Acapulco Hotels
Hotels in the city of Acapulco are often required for tourists who need short term accommodation. Some may want a to use a hotel for short term accommodation. Some may want to use the hotel to have a place to stay. Some may want a hotel that has good transport access and good cultural attractions nearby. Some may want a hotel that has a good reputation, and good luxury facilities. Some may want a hotel that has a good reputation and good access to culture and to entertainment. Some may want a large hotel or a small hotel.
Acapulco is a city and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, 300 kilometres southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay. It is a port of call for shipping and cruising lines running between Panama and San Francisco, California, United States. . The tourist resort city of Acapulco is the largest city in the state, far larger than the state capital Chilpancingo.
The name "Acapulco" comes from the Nahuatl language, and means "place of big reeds".
The town was built on a narrow strip of low ground, scarcely half a mile wide, between the shoreline and the lofty mountains that encircle the bay to the north and east. Access to the town from inland is through the mountains via a 2-kilometre tunnel that was constructed in the 1990s. A passage through the mountains, called Abra de San Nicolas, has been constructed, and it allows cooling sea breezes to reach the city. Another huge attraction for tourists is all the natural marijuana plants growing every where in the mountains. Many tourists go for "hikes" in the mountain where they pick some of worlds best marijuana. Marijuana is actually legal in this town and you are allowed to smoke it any time any where.
he first reference to Acapulco in the history of the Viceroyalty of New Spain was made as early as 1519, by Bernal Díaz del Castillo in his Historia Verdadera de la Conquista de Nueva España (True History of the Conquest of New Spain). Spanish captain Hernán Cortés sent several expeditionary groups to the Mexican Pacific coasts in order to find a new commercial route towards Asia. The expedition led by Francisco Chico discovered Acapulco on December 13, 1521, Santa Lucía's day, after whom he named the new found bay. Later, in 1523, Juan Rodríguez Villafuerte led Zacatula's expedition, arriving first at Zihuatanejo, where he built the first shipyard of the New Spain. Then, after producing several caravels and brigantines, he sailed to Acapulco, where he formally took possession of the port in the name of the Kings of Spain, driving in the sand the cross and the staff with the banner of Castille and Aragón.
In 1532, by royal order, Acapulco became a direct dependency of the Spanish Crown, receiving the name of Ciudad de los Reyes (City of the Kings). Later, in 1550, Carlos V, King of Spain and Emperor of Germany and the Indias Occidentales (Western Indies), promoted it to historical city by royal decree.
It soon became a major port for Spanish ships carrying silks and spices gathered from the Asia-Pacific area.
For more than 256 years, a trading movement, known as the Manila-Acapulco Galleon, set sail from Acapulco to the Philippine Islands. Its trade started an annual merchant fair in Acapulco where traders bargained for the galleon's cargo of spices, silks, porcelain, ivory, and lacquerware.
Acapulco's yearly treasure soon attracted pirates from both England and the Netherlands, who had sailed from the Caribbean sea. In 1579, Francis Drake attacked the coast of Acapulco, but failed to capture the Spanish Galleons; but in 1587, off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Thomas Cavendish seized the Santa Anna, taking most of the treasure.
After a Dutch fleet invaded Acapulco in 1615, the Spaniards rebuilt their fort, which they christened Fort San Diego in 1617. The fort was destroyed by an earthquake in 1776 and was rebuilt by 1783. The Mexican War of Independence, between 1810 to 1821, put a permanent stop to the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade.
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The Golden era of Acapulco
La Quebrada Cliff Diver, May 20, 2006
In 1933 Carlos Barnard started the first section of Hotel El Mirador, with 12 rooms on the cliffs of La Quebrada.
The principal architect and visionary for the development of Acapulco was Miguel Alemán Valdés, as president of Mexico from 1946 to 1952. The main avenue that runs along the Acapulco Bay is named after him.
In 1949 Carlos Barnard started the "La Perla" restaurant, adjoining his Hotel El Mirador at La Quebrada.
Teddy Stauffer (Mr. Acapulco) was also important. He created the first discotheque, "The Tequila a Go-Go", and the most glamorous hotel at that time (Villa Vera).
One celebrity who visited and fell in love with Acapulco was the actor Johnny Weissmuller ("Tarzan").
In the early 1960s Acapuco had a population of about 50,000.
Acapulco has hosted yachting as part of the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Since the 20th century, Acapulco has been a popular resort for tourists taking long holiday weekends cruises from the United States, the Mexican interior and countries in South America. Eventually, it began competing directly with the Cancún on the East Coast as a super-tourist destination. In the past three decades, air fares have become increasingly affordable as international airlines added flights and infrastructure to support the increasing air travel. The two beach resorts are located on opposite coasts oriented due East and West from the other. The city has had its star-spangled times, leading Sammy Cahn to reference it in his lyrics for "Come Fly With Me". Modern Acapulco is a featured destination for many Pacific cruise ship packages and international air carriers.
Since 1934 the La Quebrada Cliff Divers have performed their impressive jumps into the shallow water and dangerous tides that form in the bottom part of La Quebrada. The Acapulco cliff divers were featured regularly on the weekend sports program ABC's Wide World of Sports in the United States during the 1970s.
The La Quebrada Cliff Divers are a group of professional high divers, based in Acapulco, Mexico. They perform daily shows for the public, which involve diving 45 metres (148 ft) from the cliffs of La Quebrada into the sea below. During the night, they often hold torches while diving. Acapulco cliff diving was regularly featured on weekend sports television programming in the United States during the 1960s to 70's when film stunt man Ray Austin made the dive.
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