Acapulco

Acapulco (in full Acapulco de Juárez), town and seaport of southern Mexico, in Guerrero State on the Pacific Ocean. It is situated on a narrow strip of land between the deep, semicircular bay and the steep slopes of the Sierra Madre del Sur to the north, and offers spectacular views, a pleasant climate, and one of the finest natural harbours in the world. The city has scheduled air service and road connections with the interior of Mexico. Its principal exports are agricultural: cotton, tropical fruits, sugar cane, coffee, tobacco, and sesame seeds. However, the local economy is dominated by tourism.

Endowed with a fine harbour, which is almost entirely landlocked, and located in a setting of great natural beauty, Acapulco is sometimes called the Riviera of Mexico. It has luxury hotels, gambling casinos, and excellent beaches, and is popular for winter holidays and deep-sea fishing. The climate is warm and pleasant between December and April but hot, humid, and rainy from May to November.

Hernán Cortés visited the area in 1531 and the city was founded by the Spanish in 1550; from 1565 to 1815 Acapulco was Mexico's major port on the Pacific coast for Spanish trade with East Asia, especially Manila. In October 1997 a hurricane hit the city, killing around 100 people. Most of the tourist hotels were undamaged, but mudslides in the poor neighbourhoods, caused by flooding, affected large areas of the city. Many roads and bridges were also destroyed. Population 717,766 (2005 estimate).