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The telephone situation in Mexico can be flabbergasting, even for natives. More accurately, it is especially complicated for residents, as they are the ones who, year-in, year-out, have fed Mexico's massive telephone monopoly, Telmex, a sizable portion of their hard earned wages each month. Mexico's regular telephone service is the de facto private monopoly of one of the world's richest men, Mr. Carlos Slim, who is up there with Warren Buffet and Bill Gates every year as one of Forbes Magazine's richest billionaires.

Telmex was privatized in 1992 under what many suspect were dubious circumstances during the presidency of, Carlos Salinas de Gortarri (who remains to this day Mexico's most disliked person).

Happily, competition has come in via the cellular phone, with several contending providers. The days of the $1,000 USD telephone bill are over. Even TELMEX has come around to offer some attractive plans. Today a person can have telephone service with 2 MB of high speed DSL along with unlimited local and national calls for about $100 USD per month. VOIP services (like Vonage) now offer a Latin American plan with free unlimited calls to various cities in Mexico (including Acapulco) for about $40 USD per month. Cable telephone service is rumored to to be on the way from Cablemás - the main provider of cable television and internet service in Acapulco.

Cell Phones

Cell phones are a great option if you need to communicate while in town. If people in your group want to separate to do different activities, the local cell phone is a more convenient option than buying phone cards and looking for a pay phone. You can buy a "throw away" cell phone for little more than the price of the phone card at local convenience stores (like Oxxo and Extra). You can get a cell with $50 USD worth of credit for about $65 USD. The main advantage of this over the pay phone is that you can give out your number while you're here and can receive local calls, even if you run out of credit. That's the good news. The bad news is that cell phone reception is not always stellar in the more remote sections, like Las Brisas. When you buy air time ("tiempo aire") or its equivalent, the phone card ("tarjeta telefónica"), know that the larger denominations (like $100 and $300 pesos) offer bonus minutes for free. Air time is easy to buy at any of the convenience stores, supermarkets and at Wal-Mart.

Cell brands in Acapulco (past and present) include Telcel, Unifon, Iusacell, and MovieStar. Telcel and MovieStar have the best reception. While Telecel is the most expensive, it is by far the most popular. You can buy a Telcel phone card almost anywhere. Unifon is cheaper, but the range and reception are limited. Iusacell is expensive
and has iffy service. You can get Nextel and iPhone in Acapulco, too.

Land Lines

It's easy to set up a land line in Acapulco if you have lots of time and patience. You just march down to the big Telmex office, take a number and wait a couple of hours. Then a nice lady helps you fill in the blanks, you pay an installation fee, and within four weeks to three months, you will have your Telmex phone. The long delay is no exaggeration; it will take that long to have a line installed. To obtain quicker installation service, drive around until you find a Telmex truck and offer the technician a nice tip to install your phone right away. Generally you can have it done on the spot. This is a very common practice.

Calling Mexico from Abroad

You dial (011 - 52 - area code - number) unless you are calling a cell phone, in which case you dial (011 - 52 - 1 - area code - number).

International Dialing Codes

Thankfully, Mexico deregulated its long distance and international telephone service in 1997, so the best option is to use a discount calling card from your own country. Then circumvent the system entirely by connecting yourself to an international operator. Here's what you would need:

AT&T operator: 001-800-462-4240

Sprint operator: 001-800-877-8000

M.C.I. operator: 001-800-674-7000

Bell Canada: 001-800-010-1990

AT&T Canada: 001-800-123-0201

TELMEX: 01-800-728-4647 (800-SAVINGS)

Dialing Nationally (Inside Mexico)

To dial a national number, start with 01 then the area code and number.

Money Saving Tips

Ask your hotel operator about their fees and rates before placing a call. When walking down the street, never pick up a phone that advertises rapid, direct collect calls to your home country. These are among the biggest rip-offs known to humankind. Even if you are calling a millionaire with an emergency, you should not use these phones, as it just encourages this sort of racket to continue. Call a friend using one of these devices and that friend won't be a friend when the bill arrives. You can easily run up a hundred dollar bill in minutes. Avoid collect calls altogether.

