Acapulco (officially known as Acapulco de Juárez) is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, 300 kilometres (190 mi) southwest from Mexico City. The city is best known as one of Mexico.s oldest and most well-known beach resorts, which came into prominence by the 1950s as a getaway for Hollywood stars and millionaires. Acapulco is still famous for its nightlife and still attracts many vacationers, although most are now from Mexico itself. The resort area is divided into two. The north end of the bay is the traditional area, where the famous in the mid 20th century vacationed and the south end is dominated by newer luxury high rise hotels. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history. 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” or place of broken reeds. de Juárez was added to the official name in 1885 to honor Benito Juárez. The seal for the city shows broken reeds or cane.

When I visited Acapulco, I stayed at the Princess Resort (shown above) and was reluctant to leave! Everything was available to us when we visited the city, and was as expected. The beaches were fabulous, and we met friends easily. The view of the bay at night was spectacular. Each city in Mexico by the ocean has it’s unique ability to capture the soul. When you eventually have to leave, you take a part of the city with you.