Not a lot of info on Southern Mexican Riviera

[Cool Breeze Cruiser]

My hubby & I are celebrating our 25th anniversary on the Carnival Spirit October 18, 2009. I can find plenty of info on PV, Cabo, etc. but not a lot on Acapulco, Manzanillo & Zihuatanejo. We will be in Acapulco from 12 PM till 1 AM. What would you recommend doing in these ports? We are open to just about anything except shopping. Thanks in advance!

[SDPadreFan]

Most people do the cliff divers in Acapulco. Fort San Diego is an interesting little stop as well. Some also do a city tour. There have been "some" threads here, but the "Exotic" Mexican Riviera is not visited as much as the more generic cruise of Cabo, PV, & Maz.

 

People generally do a beach day in Zihua...

 

Manzanillo is probably the toughest for activities.

 

Here are a few other forum boards from CruiseCritics parent company TripAdvisor.

 

Acapulco - http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g150787-i177-Acapulco_Pacific_Coast.html

 

Zihua... - http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g153445-i356-Ixtapa_Zihuatanejo_Pacific_Coast.html

 

Manzanillo - http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g150791-i474-Manzanillo_Pacific_Coast.html

 

Keep in mind, these boards are a little more tailored to the "land based" vacation, but it can still give you some ideas.

 

Other ideas. Check the reviews for Carnival Spirit as well as some of the HAL, RCCL, Princess, & NCL ships that do Panama Canal runs because some of them will also stop in these ports as well. Also check both your roll call and some of the other ones because they may have people who have already done this trip before.

[lovevacadays]

Did a city, cliff divers and resort visit tour in Acapulco several years back. I loved the cliff divers and think everyone should go. Also liked taking the bus tour that took us outside of the main city area to the resort. I wish I could remember the name of the resort but if you are looking at tours try and find one that will take you to some place on the outskirts of the main city so you can get a better feel for the residential area and see some great views.

 

Zih - if you like beach days there seem to be quite a bit of threads regarding which are the better beachs. We did the Ixtapa City Tour which did have shopping but was interesting as it was, I think, a 30 minute drive through the countryside. When we got back we walked around the pier area in Zih. Quite charming, little fishing village with some small places to eat by the pier and a flea market.

[jjb415]

My hubby & I are celebrating our 25th anniversary on the Carnival Spirit October 18, 2009. I can find plenty of info on PV, Cabo, etc. but not a lot on Acapulco, Manzanillo & Zihuatanejo. We will be in Acapulco from 12 PM till 1 AM. What would you recommend doing in these ports? We are open to just about anything except shopping. Thanks in advance!

 

In Acapulco this past February, we took a local taxi outside the port to a restaurant named Beto's on Condesa Beach. We spend the day under a palapa on the beach enjoying lunch and a few beers. The beach was beautiful, service attentive, prices reasonable, and the people were very friendly. :)

[bobnsofi]

This ought to fill ya in some. Ask more Questions, if you like

 

FROM A PRIOR POST

 

 

Acapulco

 

Acapulco is older and crowded and is best seen from the picturesque bay. A boat tour of the bay, or an interesting cruise ship tour would seem good. Some folks have a nice time on a guided city tour.

 

Cliff divers; Don't forget to stop by and browse the many celebrity signature walls from the past near the cliff diver viewing area.

 

We were amazed at the late evening bunjie jumping that can be seen from the sidewalk in front of the club Paradise.

 

The late night people watching from the bar in the cruise terminal is fun because all returning cruise passengers have to walk right by it.

 

 

 

Cliff diving area in center rear, and free viewing area on right center of pic

 

[bobnsofi]

Zihua is a favorite port due to it's quaint village and bayside views/beaches. The cruise ship tenders to a pier. On and near the pier are many vendors offering tours and water taxi rides.

 

Many folks water taxi to the Playa Las Gatas bay beach for an inexpensive desolate natural surroundings beach adventure with some snorkeling.

 

Playa La Ropa is a long beautiful bay beach lined with small bars, eateries, small hotels, etc. The beach at the cruise pier is much the same, except not as long. It would be a nice safe walk with interesting sights and good exercise the walk the length of Playa La Ropa beach.

 

Playa La Ropa

 

Beach near Tender Pier

 

We rent a scooter and explore to nearby Ixtapa, a long beach with large resorts. We stop on the way to view vacation homes for sale.

