octopuses piled on tables outside. About $2.50 buys you a seafood lunch.
Back on La Costera across from the fishing port is the crafts market, where vendors sell Mexican crafts out of tin-roofed stalls.
”Mira,” they beckon-”Look”-thrusting silver-colored bracelets for closer examination. Much of what is for sale here is typical tourist stuff-straw bags with ”Acapulco” woven in bright thread, monkey heads carved from coconut shells and other stuff you will not know what to do with once you get home. But the artisans` market is more fun than browsing through the local mini-mall.
For more standard quality, head for Taxco el Viejo, a state-run shop specializing in Mexican-crafted silver and gold jewelry. The shop also carries leather jackets, onyx carvings, colorful papier-mache figures and other Mexican-made goods. It is at Calle la Quebrada No. 830, down the hill from Plaza las Glorias (formerly El Mirador) Hotel.
A hub in the 1600s
Proof that Acapulco was not wholly created by tourism is the imposing Fort of San Diego, on a hill just east of the zocalo. It is a fort of the storybook variety, complete with moat. Acapulco was inhabited by Indians when the Spanish conqueror Hernan Cortes arrived in 1530. He established a shipbuilding center, and by the early 1600s the port was a commercial hub on the trade route between Spain and the Philippines. The fort was built in 1616 to protect the community and the Spanish galleons anchored there from the ravages of English and Dutch pirates. It was rebuilt two years after an earthquake destroyed the original structure in 1776.
Four years ago, a historical museum was established inside. Ten rooms arranged around an interior courtyard trace the development of Acapulco from the 16th Century arrival of the Spanish conquistadors.
Among the riches displayed are porcelain vases, mahogany furniture and silk screens, artifacts from this era of flourishing trade.
After Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, Acapulco declined as a bustling port city. It spent the next 100 years as an isolated seaside town until the first road from Mexico City came through in 1927. A trickle of visitors began arriving, lured by the spectacular sunsets and gorgeous coastline. But the real tourism boom began with the opening of the airport in 1955.
Acapulco`s first hotels were in what is now the old part of town. Because they predated air conditioning, many are in the lush hills above the ocean, where they catch the breezes. Some of these old hotels possess a charm that the modern high-rises lack, but they may not have all the amenities, such as air conditioning, of their newer counterparts.
Art Deco elegance
A few, like the Casablanca, have undergone renovations to bring them up to date. Built in 1946, the Casablanca was Acapulco`s third hotel. The Art Deco-style building sits in the hills above the bay and retains touches of elegance, such as a curved staircase leading to a sweeping open-air terrace. The hotel`s golden years were during the 1950s, when Rita Hayworth, Tyrone Power, Lana Turner and John Wayne were among the guests, said sales manager Guillermo Acosta. These days it caters to older Americans and Europeans who prefer the solitude of the hills.
Another of Acapulco`s old hotels is the Plaza las Glorias. It is perched on the rocky peaks where Acapulco`s renowned cliff divers plunge 150 feet into the ocean several times daily. The original guest rooms at the 57-year-old hotel have been renovated, and 130 new rooms, which will double the size of the hotel, were expected to be added by the end of the year. The best rooms overlook La Quebrada cliffs. Although the hotel lacks a beach, it provides transportation to Angosta Beach, five minutes away.
When the Hotel Caleta opened 40 years ago on a hill overlooking Caleta Beach, much of Acapulco was forested hunting ground, and riding a mule was the best way to burrow into areas where golf carts now roam. The hotel was refurbished several years ago and the results are beautiful. Guest rooms are large and pleasant, with cool, white-tiled floors, white wicker furniture and roomy balconies. A salon upstairs overlooks Caleta Beach and Roqueta Island beyond.
Unfortunately, the murky water off Caleta Beach, the traditional spot to catch the morning sun in Acapulco, does not make you want to dive in.
Some new arrivals
Two new tourist attractions have been created near Caleta Beach. One is the Magico Mundo Marino, an aquarium built on a peninsula that stretches out from the beach.
Marine life includes sea lions, crocodiles and turtles. Scuba-diving classes are offered for an additional fee.
The aquarium is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Admission is $3.50 for adults and $2 for children.
Across the bay on Roqueta Island is the new Aca-Zoo, with a variety of wild animal exhibits. Though it is still under construction, (it is supposed to be completed in December), some exhibits are open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Admission is $3.50 for adults and $2 for children.
