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).
Present day Acapulco
In the early 1960s Acapulco had a population of about 50,000.
Acapulco has hosted yachting as part of the 1968 Summer Olympics. The city was devastated by Hurricane Pauline in 1997.
Acapulco as a holiday resort
Acapulco BaySince 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.
In recent years, within the younger crowd, Acapulco has made up some ground on Cancún as a popular spring break destination. This growing popularity may be because Acapulco offers a different unknown experience and a larger, international student crowd than Cancún due to its prominence as an international tourist resort with many available international transatlantic and transpacific flights.
Skyline of AcapulcoApart from just the beach, Acapulco's best known island Roqueta, is a great attraction which is typically reached by glass-bottomed motor boats (enabling a clear view of the sea bottom). As in Cancún, water sports such as water skiing, para-sailing, scuba diving, deep sea fishing, sailing and snorkeling excursions are available in many price ranges amongst the picturesque coastal waters.
Several real estate, hotels and timeshares had been developed in the Acapulco Diamante (Diamond Acapulco) zone. A very important development has been built by Mayan Resorts the largest vacation club and golf operator in Mexico.
Beginning in the 1990s the government invested more than US$1 billion in an effort to upgrade Acapulco's infrastructure. Sewage systems have been improved and tons of trash have been hauled off the beaches. The water has once again been pronounced safe for swimming, although Mexico uses a lower standard for water quality than Europe.
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