Ixtapa Beach

 

We stop to view vacation homes for sale. Ixtapa Beach in the rear

[bobnsofi]

Manzanillo, is a least favorite port. We suggest taking a tour, or going to view Las Hadas (Bo Derek/Dudly Moore "10") and then settle at Audencia beach

The Cruise pier is in a large industrial ship yard. The cabs that service shipfront are more expensive than if you walk the long walk out of the ship yard. I think we paid about $15 to return from Audiencia Beach for 2 of us. As you can see on the map below; the major resorts are very close to Audiencia Beach.

 

 

The shopping area near the cruise port has no beach, and the best part is the large Sailfish statue.

 

 

The expensive "day use" resort is Karima Palace. TOO MUCH $$ for us. Las Hadas is older and not so nice anymore. The best way for us, is to briefly visit Las Hadas on a FREE walking tour, and then have your cab take you to nearby Audiencia Beach. It cost $1 to rent a chair and there is plenty to see and do. Vendors ready to take you for a snorkle and more. Tasty and inexpensive food and drink all around. NICE

 

Las Hadas

 

 

Las Hadas

 

Audiencia Beach

 

The last time we ported in Manzanillo, we asked the crew what they do in port. Some responded that they go to a small beach just west of the cruise pier. They have a small palapa resturant where you can buy seafood and cook it yourself. We joined them and had fun cooking fish and shrimp. Just walk out of the Ship Yard and strait down the pier entry roadway to the beach (10 minute walk)

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Thank you for the great pictures, bobnsofi. It seems to me you have a natural talent for creating your own fun.:D I am not that spontaneous, and I don't think I could get DH on a scooter. I would like to have a quiet beach day with some shopping in Zihuatanau. How do you get from the tender oier to the beach with shoipping/restaurants (Playa La Ropa?)? Thanks!:)

[gargoyle999]

I agree. This has been the hardest of the cruises I've been on to find out information on what to do in port. Guess that is why it is an "Exotic Mexican Riviera" cruise! :)

 

We are going to do a tour with Tour by Van in Acapulco.

 

In Manzanillo we are looking at either an ATV tour or just hiring a driver to take us to the turtle sanctuary and other sightseeing with Haro Tours.

 

For Ixtapa going on our own to Ixtapa Island is the leading candidate right now though I'm still looking.

 

Even though it has been harder it is still fun to do the research and learn a bit about these ports which are all new to me.

[Cool Breeze Cruiser]

Thanks so much for all the info. Gargoyle999, it sounds like we are thinking about some of the same things. We are checking on the Tour by Van in Acapulco, maybe the ATV tour in Manzanillo & maybe a beach day in Zihuatanejo. We will be on the Spirit October 18,'09. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

[Drifting Happily]

Frommer's has a guidebook for Acapulco, Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo. I found it helpful for planning when we went on the Spirit. It has nothing about Manzanillo, so that was where we went snorkeling. Seeing the cliff divers in Acapulco was great, especially with the late sail-away, we were able to be there at sunset. Zihuatanejo is a quaint fishing village, and is my favorite Mexican town. We never made it into Ixtapa, because Zihua was so charming.

[lardor]

Thanks so much for all the info. Gargoyle999, it sounds like we are thinking about some of the same things. We are checking on the Tour by Van in Acapulco, maybe the ATV tour in Manzanillo & maybe a beach day in Zihuatanejo. We will be on the Spirit October 18,'09. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

 

Want to spend a beach day while you are in Zihuatanejo on a 15 mile beach that won't have any gringo's on it? Have a taxi take you to Playa Larga (right now it's 60 pesos) and drop you off at Quarto Hermanos (4 brothers in English) and Armando and Kenya who both speak very good English will take good care of you. The open ocean is too rough to swim in, but great food (we usually get the fish brochette) and a long walk will be a lot different that what the rest of the passengers are doing. They will call you a taxi to return to the pier...or rather they will call a taxi for you....tell them Larry and Doris sent you. We go there once a week when we are in town.

