Acapulco As You Like It

by Paris Permenter & John Bigley

The "birthplace of Mexican tourism" combines the thrill of the sea against the hazy backdrop of the mountains. It's all set in a tradition-filled city where long-time customs live on through food, music, and romance.

"Hey, isn't that Sylvester Stallone?" Just a few feet across the packed dance floor, a muscular, dark man in a white suit has commanded the attention of several well-coifed women. Hmm...same build. Same hair. And, as we saw the moment he turned, a different face. Oh, well...

Celebrity sightings --or near misses, in this case -- are no surprise in Acapulco, a classic resort city that's glitzy, glamorous and Hollywood with an olé spirit. This Pacific playground has long attracted notable names from Lucille Ball to Alec Baldwin, from Frank Sinatra to Steven Spielburg. The "birthplace of Mexican tourism" combines the thrill of the sea against the hazy backdrop of the mountains. It's all set in a tradition-filled city where long-time customs live on through food, music, and song while new fashions enliven the community through exclusive boutiques, elegant resorts, and multi-million dollar mansions that hug the hills like designer jeans.

Our evening at the picturesque Palladium disco, while without star sightings, was stellar nonetheless, thanks to a truly spectacular view. Against the foreground of pulsating bodies dancing to a Latin beat, the city of Acapulco was visible through huge windows. From our mountainside perch, we could see the city below like a jeweled necklace, the lights tracing the edge of Acapulco Bay.

HOTEL HIDEAWAYS

After our night of disco fun, we headed up the next morning for a restorative breakfast high in the hills. Far above the crowded streets below, we were used into Palma Real, the elegant restaurant of Hotel Villa Vera by a smiling maitre d' in a spotless white guyaberra.

A favorite with the rich and famous set, the guest list of Hotel Villa Vera is synonymous with the stars of Hollywood's heydays: Elizabeth Taylor, Lana Turner, Rita Heyworth, Debbie Reynolds, Eddie Fisher, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra. Acapulco may have changed since its days as an exclusive Hollywood getaway, but at Villa Vera Hotel Spa and Racquet Club (800-327-1847), the legend lives on.

After a breakfast of spicy chiliquilies and sweet banana bread, we decided to tour the grounds and have a peek at the quiet compound where stars have chosen for rest and relaxation.This hillside retreat has regained its glamour status following a $2 million renovation of its unique accommodations.

Today the boutique hotel again serves as a getaway for stellar travelers (Farrah Fawcett always asks for the presidential suite and Julio Iglesias has a private home on the hotel grounds) and for any traveler looking for peace, quiet, and pricey privacy.

The resort offers guest rooms and junior suites but it is perhaps best known for its villas named for its most famous guests. Luxuriate during your stay in the privacy of the Lana Turner Villa (where the star lived for five years), the Rita Heyworth Villa or the Elizabeth Taylor Villa, where the violet-eyed movie icon vacationed yearly for nearly two decades. Villas have private swimming pools, outdoor bars, and hydromassage tubs.

Many rooms have tubs perfect for a soak --a deux--complete with a sea of designer bath bubbles. Lovers luxuriate in "Romance," a fragrance specially designed for Villa Vera. The hotel has also crafted essential oils for its guests, featuring a light, fruity aroma designed to trigger pleasant memories long after a vacationer returns home.

ACTIVITY

Although Acapulco is synonymous with luxury, it's also a real-life city, with long-time neighborhoods and plenty of history. After breakfast, we were ready to check out real life Acapulco.

Acapulco is named for an Aztec word that means "place of dense reeds," a hint at its history as a fishing village. When the Spanish arrived here in 1530, the spot was already established by native fishermen, searching for a bounty of marlin and dorado. However, the Spanish transformed this bayside community into a major port for their Pacific explorations. Until the War of Independence ended the Spanish reign here, Acapulco was a trading port with the Orient, bringing in exotic goods and spices from the far reaches of the Pacific.

The Spanish left behind not only their language and many of their traditions but also a major fort: El Fuerte de San Diego. We hopped a lime green Volkswagon beetle taxi to the fort to see the stony arsenal that was built in the early 1600s to defend the port from buccaneers. Standing on the ramparts, we sighted down rusting cannons menacing the placid harbor and imagined the flurry of activity which must have occurred here when an enemy sail appeared out of the hazy Pacific.

