3 Days in Acapulco

Best Things Nearby:
Ocean Beach (5 blocks), restaurants and sites all within a 15-minute drive of hotel

Best Things About the Resort:
Pristine pools, view of Acapulco from hillside, service of staff, historical significance of resort

Resort Experience:
Built on hillside and RCI rooms are at top of hill. For 10 pesos, bellboy will drive you to top of hill or you can hike up the steps and enjoy the exercise. Reception and concierge both spoke English well. As this was low season, the resort was basically empty. We were alone in the pools and rarely saw any other guests. (It would be wise to ask for a room near a pool during this season--I'm not sure why they didn't offer one to us from the start.)

The restaurant served good food but closed at 6pm. There are multiple nicer restaurants that one can visit in Acapulco in the evening. A spa offers a variety of treatments.

The room had an attached bath and cold A/C. The evenings were quiet, and the noises from the louder hotels on the beach strip don't reach to the Villa Vera. Beach towels can be borrowed from the hotel to take down to the ocean. It is a 5-block downhill hike to the beach.

This hotel has been a playground for the rich and famous over the years. Small displays around the resort describe the antics of Brigid Bardot, Farrah Fawcett, the Prince of Monaco, and others. Julio Iglesias keeps a home that connects to the resort.

The concierge will offer a "free" breakfast to hear about Club Regina, their timeshare group. We passed and didn't get hassled about it.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Good
• Service: Excellent

This restaurant is actually called Bella Vista and is located inside the Las Brisas resort complex. The food was delicious but the view made the meal. Situated on the cliffs overlooking Acapulco Bay, the sun sets, and the city lights up as you enjoy your meal. The ocean breeze on the mountainside was a welcome respite from the heat down on the beach. Tables are outside in a romantic atmosphere with candlelight and soft music. The waiters gave excellent service and treated us like royalty.

We ordered salmon and chicken dishes which were very good. Portions are medium which leaves room for dessert. The tiramisu was good, not great. Expect to spend about $30 USD for an entree and $10-15 USD for each appetizer or dessert. Bring some cash for the tip, as the included tip on the credit card is shared among all of the hotel staff.

It cost 100 pesos each way for a taxi to the restaurant from our hotel.

We walked along the beach and stopped in front of this restaurant when we looked over their menu. Our waiter seated us under a tiki hut and was very attentive to our needs. I had the red snapper, which was delicious and fresh. My wife had the chicken fajitas--also excellent. While waiting for our food, I went down and swam in the ocean, which was 25 yards away.

This beach has beautiful white sand and is clean when the staff clean in front of their hotels. The water was not clear, but there was not too much debris in it. The surf is quite strong near the shore here, as it is directly across from the mouth of the bay. There are several roped swimming areas but no lifeguards. Vendors are ever-present but not too pushy when we said, "No, gracias." Jet skis were 250 pesos for 35 minutes, but you might be able to negotiate for less money or more time. Life vests were 40 pesos for an hour.

This is one of those "required" activities while in Acapulco. There are dives at 1pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm, 9:30pm, and 10:30pm. To get to the cliffs, take one of the public transportation school buses to the Zocalo (4 pesos instead of 80 pesos for a taxi) and then you can walk the three blocks uphill to the cliffs. We recommend taking these buses anywhere along the main drag (Costera Miguel Aleman) as they are inexpensive, safe and allow you to rub shoulders with more of the locals. The destinations of the buses are written on the front windows and the drivers are helpful if you aren't sure which stop is best for you.

Tickets are 30 pesos per adult to walk down the stairs to the viewing area at the cliffs. You can also watch from the adjacent hotel restaurant (La Perla) although we chose to avoid this due to negative reviews from the RCI Community. The show only lasts about 15 minutes as five or six divers climb the rock face then dive down into the surf. It is an impressive sight. After the show, the divers wait at the top of the stairs for donations to have your picture taken with them. Vendors also swarm the top of the stairs offering all manner of trinkets. On the other side of the parking lot from the hotel is a small restaurant, La Quebrada II, which serves authentic Mexican fare. We had 6 tacos for 35 pesos.