Neighborhoods

Three destinations in one

Acapulco has three very distinct neighborhoods: The Traditional Zone, the Golden Zone and the Diamond Zone. If you’re pining for a taste of Acapulco’s retro-past, head down to the Traditional Zone, where you’ll find boutique hotels, cultural and historical attractions and lots of local city color. The Golden Zone contains the city’s biggest beach hotels; while the Diamond Zone flaunts the newest builds in cutting edge resorts, malls and convention centers.

Traditional Zone
If you arrive in Acapulco via cruise ship, you’ll be docked in the Traditional Zone, making it easy to explore its unique attractions. If you arrive via air, chances are you’ll be booked into a hotel in the Golden Zone or Diamond Zone, although there are some up-and-coming hotels in the Traditional Zone attracting a lot of attention, such as the Hotel Boca Chica. It would be a mistake not to make an effort to get down to the Traditional Zone at least once during your stay. This is where you’ll find the legendary La Quebrada cliff divers, the Fort of San Diego, Acapulco’s zocalo (main square) and the Mercado Municipal – the bustling city market. The Traditional Zone is also where you’ll see the local, everyday life of Acapulco – not to be missed.

In the Traditional Zone, during the 30s at La Quebrada, the city would put on a town dance every weekend. Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Barnard would sell tacos to the crowd and bit by bit, bungalow by bungalow, they built the famous Hotel El Mirador.

Golden Zone
The Golden Zone stretches along Acapulco’s main beach on Avenida Costera Miguel Aleman and flourished during the fifties right on through the 70s. Not to be outshone by the Diamond Zone, it’s now experiencing resurgence as hotels strive to reinvest in their product. You’ll find a beachside hotel for every budget in the Golden Zone, tons of shops, and scores of restaurants, from upscale eateries to easy-on-the-budget taco stands. The Golden Zone is also the site of many of Acapulco’s most famous nightclubs, and the neighborhood hums with action until the wee wee hours.

Diamond Zone
The Diamond Zone is a diamond-hard cutting edge tourism powerhouse. This is the part of Acapulco that is drawing well-heeled travelers from around the world, as well as the trendiest and most successful residents of Mexico City. The Diamond Zone is far from Acapulco’s hustle and bustle along the beach. Here you’re relish spectacular views overlooking the bay, new resorts like Banyan Tree Cabo Marques and Hotel Encanto, and sophisticated restaurants that can hold their own with the best the world has to offer. The Mundo Imperial complex is a shopper’s delight and a destination in its own right, with high-end boutiques, restaurants, nightclubs and convention centers.