Using a Telmex Payphone

Although there are few coin operated telephones situated around town, to make a call you'll likely need to buy a far less troublesome Ladatel tarjeta telefónica (tahr-HATE-a tehl-eh-FOH-knee-kah), which you can buy almost anywhere. Tarjetas telefónicas (phone cards) come in denominations of 30 pesos, 50 pesos, 100 pesos, 200 pesos, 300 pesos. They used to feature some unique and interesting art, but more recently they figured out that they could sell ads on them so now they're not quite as interesting. If you're going to be talking awhile, go with the largest denomination so that you don't have to try switching cards live because you'll probably hang up on yourself.

RealAcapulco Tip: When choosing a street telephone, try to get one as far away from the traffic as possible. Otherwise, fifty percent of your conversation will be comprised of words and phrases such as: "what", "What was that?" , 'I couldn't hear you" "Could you repeat that?" and "[insert expletive here] bus."

What are all those buttons for?

You'll know that you're going native when you can do one thing… switch phone cards without hanging up on yourself. When you're making a long distance call, being able to switch phone cards and performing other assorted phone-related operations is essential to your ability to manage the already somewhat strained communication situation where your cell probably doesn't work and your hotel phone is too expensive to use. RealAcapulco shows you the ropes here. Despite what the picture above might suggest, it is not really as "easy as 1,2,3..."

• The first button with the picture of a hand changing phone cards is the button you use to change phone cards. The key is to not wait until the card has run out of credit to try it, but to make the switch before you run out.
• The second button, with the picture of a telephone receiver with sound coming out of it and a little arrow pointing up is used for...
• The third button, the one with the picture of the finger pressing the buttons that have the letters "RE," is Redial. Use if you need to dial again the number you had dialed before.
• The fourth button with the two faces that say ABC is the language button. You can press this to change the language displayed in the digital display above.
• The last button, with the telephone, is the button you press to revalidate the telephone card. This is useful because you don't have to hang up, remove the card, re-insert it, and then pick up the receiver again.

Mexican police are much different from their counterparts to the North. In truth, they are generally more laid back and friendly. They take themselves -- and you -- less seriously, and, in the main, they are less meddlesome and authoritarian than the average patrolman or state trooper in the States or Canada.

Naturally, there are exceptions, and a lot depends on who YOU are and HOW you are conducting yourself. In the past, police shake downs were reported from time to time, usually a routine stop in which the subject was threatened with arrest unless he or she paid a “fine” on the spot. The amount of the fine was coincidentally the same amount as the currency the subject was carrying. Part of the problem was drug use by individual police. Though the officers are subject to drug testing, the police unions and the bureaucracy made it difficult to clean out the drug users, who needed to supplement their salaries with extra contributions from the public. For example, on January 26, 2005, the newspaper Novedades de Acapulco announced "Police Rob Foreign Tourist" in an article by Jose Luis Rodriguez Alcaraz. In this case three policeman were reported as having stopped a tourist walking alone on Acapulco's main drag and relieved him of $300 dollars.

Americans who live in Acapulco can report that they have been stopped by the police, but were not robbed. Since 2008, with a new administration in the city, complaints like this have subsided considerably. Either life is now much safer, or the city has better "damage control" than before. The story above contains two bright spots: The first is that it made the front page of the paper, meaning it was a news event, not a common occurrence. The other is that the tourist made a complaint, and disciplinary procedures were triggered, as appropriate. Tourism is big business in Acapulco, and the last thing the city fathers want is that sort of press.

Most of the bad police stories reported back in the States take place along the northern border and in Mexico City. They are worlds apart from Acapulco. Even today, however, common criminals may don police uniforms to prey on the public. For this reason, tourists are often advised to avoid the police, especially at night, and particularly in areas where tourists may be carrying lots of cash. If a policeman arrives in a private vehicle or in a police patrol vehicle that has its vehicle number covered over, take this is a sure sign of trouble. If you ever encounter such a problem, try to discover the vehicle number or license plate for purposes of a complaint. The Tourism Director of Acapulco (Director General de Turismo) has the responsibility to receive all such complaints from visitors. The telephone number is 440-7010, extensions 4740, 4950. The office is on Calle Hornitos s/n, (Zona Militar) Centro, 39300 Acapulco, Gro., México.

