It is said that every time he went out partying (and there were many...) at the exclusive Armando's Le Club in Acapulco, Frank Sinatra would line up all the waiters to give them $100 tips for how much fun he was having. This is not the only anecdote of the singer in the pearl of the Pacific in Mexico. He also enjoyed a notorious clandestine birthday at the luxurious Las Brisas Hotel in 1966 as he was banned from entering the country. The culprit of the ban was President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, who considered the movie Marriage on the rocks, in which Sinatra starred, a scandal.
This was the paradise of the international jet set between the 1950s and 1970s. During that time, there was no prized celebrity who did not visit its crystal-clear turquoise beaches, luxury hotels, lush nature, and glamorous nightclubs open until the early hours of the morning. And this was a place that not long before had been just a small fishing village...
Sinatra led the long list of celebrities who conquered the country's first tourist city along with others like Elizabeth Taylor, who got married here twice (once with producer Mike Todd and once with Richard Burton), John Wayne, Ava Gardner, or Errol Flynn (with his own yacht permanently docked in the port).
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera also spent long periods in Acapulco, whether for leisure or work, such as when the painter signed the mural at the house of art collector Dolores Olmedo, still standing and open to visitors. On the other hand, Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles came to shoot The Lady from Shanghai on the brink of their divorce.
Not surprisingly, more than 150 films were shot in the city during those decades. From the early Tarzan movies (Johnny Weissmüller, the lead actor, lived in the Los Flamingos Hotel) to Fun in Acapulco with Elvis Presley, another regular at such endless parties. Not to mention others like The Young One by Luis Buñuel, or Rachel's Bolero with Cantinflas. In the 1980s, movies like Rambo II or License to Kill from the James Bond series were also filmed there.
Even composer Agustín Lara dedicated the song Remember Acapulco, those nights, beautiful Maria, Maria of the soul to the great actress Maria Félix, known as La Doña. Not only Hollywood fell in love with this Guerrero's paradise. Politicians like Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan, who enjoyed several vacations with his wife Nancy, also visited.
Also present was John F. Kennedy, who spent his honeymoon with his wife Jackie in 1953 at the Pierre Hotel of the Mundo Imperial group, one of the most powerful groups in the area, which still stands out today, as it also features golf courses, residences, convention centers, as well as other hotel complexes like Princess and Palacio.
This is the introduction to the largest city (780,000 souls) in the state of Guerrero and the first of the three bright spots of the Sun Triangle (as they are known) that cross the mountains of the Southern Sierra Madre along with the magical towns of Zihuatanejo, a pure bohemian town, and Taxco, so beautiful and colonial. The hospitality of its people is the hallmark of all three (and of Guerrero in general), where they promise to "caress the soul" of travelers. In other words, to take care of them, show them affection.
Acapulco is still the place to see and be seen, half a century later. Just ask Luis Miguel, who started his career here —his favorite spot was the Baby'O nightclub, one of the most famous in America— and continues to succeed every time he returns, like a few weeks ago when he filled the Arena GNP Seguros stadium. Residents of Mexico City (Mexico City is a 4.5-hour drive or a 45-minute flight with Aeromexico) come here on weekends, partygoers come to celebrate the New Year, and affluent young people come to get married.
And it's even better if the catering is provided by chef Susana Palazuelos, one of the most renowned in the country. She once served food to Queen Elizabeth II herself in 193 at the San Diego Fort, the most relevant historical monument, built by the Spaniards in the 17th century to protect themselves from pirates. "The queen was charming and enjoyed eating tacos like a child," she recalls at her Zibu restaurant, an outdoor oasis overlooking the bay with live music where she blends Mexican haute cuisine with Thai cuisine.
Located in the Golden Zone, the most glamorous area (followed by the traditional zone, around el Zócalo, and the Diamond Zone, the modern area where the hotels are located), it is one of the classics not to be missed. Just like the Cathedral of Our Lady of Solitude, Papagayo Park (the city's green lung), or Roqueta Island (in the center of the bay in the shape of a crescent).
Then there are idyllic beaches like Barra Vieja, Caleta, Caletilla, Hornos, Tamarindos, Puerto Marqués, Condesa, Langosta, Icacos, or Bonfil, where you can enjoy grilled fish. Or grilled, well-seasoned with local spices. A good place to try it is the Las Gaviotas II restaurant, with tables located right on the beach where you can watch them prepare the fish you have chosen.
A few meters away, at Playa Hermosa, you will find the Tortuguitas camp, a non-profit association that allows you to witness the nesting of sea turtles live. Here, ecologist Mónica Vallarino fights for the protection of these animals. "This is one of the best places in the world where up to four species of turtles come to nest: olive ridley, leatherback, black, and hawksbill," she comments while leading a group of interested individuals to enjoy the release of these small creatures, a true spectacle of nature.