From Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo to Acapulco is approx 250km. It takes about 4 hours because you are driving through numerous small towns with lots of topes. The best part was stopping in one small town and buying Coconut candy. I plan on buying at least 4 more jars of it on the way back!!! It is delicious!!! and only cost me 300 pesos/jar.

Below is some scenery along the way.

Hammocks for sale. We will buy a hammock on the next trip when if we add another box on the front of the Vanguard, otherwise we don't have the space.

Pie de la Cuesta

Just 10km – and 100 years – from Acapulco is the tranquil seaside suburb of Pie de la Cuesta, a rustic beach town occupied by some terrific guesthouses and seafood restaurants. But it’s the dramatic sunset views from the wide, west-facing beach that have made Pie de la Cuesta famous. The town sits on a narrow, 2km strip of land bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Laguna de Coyuca (where Sylvester Stallone filmed Rambo: First Blood Part II).

The large freshwater lagoon contains several islands including Pájaros, a bird sanctuary. Pie de la Cuesta is much quieter, cheaper and closer to nature than Acapulco, but still close enough for those who want to enjoy the city’s attractions and nightlife.

Swimming in the ocean is not recommended due to the strong undertow.

Outdoor Church in Pie de la Cuesta

Main Street

Playa Luces

On the Ocean with over 200 Meters of Beach

Carretera Pie de La Cuesta - Barra De Coyuca KM 4

Col. Luces en el Mar

Mpio. De Coyuca De Benitez, GRO

Acapulco, Guerrero

Phone: (011-52-) 744-444-4062

Fax: (011-52-) 744-483-7830

Electricity/ Amps: 20, 30, 50

Open all year

Pool

Laundry service: 2 days to process your laundry. It is sent out. Cost unknown

Tent sites

Public phone

Bathrooms/Showers

24 hour security - the gate is locked at night and a security guard is posted

Pull thru sites in the shaded back area

Site with pool cost us 250 pesos /night included all services. There is currently no internet, but it is in the works

Directions: Pie de la Cuesta & Highway 200 - West 4 kms down the road. Can't miss it.

GPS N 16 55 13.7 , W 100 00 44.5

Restaurant/Office area

Pool

Our site with our small pool

The pet Ostrich kept in his pen on site

John and i decided to go for a short walk outside the park. We had to have a Coco frio. They put the coconut in a refrigerator to cool its contents down and then chop off the top and stuff a straw in the hole. Voila you have cooled coconut water!

So we headed to Acapulco from the park on day 2. We caught the bus. the cost was only 45 pesos each and took us right downtown and a short walk to the Malecon. You will want to take a taxi or city bus to the main hotel area known as "Costera Miguel Aleman"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acapulco

Each bus has its own interior decorator theme. This one is quite colourful. Notice the paint job, portrait of a clown, curtains and hanging stuffed toys.

Pie de la Cuesta is located near a Miliary Base

Local city bus

Downtown Acapulco

Port where the cruise ships come in

The houses are really stacked one above another on the hillside. the population of Acapulco is near 1 million

John drinking a beer in our taxi while we take our tour of the city. We hailed a taxi and asked the driver where were the best places to see in Acapulco. he said for 200 pesos he would give us a 2 hour tour. We agreed and then added in a ride back to Playa Luces, lunch and the Cliff Divers. We spent from 11 am until 330 pm with our driver. he took us on out tour, stopped whenever we wanted to stop and take pictures or stroll or get a drink. He drove us up to the Mirador Hotel where the Cliff Divers are. We treated him to lunch and the entry fee for the cliff divers 35 pesos/person. It was a very enjoyable relaxing day. Our drivers name was "Armando". he was a very nice man and patient as he spoke only a couple of words of |English and John and him had to communicate strictly in Spanish. Johns Spanish is getting very good. They got along well.

The first thing we did was stop for cokes and beer to start our tour.

Diego Rivera House and Murals

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_Rivera

Historic Acapulco beach. The Aquarium is also located here

The newer Hotel area that everyone associates with Acapulco. there is lots of local police patrolling the beach and Hotel area. More than I have seen in any other city. Not sure why.

John and me

Armando and me

Beach area

Traffic. Notice the VW bugs. Almost all the taxis are bugs and they only stopped producing this vehicle in Mexico in 2004 which explains why so many of them are in excellent shape.

The traffic in Acapulco is crazy. I do not recommend anyone drive downtown. I thought traffic in Tiajuana was bad, but this even worse. people are jockeying for a lane and if there is no lane they make one. Surprisingly there appear to be few accidents. Take taxis and buses everywhere

San Diego Fort. We did not have time to take a tour of the fort as well as see the Cliff Divers so we chose the divers

Bandstand/Square

View looking down on the Hotel Mirador anf acapulco

In 1933 Carlos Barnard started the first section of Hotel El Mirador, with 12 rooms on the cliffs of La Quebrada.

La Quebrada Cliff Divers. They dive from the Cliffs on the right on a lower platform into the water and then climb the cliff on the right side to the top. there are various viewing platforms for tourists on the right as well as the diners in the restaurant.

The divers begin their ascent to the top of the cliff

Made it to the top!!!!!

Each diver says a prayer in front the "Shrine of Mary" before he dives

The first divers are ready

Two of the men dive at the same time

Perfect landings

Only one man jumped next

Another good landing

This guy jumped from the uppermost platform

He is off and spread eagle

Time lapse photography!!! No I didn't take this picture. I bought it and the next one for 10 pesos each from a vendor, then took a digital picture of them with my camera and "aqui tiene usted" (Voila)!!!

Cliff Divers at Night. They also dive with torches in their hands at night.

If you want your picture taken with the divers just give them a tip and pose!! I gave 10 pesos for a tip

Restaurant La Perla in the Mirador Hotel. from here you can view the divers while eating lunch or supper.

View of the tourist platforms and cliffs from the restaurant

I enjoyed the breeze and the view. Armando and I ordered the hamburger and fries. John ordered the club sandwich. Armando had a coke, John drank a beer and i drank a Pina Colada. the total bill for the meal was 220 pesos plus a 20 peso tip. the food was not very good. the fries were frozen in the middle, the hamburger was a processed thin fried patty, the club sandwich was tiny. I recommend seeing the Cliff Diver show, but eat lunch/dinner somewhere else first. Not as good as a greasy spoon truck stop.