La Mordida

In Acapulco, as in the rest of Mexico, police don't always command respect, and their word is not taken as gospel, the way it is in the US. The reason is that some policemen in Mexico are known to become more flexible if a little money enters the conversation. One can't begin to talk about the police without first mentioning the term most widely associated with them - "la mordida" (lah mohr DEE dah), literally “the bite.”

A mordida is a small bribe you pay the police to let you off the hook for some minor infraction. Basically you offer to buy them "a refresco" (soft drink) for maybe $50 pesos. By most US standards this is corruption, but the system works very well and greatly uncomplicates the life of the person stopped and the officer who would otherwise have to issue a ticket. If you are unfamiliar with the routine, however, it can be distressing.

What to Do if Stopped by the Police

By and large, Mexican cops are as interested as you are in avoiding a hassle. They are happy with a small bribe to make everything go away, unless you have done something really serious. The officer might even threaten you with a major hassle, like impounding your car, or taking your driver's license to some location you’ve never heard of. All this can be intimidating. But: Always remember to be friendly and agreeable. This is the phase where you are being softened up. The wrong thing is to get pissy, and the really wrong thing is to become indignant and accuse him of corruption. The mega-wrong thing is to tell him -- in case he did not already know it -- that you are an American and come from the most powerful country on earth, blah, blah, blah ...

It is always best to go with the flow. Be "all sweetness and light." Do not act terrified. Fear makes the "mordida" go up in price. If you have a little cash in your pocket, just pay the mordida. Don't get upset. Add the experience to your collection of colorful stories. If you speak Spanish, you can try to bargain a little. If you are not dealing with the federal police and the accusation (true or not) is minor, the mordida should be somewhere between 50 and 200 pesos.

The key to entering the negotiation phase are three words "échame la mano" (EH-cha-meh lah MAH-noh), which literally means "give me a hand," but is more akin to "help me out" or "give me a break." This code phrase is universally understood to convey that you know the score.

If You Need Police Help

The police are not around to help you handle the minor crises of life. Don't call the cops for some small problem. If you need a police report for your insurance company in the event something is stolen, you can go down to the station and get one with no hassle. There is also a special cadre of "tourist police" whose function it is to help you out as well.

If you need the police for something serious, they are perfectly willing to help you. The first step is to go to the police station and file a complaint, a process known as "levantar una demanda." Don't expect lightning fast response times. The paperwork can take days, even weeks before anything happens. A bit of money for "refrescos" will always help shuffle your case to the top of the pile.

Types of Police in Acapulco

You might encounter several different types of police, and their jurisdictions often overlap. At all levels of government, police forces are classified in one of two categories:

• “Judicial” police are subject to the federal or state Attorney General and, like sheriffs in the United States, are executors of the judicial authority of the court system. Their job is usually law enforcement after an offense has been committed.
• "Preventive" police are engaged in crime prevention and public safety, and thus are more likely to be seen in patrols or in public places.

This distinction, once very clear, has become cloudier in recent years. Acapulco, like all local governments in the Mexican Republic, enjoys a public security system with a confusing number of layers and variations, both of the “judicial” and “preventive” varieties.

