Our 1st Trip to Acapulco

An August 2003 trip to Acapulco by audreyb75

Quote: I originally wrote this as a review of the Mayan Palace but it really includes the highlights of our trip. We can't wait until the next trip.

Mayan Palace Acapulco

Best Of IgoUgo

Hotel

Quote:

Best Things Nearby:Scuba diving, boat trips in the bay, shopping; resturants & nightclubs.Best Things About the Resort:Pool; long beach; beautiful, clean grounds; friendly staff.Resort Experience:My boyfriend and I just got back from a two week stay at Mayan Palace Acapulco. (8/1-8/15) The resort is beautiful, clean, and well kept; ALL staff were friendly and helpful even though we know very little Spanish. We spent a lot of time by the pool and on the beach. The pool is huge with nice waterfalls and tons of space--it never felt too crowded. I participated in the water aerobics a few times--fun but not much of a work out. You did have to g...Read More

We spent a lot of time by the pool and on the beach. The pool is huge with nice waterfalls and tons of space--it never felt too crowded. I participated in the water aerobics a few times--fun but not much of a work out.

You did have to get up pretty early (7-8am) to get a shady chair by the pool but you can jump in the pool when you get too hot -- just make sure to bring down extra suntan lotion and re-apply frequently. I also highly recommend getting a bit of a tan before arriving -- a good base tan helped me from getting too burned.

We negotiated with a cab driver to show us the sights in town one day ($40 for about 4-5hours). It was a good way to get acquainted with Acapulco -- he took us to historic hotels with great panoramic views, to Diego Rivera's mural on the wall of a home in town, took us to shop downtown, and to Walmart for groceries. Rides to town were expensive ($30-40 round trip) because it is a 20-30 minute ride. Great advice we got was to walk down to the road right in front of the lobby instead of having the resort get you a cab -- it's cheaper and make sure you negotiate the price before you get in the car and whether or not you are looking for a round trip.

We did some scuba diving with Swiss Diver's Association and highly recommend them. ($70/person 2 tanks including all gear, sandwiches and drinks AND transportation to and from Mayan Palace!!). With any excursions you book make sure you know whether or not transportation to AND from the resort is included --the price goes up quick if not.

The beach was wonderful -- great for long walks, having a shady spot to read and relax (the beach staff will set up umbrellas and chairs for you). The waves were a lot of fun to play in and body surf if you are careful -- the currents can be quite strong. For those of you who surf there were never more than two or three guys out but they seemed to be getting pretty long, waist and shoulder high rides on good days. Also there was a group of dolphins that hung out in front of the resort that were rumored to "play" with the surfers some mornings.

We watched beautiful sunsets every night on the beach under a palapa, walked up the beach to the Princess for chocolate croissants and lattes for breakfast, and had romantic dinners both in town and at the resort. We came home feeling refreshed, relaxed, and ready to plan our next trip.