Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico

What Acapulco undoubtedly has going for it, is its stunning bay: a sweeping scythe-stroke of yellow sand backed by the white towers of the high-rise hotels and, behind them, the green jungle foothills of the Sierra. Even though there are hundreds of thousands of people here throughout the year, most of the big hotels remain nearly full - it rarely seems oppressively crowded. Certainly there's always space to lie somewhere along the beach, partly because of its sheer size, partly because of the number of rival attractions from hotel pools to parasailing and "romantic" cruises.

By day, if people aren't at the beach or asleep, they're mostly shopping. If you only do one thing in Acapulco, though, make sure you see its most celebrated spectacle, the leap of the daredevil high divers at La Quebrada. About the only place in Acapulco that gives even the slightest sense of the historic role the city played in Mexico's past is the Acapulco Museum in the old town. It's situated inside the Fuerte de San Diego, an impressive, if heavily restored, star-shaped fort built in 1616 to protect the Manila galleons from foreign corsairs.

Along the Costera, downtown is packed with shops, restaurants and a futuristic discos. It is also home to the Centro Cultural, which has an art gallery, a crafts store and a theatre and also hosts a regular program of cultural events with a regional bias. Geared up for bored kids, the Parque Papagayo on Costera at Playa Hornos, offers boating, roller-skating and fairground rides. Further east round the bay, near the Centro Acapulco, the aquatic park CICI has water-based rides and puts on dolphin shows. Your kids will love it!

• • San Diego Fort
• • Roqueta Island
• • La Quebrada
• • Caleta and Caletilla Beaches
• • Golden Area
• • Pie de La Cuesta
• • Barra Vieja
• • Condesa Beach
• • Icacos Beach
• • Tamarindos Beach
• •
• • El Revolcadero Beach
• • Puerto Marques Bay