• Federal. At the top are the Federal Police, known popularly as “federales.” They usually wear black uniforms and, in their “judicial” function, are responsible to the nation’s Attorney General (Procurador General de la República). Another federal agency in law enforcement is the AFI (Agencia Federal de Investigaciones), very similar to the FBI in the United States, and also part of the Mexican equivalent of the Department of Justice. These cadres are highly-trained and professional, with jurisdiction throughout the whole country. A subdivision of the "federales" – of the “preventive” variety – acts as the transport police within the national highway system. They are found mainly on the federal highway that connects Acapulco with Chilpancingo, Cuernavaca and Mexico City to the north and up and down the coast. Occasionally they can be seen along the Costera Miguel Alemán, as it qualifies as part of the federal highway system, but mainly they operate outside the area of Acapulco proper.
• Military. Mexico has an active military, and the military police are in evidence in Acapulco, especially because it is a port of entry and also because it hosts a naval base. The naval base also supports a detachment of marines. The military police are most often seen in olive green uniforms or camouflage fatigues. Their local jurisdiction is basically the port itself, that is, the dock area, customs and immigration. This area is technically described as a federal “military zone” downtown. The same concept applies to the international airport, insofar as customs and immigration is concerned. Because Mexico's army and navy have responsibility for the security of the whole coastline, military troops are sometimes seen on the Costera Miguel Alemán, but their functions are not routine law enforcement and public safety except as regards military personnel and the military zones. You may see them when they raise and lower the flag at the city’s main flag pole by Parque Papagayo. Sometimes the military police may be employed, together with other elements of the army and navy in the war against drug trafficking. They also perform escort and guard functions for visiting dignitaries, and on those occasions, bring out their spiffy white uniforms.
• State. The State of Guerrero has a corps of state police, who, in their “judicial” function, work for the state’s Department of Justice (the state attorney general). In their “preventive” function, they serve at the command of the governor to ensure the public safety, much the same way that state and provincial police function in the United States and Canada. The state police usually wear brown uniforms and have concurrent jurisdiction with the municipal authorities in Acapulco. As “preventive” police, they confine their activities mainly to crowd control (riot police), routine patrols, and occasional roadblocks in search of stolen cars, arms or contraband.
• Municipal. The mayor (technically, the City Counsel President), through a local City Attorney’s Office (Síndico Procurador), operates three or four different police groups. The largest group are the “Policia Preventiva Municipal,” responsible for local public safety. They generally wear blue uniforms and are armed, often with automatic rifles. They can be seen from time to time around banks, large stores, and in the hotel districts. A subgroup, called "Policia Peventiva Auxiliar," also wears blue uniforms with a "PPA" patch on the sleeve. They serve mainly as security guards, and often are part-time employees. They do not have the same degree of training as the main police force. A second group are the transit police (Policia Preventiva de la Vialdad). They generally wear white shirts with blue trousers, and often use motorcycles for transport. Their main function is traffic control and enforcement of traffic laws. Finally, there is a group called "Policia de Turismo" or "Tourist Police." Often they are seen with white shirts and shorts, with blue caps. Mainly they patrol the Costera Miguel Alemán and the beach areas, with the function of helping out tourists and enforcing the (few) rules about street commerce. Recently they have received side arms for protection.
• Overlapping Authority. Sometimes more than one law enforcement agency will be present at an event or incident, with competing missions. For example, in November of 2008, the Governor sent the State Police to set up road blocks on one of Acapulco's main arteries (Avenida Cuahutémoc) to check for stolen vehicles and arms. They stopped cars and city buses and ordered the passengers to get out. Then they frisked all the people and searched the vehicles. This created a terrible traffic mess and caused a public objection from the Mayor, who described their activities as “unconstitutional.” On the Carretera Escénica, which connects the bay side of Acapulco to the so-called “Diamond Zone,” federal, state and municipal police all have concurrent jurisdiction. Late at night, when the bars and clubs close, a visitor may find a swarm of police on patrol, in a variety of vehicles and different colors of uniforms.

Consular Contacts

Foreign visitors are strongly encouraged to contact their country’s consular representative before doing anything else.

• For the United States, the consular agent in Acapulco is in the Hotel Emporio near the Diana traffic circle on the Costera Alemán. (Costera Miguel. Alemán, 121, Office 14, 39670 Acapulco, Gro., Mexico; +52 744 469-0556; fax +52 744 484-0300, consular@prodigy.net.mx). Hours: M-F, 10a-2p.
• The Canadian Consulate is in the same area, in the Plaza Marbella, Office 23, at the Diana traffic circle as well. (Centro Comercial Marbella, Local 23, Corner of Prolongación Farallón and Miguel Alemán, 39670 Acapulco, Gro., México; +52 744 484-1305, 481-1349; fax: 744-484-1306. Hours: M-F: 9a-12:30p & 2p-4p.
• Contacts for other countries: Austria (R. Escudero 1, 1st Floor; +52 744 483-2979 & 484-0171); United Kingdom (Costera Alemán, 4455 (Convention Center); +52 744 484-1735); France (Costera Alemán No. 4455 (Convention Center), +52 744 481-2533); Germany (Antón de Alaminos 26, (Costa Azul)¸ +52 744 484-1860, 481-0178); Italy (Av. Gran Tropical 615 (Las Playas); +52 744 481-2533); Norway (Agencia de Viajes Acuario, Costera Miguel Alemán 123; +52 744 485-6100); Russia (Mexico City; +52 555 273-1305); Spain (Hotel Elcano, Costera Alemán 75 (Club Deportivo); +52 744 435-1500); Sweden (Hotel Tropicano, Costera Alemán No. 20; +52 744 481-2300).

