Road Trip Route 200, Acapulco, Pie de la Cuesta RV, Mexico

Pie de la Cuesta, RV Pacific Coast Mexico

     Several RV parks are located along the beach at Pie de la Cuesta just north of Acapulco. They come and go rapidly in a tough economy, however. The KOA listed in many guides is gone.
Drive the road between the arches at the entrance to Pie de la Cuesta and the Air Force Base and you will find the Acapulco Trailer Park along with low rise hotels and guesthouses.
     The Park is on the west facing beach which produces good sunsets. The sites are reasonably priced for full hookups at 150 pesos or about 12 USD. Buses to the city run every 15 minutes or so and stop at the front of the park. A small convenience store at the park entrance provides essentials.
     From the park it is about 20-30 minutes to the city. The buses make a loop near the Zocalo, down the main drag and then back around returning to Pie de la Cuesta. There are several pie de la Cuesta sections, not just the beach area, watch the bus signage; look for Pie de la Cuesta, La Playa, or Luces.

From there you can take Highway 200 north along the coast towards Manzanillo

Road Trip Acapulco, Route 200 Pacific Coast Mexico

Acapulco

Acapulco looks glamorous from a high vantage point but in reality it is suffering. Tourism is down and the people in the industry are nearly desperate. It becomes obvious when you walk the street along the beach. Hawkers are at you every step of the way. ( hookers too; she didn’t make eye contact but as we passed, she nearly whispered, “Like a massage”) The entire town needs a good scrubbing.

Cruise ships come in to Acapulco but the tourists seldom stray too far from their organized tours . Even the visitors from Canada and the US who normally RV down and stay for the winter have gone elsewhere. Acapulco is blessed with abundant natural beauty and an ideal bay but it has had its heyday. It now seems doomed as a tawdry, spring break party town.

Tarzan once wintered in Acapulco. He hung out with John Wayne and a few other Hollywood types that wintered at the Los Flamingos Hotel, high on the cliffs on the west side of the bay with a view of the Pacific. I hired a cab driver to take me there and show me the sights; I was sick of riding the deplorable city buses.

From the ends of the bay, we ascended to high promontories with great views of the curving coastline. On the southeast side we visited the cloister and not only had a great view of Acapulco Harbor but had a vulture’s eye view of the rambling, multilevel estate of Sylvester Stalone.

We then crawled our way through choking traffic along the beach road to the northwest side of the city, a road that had looked so benign from the heights. We finally reached the promontory where the cliff divers perform. We lined up on the bridge for a free peek at the announced special 2:00 pm show. We waited in vain; it seemed that nobody had informed the divers. We moved on to the Los Flamingos.

Time had stopped at the Los Flamingos lounge for the two grey haired gentlemen in blue blazers with gold buttons and white slacks sipping their afternoon martinis. I looked out over the city and could hear Acapulco whishing that time had stopped. Unfortunately it hadn’t. The city had aged, Tarzan had died, John Wayne too. Acapulco died as well but just didn’t know it.

Acapulco Museum

Acapulco Fort San Diego, Acapulco Museums

Acapulco Museums, Fort San Diego

      Acapulco is one of the older resort areas of Mexico but interesting.  Some great museums, beaches, and tradition keep it hanging on. The Zocalo could be one of the best in Mexico  The huge old trees make it unique.

I stayed at the Pie de la Cuesta, a long strip of beach six miles northwest of the city, off Route 200. 

     Bus service is regular into the city, though the buses are despicable.  Old and rickety can be charming at times but dilapidated and dangerous crosses a line out of quaint.  The seats are propped up by ropes and during one ride I cut my finger on the exposed metal frame.

     On one trip to the city I visited the Museum Fort San Diego, a cultural highlight. On another trip,  the Los Flamingo, while not a museum, took a half day of browsing the Hollywood nostalgia.

     Other sites might be worth a visit. The Dolores Olmedo Gallery was once the house of Dolores Olmedo, a patron of artists and literary luminaries in the 50s. Diego Rivera created a mural on a wall of the house using mosaics.

The house is on Avenida Costera Miguel Aleman at number 4455, best found on a tour or through a cab ride. Closed Monday

In the same area is the Museum of Archaeology with a collection of pre-Hispanic artifacts found on the surrounding area. Closed Monday

Another interesting site is the non denominational Chapel of Peace in the Las Brisas area, a hill with a commanding view of the harbor. Look for the cross high above the southeast side of the bay. This is a good photo spot.

Route 200 Northwest