Places We’ve Been: Acapulco, Guerrero MX

Let’s get this out of the way first:  Use this post for information or entertainment only, please do not use this post for navigation.

Used for centuries by the Spanish, English, Pirates, Americans and Mexicans….this expansive harbor provides good shelter from most directions.  Read on for my stories.

One of my memories from being on our sailboat as a kid is being in Acapulco Harbor…touring the fort and getting onboard and touring the USS Tripoli.  Those are seminal memories from an impressionable mind as our sailboat hurried down the Pacific Coast, on our way to Panama then onto Florida.

I didn’t know this same harbor would play a part with my family the same way….we were on our way south down the coast but stopped in Acapulco for a week or so around New Years.  Of course, it was the time of Covid, so being in a large city surrounded by people (even on a mooring) carried stress + we had to figure out how to get a new dinghy from a clearly frustrated (small) staff at a marine store where the clerks really wanted to be elsewhere and not deal with Americans looking for the best priced dinghy.  But we were at a point where the prices didn’t matter much anymore, because our dinghy was sinking and not able to be patched…..we needed a new dinghy regardless of the price.  There was added stress because it was New Years week, so banks were not open and the marine store would not take credit cards…..so we were having trouble figuring out how to buy this spiffy new dinghy.  This is what cruising buddies are for….who are also lifelong friends.  Our friends on another sailboat also needed a new dinghy so they were able to help negotiate a better deal to sell us two dinghies and they put the deal on their debit (which the shop would take).  Whew,,,,we were able get a new dinghy and pay our friends afterwards….which worked for all of us.

Mr. Vincente is a bright and cheerful persona in the bay.  Vincente owns Vincente’s Moorings…recommended by the Panama Posse…supposedly with a Panama Posse discount?

Acapulco has a fun side.  A large group of us went by taxi to the cliff restaurant where we had a great dinner and drinks and watched the famous Acapulco Cliff Divers.  Then on New Years we had one of the best fireworks displays I’ve ever seen over the Acapulco Harbor…..lighting up the entire bay in massive displays like we’ve never seen before.  Soon after New Years, it was time to get on the road again. 

Here’s more info:

Ease of anchoring:  We didn’t anchor, we grabbed one of Vincente’s moorings and were pretty happy to be there.  For a fee, Vincente or one of his guys will clean your boat bottom and he’ll deliver water and fuel as needed…for a fee.           

Noise at anchor:  Yes.   There was noise, it was New Years. 

Provisioning:  Yes, there was good provisioning and we found several dinghy docks where they let us put the dinghy for free to get into town to local and larger supermarkets.  Being cruisers, we walked and saw things as we went.  Long walk to the Port Captains Office, where we eventually checked in/out.  We didn’t get any fuel here, but there is a fuel dock that looked hard to get onto.  On the other side of town there was a Walmart but the Costco had burned down, recently.  Eventually, we found the mini-Walmart quite close to one of the dinghy docks…it proved to be perfect for most of our shopping.    

Cellular reception at anchor:  Yes. 

Wifi in the anchorage:  Nope. 

Water Clarity:  Nope, because of the swells and or muddy bottom. 

Protection:  Yes, the bay is well protected from most weather.  

Bugs:  None.  

Beach:  Yes, but LOTS of people…it was New Years.   

Would We Go Back:  Ummmm, yes? 

What can I say, the place was pretty great but the Club de Yates we were moored next to gave us weird vibes.  Loved the vibrancy of the city, loved watching the massive fireworks display and it was really nice to get to know Vincente.

And in all honesty, there’s so much more to Acapulco that I just have not covered in this post….you should research and look up the info before you go.  A great source of info is the “Pacific Mexico, A Cruisers Guidebook” by Heather Bansmer and Shawn Breeding.  We used it and that’s what I still take info from as I’m writing some of these posts.  

Other posts I’ve written about this coast: 

Places We’ve Been: Caleta de Campos (Bufadero), Michoacán MX

Places We’ve Been: Isla Grande (Ixtapa), Guerrero MX

Places We’ve Been: Zihuatanejo, Guerrero MX