Useful Telephone Numbers

• City Police -- Policia Preventiva Municipal: 485-0650, 485-0862
• Transit Police -- Policia Preventiva de Vialdad: 441-3438, 441-3436
• Tourism Police – Policia de Turismo: 485-0490
• Federal Investigations-- AFI: 485-2671
• Missing Persons: 481-1100, 481-2268

Misconceptions and stereotypes about Mexico abound. Try to free yourself of them all.

You can spend twenty years or more in Mexico and never actually see anyone snoozing in the shade under a wide-brimmed sombrero. You will never go out dancing and see the crowd suddenly break into the Mexican Hat Dance. The northern part of the country does have its share of cowboy hats and pickup trucks. In this regard, it looks like a Spanish-speaking version of Texas, given the ranchero culture. In Acapulco, you see lots of shorts and flip-flops instead.

Another common misconception about Mexico is that it is somehow primitive and backward. Your grandmother might have wondered if they have television in Mexico yet. Well, there are hundreds of channels, actually. There is broadband internet. There are modern hospitals, a high-tech manufacturing sector and a home-grown film industry. Mexico offers such ponderous modern technological marvels as the camera phone. In short, Mexico is able to provide all the technology and comfort that you will find in the U.S. or Canada.

The major difference is that in Mexico, all of these trappings of modernity are not spread evenly around the country or among the social classes. Pockets of high development co-exist right beside pockets of underdevelopment. If you look for it, you will find places where people live not much differently than their ancestors did in the final days of Montezuma. And just down the road, some of the world's most wealthy (like Carlos Slim) might have a sprawling mansion.

Another major misconception is that Mexico is unsafe. For sure, parts of Mexico are unsafe. Ciudad Juarez and Nuevo Laredo qualify as some of the scariest places on earth, and the other border towns may easily strike one as irredeemable hellholes as well. Mexico City can also be pretty dangerous if you stumble into the wrong areas or wander around alone at night. Also, odd things seem to take place down around the border with Guatemala.

This may sound like a lot, but imagine judging the United States by what happens in South Central L.A., Detroit, and Newark. Like the U.S., Mexico is a large, diverse country. The Mexico you find in Acapulco is not only safe, it actually feels safer than the US. One can wander all over Acapulco without worries. You will always see people milling around, selling this or that, walking, or just standing around talking.

Mexicans themselves defy stereotyping. You can find tall, blonde Mexicans as well as short brown ones. There are Jewish Mexicans, Chinese Mexicans, black Mexicans and American-Mexicans. You can find quiet, shy folks as well as guys that drink tequila and scream at the top of their lungs. You can find deeply religious Mexicans as well as some that never darken the door of a church. You can find a rough and tough Mexican macho walking down the very same street as a Mexican drag queen.

There is something unique about Mexico that defies putting down in words. If Mexico is not one of the richest countries on earth when measured in money terms, it has to be one of the richest when measured in culture. The key to finding it is an open mind. Mexico really offers rich rewards to us all.

Driving in Mexico can either be peaceful and safe or nerve racking and dangerous. It all depends on you. A popular route is to enter at Nuevo Laredo (the worst part of the trip) and head towards Monterrey and Mexico City. Then you go down the "Autopista del Sol" to Acapulco. This is the easiest and perhaps safest route to Acapulco. It has wide, mostly well-groomed lanes that take you all the way. Your can drive as easily at night as in the US or Canada - that is, if you take the sparsely populated cuotas (toll roads).

Driving on a Mexican highway is no time to be a cheap skate. Though some cuotas can be as expensive as the equivalent of $20 USD for a short stretch of road, they are worth every peso. If you decide to go Mexican-style on the free highways, be prepared to deal with two lane roads with huge trucks bearing down at you head on. The lanes are narrow. The curves are blind. And you may suddenly encounter peasants, burros or chickens in the middle to the road. The distances between gas stations is vague. Pot holes may be chasms, and the spring-breaking speed bumps may seem like they are a foot tall. The roads are often undercut, with no shoulders, and visibility after dusk is minimal. The toll roads have "Green Angels," pickup trucks with mechanics and medical aid that patrol for stranded motorists. There are call boxes. The highway is marked with crosses where fatal accidents have taken place.

