My Walking Tour of Old Acapulco

One of my favorite ways to get around is walking. I find that by walking you can take your time to look around and really get the flavor of a city or your vacation locations. So depending on where we are staying I might take a taxi but in most cases the public transit or bus.

Walking allows me to stop and enjoy a snack or drink in some of the greatest out of the way restaurants, bars and cantinas at very reasonable places. And of course enjoy my favorite hobby and that of taking photographs. Back home that is how I make my living, but on vacation I will take anywhere form 2500 pictures and up, so I better call it a hobby. So sit back and enjoy as I take you on a few walking tours of Acapulco.

Walking tour number one: A walk from the Zócalo to La Quebrada and back.

If you are taking the bus you can get off at the bus stop just before or after the Zócalo. As you stand at the Zócalo facing the front door of the Cathedral, you will see another closed street leading directly to your left toward the grey most telephone building with a number of aerials on the roof.

Walk along this street, Hidalgo, and you will see any number of little shops dedicated to the sale of religious articles.

A walk of about five minutes will take you to a tiny plaza with a sign "Bienvenidos a la Quebrada." On your left you'll see the headquarters of the municipal water works, Capama. From here it's only about ten minutes walk to la Quebrada, but it's all uphill. But of course if you are like me it might take a half hour or more since I stop and take pictures and talk to people. If you're running late, or feeling tired, hail a little blue taxi and offer him 20 pesos to run you up the hill.

On your uphill walk along Avenida López Mateos you'll pass any number of little family hotels, many with colorful flower designs stencilled on their walls. When you see an overpass, you're nearly there. Walk up the ramp on the right, and you're in the parking lot of la Quebrada.

When you climb back up to the monument to the Galleons, you'll see two streets leading down from the parking lot: the one on the right which you came up on, and another on the left. Walk past the hotel to the street on the left.

Another ten minute walk, but this time all downhill, will take you back to the Cathedral. On the way down, you'll pass Bajos Electronics and Teatro Domingo Soler. Soon you'll reach a 'Y' with a little street leading away to the right. Go straight and just beyond the Y, on your left, is one of Acapulco's better, and least-well known seafood restaurants, Paco's. The address is Quebrada # 36 - Centro Acapulco, GRO Telephone: 74 83-31-17. Now I have not eaten there yet but will be sure to try it this January when we are back in Aca, 2006.

When the street starts up again and you see an overpass ahead of you, you are at or near the rear wall of the Cathedral. Take the first available turn to your right, and you're back in the Zócalo. Well by this time it should be time to have a Cerveza and something to eat at one of the many quaint restaurant at the Zócalo.