In my previous post, Explore Mexico on $430, I shared my latest Mexico cruise experience with you.

Like I said, cruises are a great way to explore the coastal cities of Mexico without going out of your comfort-zone because you always have a place (the ship) to go back to when you’re done exploring for the day.

So as promised,  here are some pictures from our first stop in Acapulco! You can click on the pictures to enlarge them. Now let me tell you about Acapulco.

Most of the natives live in apartments in Acapulco and the surrounding area.  A house may go for $150,000, and a very nice condo may be had for around $120,000, but condos on the beach average between $300,000 and $500,000 and up.

Acapulco has a population of about 2 million.  It’s about a 10 hour drive from Guadalajara and around 4 hours from Mexico City (one of the largest cities in the world with a population of approximately 23 million).

Acapulco is famous for its nightlife and still attracts many vacationers, although most visitors are natives of Mexico.  Acapulco’s number one economic factor is tourism (number two is agriculture.)  

Like most coastal cities, Acapulco has a “golden zone” which caters to tourists with many  resorts, shops, services which cater exclusively to tourists in general.

Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history.  It is a port of call for shipping and cruising lines running between Panama and San Francisco, California, United States.

The tourist resort city of Acapulco is the largest city in the state, far larger than the state capital Chilpancingo.

The resort area of Acapulco is divided into two. The north end of the bay is the “traditional” area, where the famous in the mid 20th century vacationed and the south end is dominated by newer luxury high rise hotels that cater to every whim and dream with the most ornate architecture, luxury first-class services complete with all of the shops and stores you would expect to find in a luxury hotel.

Yet despite this, if you shop around you can always find great deals on hotels to make your dollars stretch. Afterall, my husband, Dick, and I bought our cruise tickets for just $430. Quite a bargain if you know your cruise prices. So do shop around. Don’t ever pay full price.

By the way, Acapulco also has the questionable honor of being named as one of the most earthquake-prone areas in Mexico! Yet, despite that, it’s still one of Mexico’s most popular destinations.

How does Acapulco fair as a retirement destination? Well, it’s primarily a tourist trap, but like I mentioned before, expats do live there. You will find such conveniences as  Costco, Baskin Robins, Burger King, Dominos, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Walmart, Home Depot and Block Buster!

All of these help make the small number of North American Expats there feel right at home.

Do you have a question about Acapulco or retiring to Mexico?

Just ask me!  If you don’t see the “write a comment” section below, click on Read Full Article and scroll down. Share your thoughts and concerns with me. I will always reply to you personally.