If you break down and decide you need to start hiking, pay somebody a deposit to watch your car and promise them three times the amount when you get back. An unattended car on a lonely highway conjures images of vultures picking apart a fresh corpse.

Though subject to change, a trip to Acapulco from Texas runs about about $200 USD in tolls.

When gassing up on the highway, be careful to see that the attendant resets the gas pump to zeros (ceros, SAY-rows) before he starts to pump. Starting you out with $100 pesos or so on the meter is the oldest trick in the book and the gas stations in Mexico are historically slippery. In part this explains why most attendants are women these days; the guys were just too problematic. If they scam you and you figure it out after the fact, there is really nothing you can do. The same goes for watering down the gas and damaging your engine or shorting you (claiming the tank is full when you later find out it is not), giving you the wrong change, etc.

No matter which route you take, make sure to buy Mexican auto insurance. It is not that expensive unless you have an expensive car. You can get it at the border (there will be places to buy it everywhere) and it is s a big help if you get into a tight spot, and such "spots" are not uncommon.

One thing that always shocks people from the US is when they find out that in Mexico there is no law requiring auto insurance. In fact, unless you have a new car or a car under lease, most people do not carry insurance. This is a stark difference from the familiar “let me see your driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance” routine that has been hard-wired into the mind of every US resident. Once you cross the border you are far from the land of no-fault and have stepped back in time to the days of the Code Napoleon.

So what happens if there's an accident? If there's an accident and it's your fault, they put you in jail until you settle with the injured party. No jury trial, no innocent-until-proven-guilty, no bail. You are guilty, and you must make restitution, and that's is all there is to that. Is it fair? Maybe not. Is it efficient? Absolutely. People settle really fast under such circumstances. What might take years to settle the US can routinely be resolved in a couple days in Mexico. If you have insurance (and you better) the insurance company will handle it for you. The lesson: make sure you have the best insurance available and that you're clear about whom to call in case of an emergency.

Another common and potentially unnerving occurrence is the presence of military checkpoints. In the US the constitution protects us from being stopped by young stone-faced soldiers with machine guns. In Mexico, you actually don't see them often when heading south, but you do see them frequently when heading north. They monitor the north-bound lanes of the major highways to check for contraband ranging from drugs, to guns, to Central Americans. These guys are all business. No mordidas (bribes). They take a quick look and send you on your way.

If you're thinking of driving to Acapulco from the West Cost and tend to panic on long stretches of scary, bad, desolate highway, it's recommended to drive to Arizona and enter at Nogales. Then drive straight down (through Mazatlan) to Guadalajara on the well-groomed, spacious highways. From Guadalajara, head to Mexico City (driving into the city), then down to Acapulco on the toll road (Autopista del Sol).

Two stretches of very tricky road may tempt you, as they seem to be the shortest way when looking at a map. They are not, at least if time, stress, and safety are a concern. The highway between Mexicali and Hermosillo is long, lonely and frought with peril. There are few toll roads, only long stretches of free, open road that takes you through the middle of nowhere (really, nowhere!). There is also a bit of road between Toluca and Cuarnavaca that can be more treacherous even than driving through Mexico City. Starting in Toulca (where the traffic rivals that of Mexico City) you travel through narrow two lane highways, tiny towns, highways full of massive speed bumps and pot holes that seem to come out of nowhere, villages with unpaved roads, down alleys, through town squares, residential neighborhoods, and then through a long section of two-lane aggravation that snakes endlessly through a dense forest before descending on the land eternal of spring, the city of Cuernavaca. If you are the adventurous sort and decide to try these routes, you'll come away feeling like you've gone over Niagara Falls in a barrel and lived to tell about it.

