regent voyager

Acapulco Bay

Just past sunrise we quietly sailed into the large, beautiful bay of Acapulco. The nights passage from Huatulco has been calm and pleasant. So far, we've had exceptional weather - calm seas and warm, sunny days in the mid-80's and low 90's. A great change from the teens and single-digit temps recently in Colorado. Acapulco is perhaps the first city in Mexico that experienced the tourist boom - starting with US and Canadian celebrities building homes on the dramatic cliffs and hills that surround the semi-circular bay. Today, with over 1 million inhabitants and 360 days of sunshine each year, it is still a very popular destination, especially for west coast residents from Vancouver to Los Angeles.

We're scheduled to depart the ship at 9:30am for our excursion, a private showing of the world famous Acapulco cliff divers followed by a coach tour through the different areas of the city. After the docking procedures are complete, the ship is cleared by Mexican immigration officials by 8am. We're docked in old town within easy walking distance of a number of shops, and plenty of beach bars. The most famous of the bars is conveniently right on the pier, Carlos and Charlie's. But, with the all-inclusive policy on Regent Cruises, I suspect that these bar's won't be overrun with our passengers.

After boarding our excursion coach, the first stop is the iconic Mirador Hotel for a private show of the famous Acapulco cliff divers. Ranging in age from 12 to 80 and diving from as high as 140 feet, these men catapult themselves into a narrow bay just as the incoming surf raises the water to maximum depth. Even with their incredible climbing and diving skills, our guide tells of broken shoulders (from hitting the cliff face) and fingers (from diving too deep) Ouch...this isn't the job for me!

After the show we are offered complimentary Coronas and margaritas at a nearby Mexican jewelry store. What a boon for this shop owner to be right across the street from the cliff divers! Reboarding our coach, we begin our city tour. The Mirador Hotel is located in the oldest section of Acapulco. Nearby, our guide points out homes built by the actors and actresses of the golden age of film. Following the waterfront to the south, we arrive in the newer section of Acapulco. Here the hotels are tall (no height limitations in Acapulco) and right on the beach, very Miami like. However, our guide makes it quite clear that beaches in Mexico are for the enjoyment of all - no private builder can block access to any part of the beach. As we make our way around the bay we pass by the famous Las Brisas resort, easily spotted with its pink and white bungalows, walls, driveways and even jeeps! Continuing over the hilltop, we are greeted by yet another beautiful bay below: the Diamond area of Acapulco. This newest area still has much new construction of every type - from huge resorts to multi-million dollar homes. The guide points out the homes of Oprah Winfrey and Enrique Englesas (formerly the home of the Beatles). This is the end of the road (unless you want to continue to the airport) where we turn around for the return trip to the cruise pier. Overall this has been a good tour, and a good introduction to this large, cosmopolitan city of Acapulco.

We're back onboard by about 1:30, grab a quick lunch, enjoy some time on the pool deck and then retire to the stateroom. Sail away is at 6pm, so we're on an upper deck by 5:45 to watch the lines being removed and the dock workers and some remaining tour guides wave us goodbye. Just as we make our northerly turn out of the bay of Acapulco the sun sets into the Pacific making for another beautiful departure. Next up is a day at sea, followed by a port-day in Cabo San Lucas. More as we continue our northward voyage toward San Francisco.