Acapulco History

Pre-Columbian Acapulco

Archeological evidence from the coastal region of Puerto Marques, just east of Acapulco, indicate that the area has been inhabited from at least 3000 BCE. These hunter gatherer tribes left behind pottery and figures made of stone, clay and ceramics.

There are also cave paintings and petroglyphs found in the Pie de las Cuesta area, north of Acapulco, that indicate an early presence of fishing settlements; these paintings and petroglyphs are believed to have been made around 1200 BCE.

And in the Veladero National Park, in the hills behind Acapulco Bay, one can find the famous Palma Sola petroglyphs and giant carved granite stones. These artifacts are believed to have been created between 200 BCE and 600 AD, during the time of a migration of nomadic tribes from the northeast of Mexico to the Acapulco area.

Spanish Discovery & Administration

At the time of his conquest of the Aztecs, Hernan Cortez sent several of his lieutenants to the Mexican Pacific coast to discover a new trade route to the Far East. The Conquistador Francisco Chico led an expedition that discovered Acapulco Bay on December 13, 1521. Since that was Santa Lucia's day, he named Acapulco's beautiful bay Santa Lucia Bay.

In 1523, Juan Rodriguez Villafuerte led an expedition to Manzanillo Bay, where he built the first shipyard in New Spain. After constructing several ships, his small fleet sailed to Acapulco to take formal possession of the port in the name of the King of Spain.

In recognition of its vital importance to Spanish mercantilism, in 1532, Acapulco became a direct dependency of the Spanish Crown, and in 1550, King Carlos V elevated the status of Acapulco to that of Historical City.

During this period, Acapulco developed its own shipyards, producing caravels, brigantines and galleons that were used for trading with Spanish-controlled ports in South America, Alta California and the Far East. It was also during this period that the native Nahoa Indians were either enslaved or displaced from their native lands in and around the city.

By royal decree, Acapulco became Spain's sole port of entry on the Pacific in 1561. Thus began more than 250 years of trade between Acapulco and ports in the Far East. Once each year, a Manila-Acapulco Galleon, known as the Noa de China (and in England the "Manila Galleon") would set sail for the Philippines. The ship would carry silver and other Mexican products that were to be traded for valuables from the Far East.

When the Noa de China returned to Acapulco, its stores were laden with silks, spices, porcelain, ivory and lacquerware. An annual merchant fair would greet the returning ships, attracting merchants from Mexico City. The goods would then be carried by mule to Mexico City, and then onward to Veracruz for further shipment to Spain.

These riches inevitably attracted pirates. Two of the most famous pirates to take on the Spanish ships were the Englishmen Sir Francis Drake, who unsuccessfully attacked the Manila Galleon in 1579 from his lair in Puerto Marques, and Thomas Cavendish, who in 1587 captured the Spanish Galleon Santa Ana off Cabo San Lucas. So much gold was taken from the Santa Ana that all of it couldn't be carried onboard, so he had to scuttle some into the sea. And upon returning to England, the price of gold dropped due to the sheer quantity of gold for sale.

After being attacked by a Dutch pirate fleet in 1615, the Spanish built Fort San Diego, which was completed in 1617. An earthquake seriously damaged the Fort in 1776, and it was rebuilt in 1783.

Hernan Cortez

Manila Galleon

Republican Mexico

The departure of the Spanish in 1821, along with their mercantilist trading schemes, and the rerouting of the China trade, contributed mightily to Acapulco's rapid demise. While the city saw a boomlet during the California Gold Rush days of the early 1850s, it remained essentially a fishing village until the 1920s.

Acapulco Becomes a Resort Destination

In late 1927, the federal government completed a paved road from Mexico City to Acapulco. Acapulco became the closest beach resort from the capital city, and development of the city's tourist sector began. With the construction of the Mirador, the city's first luxury hotel, in 1933, Acapulco was firmly established on the tourist map.

During his time in office (1946 to 1952), Mexican President Miguel Aleman was a big supporter of Acapulco, and lavished new infrastructure on the city. New roads, a power plant and a superhighway from Mexico City, completed in 1955, were built. Private investors built lavish luxury hotels and other developments, and the city grew rapidly. In the 1950s, John Wayne owned the Los Flamingos Restaurant, which today remains a tourist attraction.

Direct international air service began in 1964, thus beginning a two-decade long era of "glorious excess" as an international jet-set hangout. Members of the Hollywood A-List were often photographed enjoying themselves in Acapulco's luxury hideaway hotels.

Today's Acapulco

Tourism and related service industries remain the core of Acapulco's economy. The city is only an hour away from Mexico City by plane, or four hours by car, and the majority of the city's tourists are from Mexico itself.

Today, most visitors come to the city not to sightsee, but to relax. It is no coincidence that Acapulco was the birthplace of the first discotheque, The Tequila a Go-Go. Lying on the beach or pool, watersports, shopping and night crawling are favorite diversions.