Acapulco Transportation

Getting There:

By Air:

The Juan N. Alvarez International Airport perches 22.5 kilometers (14 miles) southeast of downtown. Recent major renovations to its terminal, including more restaurants, have made it more visitor-happy.

Juan N. Alvarez International Airport (ACA) +52 744 466 9446 http://www.oma.bz/

Its runways are frequented by major airlines such as:

Aeromexico (+1 800 237 6639/ http://www.aeromexico.com) American Airlines (+1 800 433 7300/ http://www.aa.com) Continental (+1 800 525 0280/ http://www.continental.com) Mexicana (+1 800 531 7921/ http://www.mexicana.com) US Airways ( +1 800 428 4322/ http://www.usairways.com )

Private taxis are banned from ferrying passengers from the airport so look for the Transportes Terrestres booths near the baggage claim area. Shared vans average USD10, while taxis range from USD18-USD50. Rides into town take 25-30 minutes.

Rental car companies include:

Alamo (+1 327 9633 / http://www.alamo.com ) Avis (+1 800 831 2847/ http://www.avis.com) Budget (+1 800 527 0700/ http://www.budget.com ) Galgo (+52 744 484 3066) Hertz (+1 800 654 3131/ http://www.hertz.com)

By Bus:

The Central Camionera Station, north of downtown, is serviced by two major bus lines: Estrella de Oro (+52 744 485 9360) and Estrella Blanca (+52 744 469 2028). Both have air-conditioned buses and provide almost hourly service to Mexico City.

By Car:

Highway 95, a four-to-six lane toll highway, takes 3.5 hours from Mexico City and costs USD50. If time is not a factor but you are looking to save money Highway 95 D, a route that parallels Highway 95, is free but takes six hours from Mexico City due to its excess of continuous curves. Highway 200 wanders into Acapulco from both the north and south. Be careful when driving from the south for it has a history of robberies.

Getting Around Town:

Acapulco sports an extremely efficient bus system. Riders can choose from either its new line of pastel colored buses (USD.40) or its noticeably old school buses (USD.35). Covered bus stops, complete with posted route maps, line the Costera (Acapulco's main hotel/restaurant strip) making buses accessible from almost every street corner. Buses operate from 5A-11P daily.

Taxis are abundant and easy to find. The VW bug cabs are cheaper than the more contemporary "sitio" taxis averaging between USD2-USD10 as compared to USD4-USD12. If you hail a hotel taxi they generally charge three times higher. Because taxi competition is fierce each cab attempts to gain an edge by lavishly decorating their cars with elaborate neon lights so don't be surprised to be picked up by something that resembles a vehicular Liberace. Some of the more prominent upscale cab companies include:

Sitio Escudero: (+52 744 484 0250) Sitio Emancipacion (+52 744 484 7300) Sitio 54 Acapulco Plaza (+52 744 486 2461)

Because of Acapulco's sprawl having a car is handy, but not necessary due to its bus system. If you do drive be aware that parking is tight and is completely banned from the Costera. Street names and numbers are difficult to spot so have a good idea of where you going prior to driving.

Acapulco is not conducive for walking, unless you plan on never leaving the Hotel Zone.

Planning a Trip

Getting There & Departing

By Plane -- Local numbers for major airlines with nonstop or direct service to Acapulco are AeroMéxico (tel. 744/485-1600 inside Mexico), American (tel. 744/481-0161, or 01-800/904-6000 inside Mexico for reservations), Continental (tel. 744/466-9063), Delta (tel. 01-800/123-4710), Mexicana (tel. 744/466-9138 or 486-7585), and US Airways (tel. 744/466-9257).

AeroMéxico flies from Guadalajara, Mexico City, Tijuana, and Monterrey; Aviacsa (tel. 01-800/711-6733) flies from Mexico City; InterJet (tel. 01-800/01-12345) is a low-cost carrier that flies from Toluca, about an hour from Mexico City; Mexicana flies from Mexico City. Check with a travel agent about charter flights.

The airport (airport code: ACA) is 22km (14 miles) southeast of town, over the hills east of the bay. Private taxis are the fastest way to get downtown; they cost $30 to $50. The major rental-car agencies all have booths at the airport. Millinium and Movilaca have desks at the front of the airport where you can buy tickets for minivan colectivo transportation into town ($10). You can reserve return service to the airport through your hotel.

By Car -- From Mexico City, take either the curvy toll-free Hwy. 95D south (6 hr.) or scenic Hwy. 95, the four- to six-lane toll highway (3 1/2 hr.), which costs around $50 one-way. The free (libre) road from Taxco is in good condition; you'll save around $40 in tolls from there through Chilpancingo to Acapulco. From points north or south along the coast, the only choice is Hwy. 200, where you should always try (as on all Mexican highways) to travel by day.

