Acapulco is a beach town, and the beach is why you come. But the city has more layers than the resort strip suggests.
The most iconic sight is La Quebrada — the 35-metre cliff off which local divers plunge five times a day into a narrow inlet, timing their jumps to the waves. The evening show with torchlight is the one to see. The Fort of San Diego above the harbour is worth an hour for its account of the Manila Galleon trade that enriched the city for two centuries. The Zócalo is the social heart of the old town, especially in the evenings.
West of the city, Coyuca Lagoon is an 18-kilometre expanse of water important for migratory birds, reachable by boat from Pie de la Cuesta. Isla La Roqueta is a short glass-bottom boat ride from Playa Caleta, with snorkelling and an underwater Virgin of Guadalupe.
For views over the whole bay, the Capilla de la Paz on its hilltop gives the best panorama in the city. The 40-metre cross beside it is visible from ships entering the harbour.