The memories of warfare are a sharp contrast to the gaiety of the nearby Casa Mascaras, a new museum that showcases some of the best indigenous craftwork in the region: hand carved masks. Colorful ceremonial masks fill the walls of the small cottage and we watched craftsmen fashion wooden masks in the final room.

Although the masks themselves are well recognized, mention Mexican artist and one name instantly come to mind: Diego Rivera. The artist moved to Acapulco in 1956 and built a stately home on Pinzona Street that's still home to his wife today. Although we couldn't tour the house, we were able to see some of Rivera's murals on the walls surrounding the home. Here a 30-foot snake, executed in seashells, hissed in stylized relief amid other fantastic creatures.

CLIFFDIVERS

Diego Rivera's neighborhood sits high on the hills that look down on the sea and over 20 miles of beaches that trace the outline of Acapulco. It was time for us to see the golden treasure that draws travelers to this stretch of coastline: three dozen toasted sand beaches.

From the Hotel Zone, we'd already seen Playa Condesa. Here jet skis buzz like aquatic bees while parachute riders float like butterflies high over the golden beach. Well-oiled visitors stroll the surf, occasionally stopping at one of the alfresco restaurants for a leisurely bite.

But we were headed to Playa Caleta, a favorite with local residents because of its gentle surf. Tucked on the westernmost reaches of Acapulco, this beach was once at the heart of the rich and famous territory, located near the first hotels that attracted a stellar crowd to the Mexican Riviera.

Today, though, attention has been focused further south and Playa Caleta has again returned to the local crowd. Walking barefoot along the sand, we watched a family enjoying a late day picnic while a pair of teenagers courted as they splashed along the surf.

It is just a short taxi ride from Playa Condesa around the edge of the peninsula to La Quebrada, one of the best known attractions in Acapulco. For over half a century, daredevil divers have climbed these cliffs and plunged into the crashing sea far below.

However, we wanted to see the spectacular cliff divers but from the water, not the cliffs. Opting instead for a motorboat cruise, we slowly made our way to La Quebrada, a narrow inlet bordered by towering walls of rugged rock. There we anchored along with a small flotilla of other watercraft, sipping "Coronitas," almost a beer-based margaritas, as we waited for the main event.

High above us on the cliff's apex a large crowd of onlookers jockeyed for position as the divers began their climb along a rough trail, each stopping for a prayer at a small chapel which hugs the rocks partway up the path. At last the six divers reached their diving location near the top of the cliff. As each readied to dive, he watched the surf as it rushed into the chasm below, timing his dive in order to strike the water at the precise moment when the surf is deep enough.

It's an amazing feat of daring which earned the divers well-deserved cheers from the "Coronitas crowd." Although the dive five times daily, the divers of La Quebrada were just like we had imagined them to be, just as advertised.

"I wonder if it's less impressive if you see it often?" Paris mused as our vessel's capitan weighed anchor and pointed us back toward Acapulco's hazy skyline. The sun was dropping over the western hills beyond the city as we thought about La Quebrada's perfect divers and about Acapulco's ability to satisfy generations of travelers. "Probably not," we concluded. Like generations of travelers, we knew just what to expect from Acapulco, and we were not disappointed.

IF YOU GO:

Getting There: Numerous carriers serve Acapulco including Aeromexico, American, America West, Continental and Mexicana.
Climate: The weather's sunny in Acapulco year around. From January through April, days average high temperatures reach about 88 degrees, climbing to about 90 degrees in other months. Humidity levels are high, though.

Currency: The Mexican peso is the currency and fluctuates on the market. US dollars are accepted at many shops as are major credit cards.

Electricity: Mexico uses the same 110 volt/60 amp. current as found in the US.

Time: Acapulco falls in the US Central time zone and observes Daylight Savings Time.

Water: Although many travelers ask for bottled water, most hotels and restaurants serve purified water.

For More Information: For more on travel in Mexico, call 800-44-MEXICO.