Spring Break
In Acapulco, the Spanish word for “Spring Break” is “Spring Break.” All Acapulco locals understand what it means. Lots of signs on hotels and bars declare “Welcome Spring Breakers.” Beginning in late February and continuing until Easter (more or less) thousands of college students come to Acapulco from all over North America. Acapulco was the original Spring Break destination in Mexico, and it still outperforms the others in fun, sun and unbridled hedonism. During Spring Break, Acapulco’s main avenue – the Costera Miguel Alemán – lights up with college revelers.
Getting to Acapulco for Spring Break isn't hard, but it’s really a good idea to plan in advance. Lots of travel companies organize charters and tours. Many combine air fare, ground transfers and lodging into a single discounted package. But these flights fill up fast, so it is best to jump on them right after Christmas – at the latest. If all else fails, you can fly into Mexico City and ride into Acapulco on a large, comfortable bus (which takes about 5 hours or so).
You might want to put together a group of friends and rent a villa in Acapulco for Spring Break. With enough people in the equation, the per-head cost can be competitive with other high-end lodging, and it's vastly more fun than a hotel. If you want to rent a prime villa, book in October.
Spring Break activities tend to take place in a couple of different places. The main one is in Acapulco’s “Golden Zone,” which starts around the Avalon Excalibur and continues down the Costera towards the Naval Base. The center of everything is the Condesa - the strip between the Playa Suites and El Presidente. This encompasses Playa Condesa, where many of the best bars and dance clubs can be found. Your landmark is the naked, voluptuous statue of Diana the Huntress, in the middle of the traffic circle that bears her name. The other Spring Break hot spot is in Las Brisas, where Acapulco's best and most up-scale discos are located. It's about 5 to 10 minutes by taxi from the Condesa.
Things to do during the day
The mornings are, naturally, really made for sleeping in, but if you want to get out for sightseeing, there is a lot to do. Just take a look at our Acapulco Attractions section. If you want to organize an outing to a quiet beach on the outskirts of town, check out Pie de la Cuesta, Barra Vieja, Bonfil and Tres Vidas on our Acapulco Beaches page. For surfing, the beaches at Bonfil, Tres Vidas and Revolcadero are the best ones. For boating, fishing, skiing, jet skis and other water sports, check this out. For something a bit more extreme, take a look at that.
The early afternoon is a great time to try a local restaurant for a taste of traditional Mexican food. If you feel like something more exotic, visit our Acapulco Restaurants section.
The main daytime activity during Spring Break is working on the tan and getting rid of that hangover ("cruda" in Spanish). Be sure to use lots of sunscreen: the sun can be punishing on Acapulco’s tropical beaches. If you can't live without having one of the beach folk braid your hair into corn rows, remember to protect your scalp from burning, becuase, well, it will if you don't.
Many Spring Break hotel destinations organize special events and parties for the afternoons, so be sure to ask about them both when making your plans and also after you arrive. The key words are foam parties, pool fiestas, bikini contests, splash pools with cold beer, keggers, wet t-shirts, and competitions like pool volley ball. Yeah, and go for a ride on the bannana, take a picture and put it on your Facebook page.
And when the sun goes down . . .
The evenings in Acapulco start early and do not end until the next day – well after sunrise. If you want crazy, rowdy debauchery, there’s plenty out there. Visit the Acapulco Nightlife page to see what's happening. The drinking age is 18 for Mexicans and for gringos, well, approximately 18. Some clubs say they check ID's at the door, and a few actually do.
