Places Around Town

El Malecón

Would a seaside town in tropical Latin America really be complete without a “Malecón” or “Town Pier”? Acapulco’s Malecón is a great seaside boardwalk in the traditional part of town. The Malecón is always very lively. You will find both tourists and locals there. The locals will have all manner of things for sale. This is a good place to find a boat ride for a discounted rate.

Parque Papagayo

New York has its Central Park, San Francisco has Golden Gate Park, and Acapulco has its Parque Papagayo.

Parque Papagayo is Acapulco's big stretch of green that runs between La Costera and Ave. Cuahutémoc right before you enter the Golden Zone. It's situated right across from Hornos beach. Just look for the huge Mexican flag by the beach and you'll know right where to find the main entrance to the park.

Parque Papagayo offers roller skating and skateboard facilities, rides for the kids, a big pool, and the coup de grace, the 20-meter high Piñata fountain, which looks like a brightly painted jack. It's peaceful and a great place to jog or wander aimlessly. It's also a mini-zoo. The kids will enjoy seeing the many tropical birds, monkeys, jaguars and other tropical fauna that are cared for in the park.

Parque Papagayo is a great place for a morning or evening stroll, and it offers pleasant activities, like paddle boats and a replica of one of the old Spanish galleons. It also has places to buy foods, candy, and arts and crafts. It's also a nice place to go walking, or sitting on a park bench with a sweetheart, as many locals do. Parque Papagayo also operates several basketball courts and a big soccer field, where local youth and adult soccer leagues play.

The park closes at dark. There used to be a big tunnel in front of the park, before Hurricane Pauline struck.

Manzanillo

Manzanillo is definitely an off-the-beaten track option. This little area of the city is located off the marina behind Moraga Park in the Marina area of old Acapulco. You've heard of the Elephant graveyard? This is the the Acapulco boat graveyard. It's hard to describe it, but boats are piled on top of boats as fisherman repair their vessels and bring in fresh hauls while herds cats run around looking for scraps. As you can see in the photos below, a dead Volkswagen bug managed to get a plot there among the ships.

There are wide sidewalks on each side and a concentration of great, if rustic and perhaps not totally sanitary, seafood restaurants. The atmosphere and the cheviche are good. It's an enjoyable place because it feels real - a side of Acapulco life that most people don't get to see. This is not a place for those into luxury, but for those looking for a change of pace from the in-your-face tourism of the Golden Zone. It's also not far from the Zocalo, La Quebrada and other areas of interest in the old section of town.