[MfromAMS]

I can’t say how happy I am with the customer service we received from Ines Maria with the Pink Ladies. From the planning (I was a bit obsessive since most of my family does not travel and I wanted the trip to be perfect) to an unforeseen situation (six family members missed the ship in San Diego due to a storm and had to fly to Acapulco to meet the ship) she was there for us. As you can imagine, after missing the ship and two days of travel, my family was a bit frazzled when they arrived. Ines Maria picked them up at the airport brought them to meet us at the ship. She had already made them feel welcomed and comfortable. We were then off for a full day of sightseeing. She ensured that we all had a wonderful day in Acapulco. We saw all the highlights in a very comfortable van. She helped us order a fabulous lunch of local favorites at La Concha (at the famous Las Brisas hotel). She even made sure my dad, who has mobility issues, saw everything helping him in and out of the van and guiding him to the sites. She even secured excellent seats for both of my parents at the cliff divers. I highly recommend the Pink Ladies if you want a custom tour of Acapulco. pinkladyaca@hotmail.com</SPAN>

[Cool Breeze Cruiser]

I can’t say how happy I am with the customer service we received from Ines Maria with the Pink Ladies. From the planning (I was a bit obsessive since most of my family does not travel and I wanted the trip to be perfect) to an unforeseen situation (six family members missed the ship in San Diego due to a storm and had to fly to Acapulco to meet the ship) she was there for us. As you can imagine, after missing the ship and two days of travel, my family was a bit frazzled when they arrived. Ines Maria picked them up at the airport brought them to meet us at the ship. She had already made them feel welcomed and comfortable. We were then off for a full day of sightseeing. She ensured that we all had a wonderful day in Acapulco. We saw all the highlights in a very comfortable van. She helped us order a fabulous lunch of local favorites at La Concha (at the famous Las Brisas hotel). She even made sure my dad, who has mobility issues, saw everything helping him in and out of the van and guiding him to the sites. She even secured excellent seats for both of my parents at the cliff divers. I highly recommend the Pink Ladies if you want a custom tour of Acapulco. pinkladyaca@hotmail.com</SPAN>

 

I am glad your trip turned out well in spite of starting out poorly. I have not heard of the Pink Ladies. What all did you see on your tour & how long was it?

[gomexico]

I travel the Pacific Coast, the southern Pacific Coast with two of the guidebooks - the Lonely Planet and Moon, both publishers have books covering just the Pacific Coast. For my travel purposes I've found the Moon Handbook for the Pacific Coast - which covers probably all of your port calls, except for Los Cabos - to be the most helpful. Both of the books provide many ideas about what to see/do in these port cities.

 

In Acapulco you can do things independently, without having to use a tour guide - if you want. If you like a little physical activity and would enjoy seeing some very old archaeological ruins - rock paintings, carvings - then the Palma Sola zone above the city on the mountainside is an excellent spot to pass a couple of hours.

 

Ft. San Diego - one of the most historic fort outposts in all of Mexico - is located directly across the street from where your ship is likely to berth and there's a dedicated walkway from the cruise ship passenger terminal to the fort or you can walk across the road and up the stairs. The Fort is well-preserved and there's a nice museum with seasonal exhibits. At various times of the year - particularly during the busiest seasons for tourism - there are often sound/light shows . . . often just for ships' passengers.

 

Adjacent to Ft. San Diego - a 5 minute walk - is located an excellent mask museum displaying ceremonial masks from the state of Guerrero and some other areas in Mexico . . . it's an interesting place to pass an hour, or less - whatever you want.

 

There's a botanical garden in Acapulco.

 

And if you want to plant yourself under a palm-thatched palapa for the afternoon or a few hours I like the beaches at Playa Condesa and Playa Caleta do chill-out, have a few beverages, maybe a snack, etc., and to do some people watching. If you want to swim, I suggest the beach at Playa Condesa more than the one at Playa Caleta.

 

You can play tennis or golf, relatively close to the ship.

 

You can stroll the malecon, near where the ship berths, and watch people fish for fun, look at the charter fishing boats and then cross the street and sit in one of the sidewalk cafe's in the town's central plaza - Plaza Juan Alvarez (freqnently referred to just as "the Zocalo). It's a 5-minute walk from the passenger terminal.

 

And everyone knows by now about the cliff divers, to which you can walk or take a taxi, or go as part of an organized ship-sponsored tour group.

 

Lots of other things, too.

 

I've uploaded many photos of Acapulco (and of elsewhere in Mexico) and you can get an early look at what you might see when you arrive there when you click on the link in my signature line, below.

[Jen1000]

Manzanillo is in the Frommer's Portable Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Guadalajara book. I have not read it yet but I am going to check it out of the library in the next few days. There are new editions coming out for both this book and the Acapulco book October 19.