The Autopista del Sol

To drive from Mexico City to Acapulco, you go to Cuernavaca, about 85 kilometers away. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on traffic and what part of Mexico City you start from. In Cuernavaca you pick up the “Autopista del Sol,” a toll road that takes you to Acapulco. The road is not four lanes, but it is theoretically limited access. The Autopista del Sol costs about $504 pesos for normal cars (more for trucks). This includes a toll booth at Tlalpan ($80 pesos), which is technically not part of the Autopista del Sol but is part of the trip. Along the highway are four toll booths (Alpuyeca $52, Paso Morelos $110, Paso Blanco $100, and La Venta $90) and one more at the Maxi-Tunnel ($72) as you arrive into Acapulco. The Autopista del Sol is 296 km long, and in all, coming from Mexico City, the trip is 380 km. This compares with Mexico 95, the so-called “free road,” which is a narrow, two-lane road that is over 400 km long. It is considered a whole lot rougher ride, but it saves nearly $80 USD in tolls for the round trip, calculated at current exchange rates.

The Autopista del Sol was constructed over several years in the 1980’s and 90’s. In 1993 all segments were finally completed. Then, in 1997 special legislation was adopted to pay for more construction and improvements on the Autopista del Sol and several other of the country’s toll roads. Operation and management of the toll road has been transferred to a private company.

If you are planning to drive on this highway, remember this: Acapulco was isolated for centuries from the rest of Mexico because the terrain around it was so hard to cross. The first road to Mexico City was opened only in the 1920’s, reducing travel time from 6 days to a matter of 24 hours! Even though the Autopista del Sol can cut the travel time down to about 4½ hours, the terrain is still a major factor to consider when making the trip. Travelers to Acapulco from Mexico City must cross a high plain and go into and over the Southern Sierra Madre Mountain Range, finally descending sharply down to the sea. This road is not for inexperienced drivers. It has lots of sudden curves and often passes along the side of steep cliffs and gullies. The views are wonderful, but extreme caution is recommended. Traffic accidents are fairly common on the Autopista del Sol, as many drivers coming out of Mexico City, in a hurry to reach the beach, drive too fast for the terrain and weather conditions. During rainy season, keep your eyes open for mudslides.

If you have a breakdown or a flat tire along this road, trucks ("Green Angels" or "Ángeles Verdes") patrol in order to render assistance when needed. Tow trucks, both public and private, are also on call.

Highway 200: The Coastal Road

Highway 200 is Acapulco’s coastal highway. In Acapulco, it's more widely known as Carretera Ixtapa Zihuatanejo (heading north) and Carretera Pinotepa (heading South). It is the coastal freeway that runs from Acapulco to the resort town of Ixtapa and it's more traditional brother Zihuatanejo in the north (the region known as costa grande) and south to Oaxaca (the region known as costa chica). These freeways can be a bit challenging for the inexperienced.

In its full length, Highway 200 takes you from Tapachula in the north (the capital of the coastal state of Nayarit) all the way down to Tepic at the border with Guatemala in the State of Chiapas. The part of Highway 200 that goes from Acapulco up the coast towards Michoacán is the main artery of the shoreline known as “Costa Grande” (Big Coast). From Acapulco, it passes through Pie de la Cuesta right away, and then continues through the towns of Barra de Potosí and Papanoa, finally arriving in Zihuatanejo and then Ixtapa. Then it leaves the state of Guerrero at a small town called La Unión. Lázaro Cárdenas is the name of the first town you reach on this highway after leaving La Unión and crossing the border into Michoacán. The length of this highway from Acapulco to Lázaro Cárdenas is approximately 300 km. Outside of the towns, services on this road are very sparse. It's hard to find a place to pass another vehicle in some stretches, so be sure to give yourself ample time to reach your destination. Plan to stop at a couple of beaches. They are some of the most inviting places on Mexico’s Pacific coast.

To the south and east, Highway 200 connects Acapulco and Barra Vieja to the rest of this part of Guerrero’s coastline, known as “Costa Chica” (Little Coast). The road follows the coast more or less, winding its way towards the state of Oaxaca. After that there’s Chiapas and eventually, the border with Guatemala. Because the Costa Chica is quite mountainous in spots as you go from Acapulco towards Oaxaca, the road often turns inland for a bit, seeking a good route for crossing the mountain ridges as they descend down to the sea from the plains above. The first stop after Acapulco is San Marcos, about 58 km away. A town of about 45,000 inhabitants, noted for its festivals, folk lore, and pretty girls. After San Marcos the next town is Ometepec, close to the border with Oaxaca. Then, just on the other side of the state line is the town of Pinotepa Nacional, which lies 170 km from Acapulco. The resort town of Puerto Escondido is another 90 km past Pinotepa.