By Bus -- The Estrella de Oro terminal is at Av. Cuauhtémoc 1490, and the Estrella Blanca terminal (also called Central de Autobuses) is at Av. Cuauhtémoc 1605. Turistar, Estrella de Oro, and Estrella Blanca have almost hourly service for the 5- to 7-hour trip to Mexico City ($35-$55), and daily service to Zihuatanejo ($20). Buses also serve other points in Mexico, including Chilpancingo, Cuernavaca, Iguala, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta, and Taxco.

Car & Bus Travel Warning Eases -- Car robberies and bus hijackings on Hwy. 200, south of Acapulco on the way to Puerto Escondido and Huatulco, used to be common, and you may have heard warnings about the road. The trouble has all but disappeared, thanks to military patrols and greater police protection. However, as in most of Mexico, it's advisable to travel the highways during daylight hours only -- not so much because of carjackings, but because highways are unlit, and animals can wander onto them.

Orientation

Visitor Information -- The State of Guerrero Tourism Office operates the Procuraduría del Turista (tel./fax 744/484-4416), on the street level of the Convention Center, set back from the main Costera Alemán, down a lengthy walkway with fountains. The office offers maps and information about the city and state, as well as police assistance for tourists; it's open daily from 8am to 11pm.

City Layout -- Acapulco stretches more than 6km (3 3/4 miles) around the huge bay, so trying to take it all in by foot is impractical. The tourist areas are roughly divided into three sections. On the western end of the bay is Acapulco Viejo (Old Acapulco), the original town that attracted the jet-setters of the 1950s and 1960s -- and today it looks as if it's still locked in that era, though a renaissance is slowly getting under way.

The second section, in the center of the bay, is the Zona Hotelera (Hotel Zone); it follows the main boulevard, Costera Miguel Alemán (or just "the Costera"), as it runs east along the bay from downtown. Towering hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, and strips of open-air beach bars line the street. At the far eastern end of the Costera lie the golf course and the International Center (a convention center). Avenida Cuauhtémoc is the major artery inland, running roughly parallel to the Costera.

The third major area begins just beyond the Gran Hotel Acapulco (previously the Hyatt), where the name of the Costera changes to Carretera Escénica (Scenic Hwy.), which continues all the way to the airport. The hotels along this section of the road are lavish, and extravagant private villas, gourmet restaurants, and flashy nightclubs built into the hillside offer dazzling views. The area fronting the beach here is Acapulco Diamante, Acapulco's most desirable address.

Street names and numbers in Acapulco can be confusing and hard to find. Many streets are not well marked or change names unexpectedly. Street numbers on the Costera are illogical, so don't assume that similar numbers will be close together.

Getting Around

By Taxi -- Taxis are more plentiful than tacos in Acapulco -- and practically as inexpensive, if you're traveling in the downtown area only. Just remember that you should always establish the price with the driver before starting out. Hotel taxis may charge three times the rate of a taxi hailed on the street, and nighttime taxi rides cost extra, too. Taxis are also more expensive if you're staying in the Diamante section or south. The minimum fare is $2.50 per ride for a roving VW Bug-style taxi in town; the fare from Puerto Marqués to the hotel zone is $10, or $12 into downtown. Sitio taxis are nicer cars, but more expensive, with a minimum fare of $4. Acapulco taxis are easily recognizable by their flashy, blue neon lights.

By Bus -- Even though the city has a confusing street layout, using city buses is amazingly easy and inexpensive. Two kinds of buses run along the Costera: pastel color-coded buses and regular "school buses." The difference is the price: New air-conditioned tourist buses (Aca Tur Bus) are $1; old buses are 50¢. Covered bus stops line the Costera, with handy maps on the walls showing routes to major sights and hotels.

The best place near the zócalo to catch a bus is next to Sanborn's, 2 blocks east. CALETA DIRECTO or BASE-CALETA buses will take you to the Hornos, Caleta, and Caletilla beaches along the Costera. Some buses return along the same route; others go around the peninsula and return to the Costera.

For expeditions to more distant destinations, there are buses to Puerto Marqués to the east (marked PUERTO MARQUES-BASE) and Pie de la Cuesta to the west (marked ZOCALO-PIE DE LA CUESTA). Be sure to verify the time and place of the last bus back if you hop on one of these.

By Car -- Rental cars are available at the airport and at hotel desks along the Costera. Unless you plan on exploring outlying areas, trust me, you're better off taking taxis or using the easy and inexpensive public buses.