 

Jen in SoCal

 

Frommer's has a guidebook for Acapulco, Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo. I found it helpful for planning when we went on the Spirit. It has nothing about Manzanillo, so that was where we went snorkeling. Seeing the cliff divers in Acapulco was great, especially with the late sail-away, we were able to be there at sunset. Zihuatanejo is a quaint fishing village, and is my favorite Mexican town. We never made it into Ixtapa, because Zihua was so charming.

[MfromAMS]

I am glad your trip turned out well in spite of starting out poorly. I have not heard of the Pink Ladies. What all did you see on your tour & how long was it?

 

She was willing to do anything we wanted during the day. She met us as soon as the ship was ready for us to disembark. We were out all day. Highlights were lunch at Las Brisis, sunset at the Trouyet Cross and the evening cliff divers. We also were able to see the cliff divers from across the bay during the day so we saw them in daylight and at night.

Here is the list of suggestions she originally sent me (we customized the tour from this list):

#1 of course is to pay a visit to the World famous High Cliff Diving Show.

#2 A visit to Los Flamingos Hotel (Home of the Hollywood Gang of the 50s)

#3 A wonderful panoramic view of Old Town and Acapulco Bay.

#4 Diego Rivera´s Mural outside his house.

#5 A visit to the Old Town Flea Market for shopping

#6 Traditional Acapulco, Tourist Acapulco & Diamond Acapulco (drive thru)

#7 The Chapel of Peace and the Trouyet Cross by Las Brisas Residentials.

(Breathtaking view from top of the hill, at about 1,250 feet high)

#8 A visit to Puerto ***** Bay is a must (to see the natives life style,

where some of the people still carry the African features)

#9 Drive by the black lagoon on the way to the Princess Hotel.

If you wish to have lunch in an authentic Mexican restaurant, I can give you some suggestions. (I do not mind waiting for you while you have lunch)

The tour is about 6 hours. We have stops for pictures. If you want to stop for a drink at famous Señor Frogs Restaurant, is not a problem.

The tour can also be tailored to your requirements. Do you also want to swim? You have plenty of time to plan your day in Acapulco.

She really was willing to design the day to meet our interests.

Michele

[wobble_wobble]

In Acapulco this past February, we took a local taxi outside the port to a restaurant named Beto's on Condesa Beach. We spend the day under a palapa on the beach enjoying lunch and a few beers. The beach was beautiful, service attentive, prices reasonable, and the people were very friendly. :)

 

haha... Yes the people at Betos Condesa are very friendly - IT IS THE GAY BEACH for Acapulco. This is the truth. NOT a place to take your children.

 

AVOID THE ROCKS !!!! There are professional activities in the rocks that many people would prefer not to know about.

 

But if you are gay or lesbian and want to be around like minded people and cruise the locals - this is is the beach to go to.

 

However - Betos serves some really good food. They are famous for their Sea Bass. fresh and delicious.

[wobble_wobble]

Are the Pnk ladies and TBV working together now?

 

I am asking because someone needs English lessons..

 

The very same comment is made on both the TBV website and in the advertisement above for the pink ladies - and in the fantastic review on the TBV site for tours.

 

High Cliff Diving Show

 

No American would write that comment because #1 it is bad grammar. #2 NO tour companies in Acapulco call it the "High Cliff Diving Show" except one and he makes the same mistake in the advertisement for the tour on his website.

 

Beware of what you read my fellow Americans. Not all is as advertised.

[MfromAMS]

Are the Pnk ladies and TBV working together now?

 

I am asking because someone needs English lessons..

 

The very same comment is made on both the TBV website and in the advertisement above for the pink ladies - and in the fantastic review on the TBV site for tours.

 

High Cliff Diving Show

 

No American would write that comment because #1 it is bad grammar. #2 NO tour companies in Acapulco call it the "High Cliff Diving Show" except one and he makes the same mistake in the advertisement for the tour on his website.

 

Beware of what you read my fellow Americans. Not all is as advertised.

 

I am not sure what TBV and I have no idea if the Pink Ladies and TBV are connected. I copied that list from an email Ines Maria sent to me when we were planning our trip. You will find reviews of the Pink Ladies on Trip Advisor. She is a native from Acapulco, spoke English very well but, obviously, she is not a native speaker. I have no way to know where she got her list from but the tour and services she provided were excellent.