Fun in Acapulco

Acapulco. The name sounds so exotic. During its heyday, Acapulco competed with Waikiki and Tahiti as a jet set destination and a by-word for tropical glamour. Even Elvis starred in Fun In Acapulco (1963), as a cliff diver who must overcome his fear of heights to win the diving championship (and Ursula Andress). But sadly, from the 1970s the 'Pearl of the Pacific' seemed to fade with over-development, population growth and pollution.

On a recent trip to Mexico, we decided to take a chance on Acapulco, having heard that things had been cleaned up. I also suspected there may be some faded retro delights in the offing. A warm glow certainly descended as soon as the Aeromexico air hostess happily poured us tumblers of straight tequila...

Admittedly, away from the beaches, Acapulco is a city with chaotic traffic and plenty of people struggling to get by. But the natural setting is undeniably superb. La Bahia de Acapulco is a deep blue harbour with gorgegous arc of golden beaches surrounded by mountains. We stayed at Las Brisas, a hillside wonderland of 1950s white and pink bungalows with sensational views, day or night. The water is warm. Perfect weather. Friendly locals. Afternoon swims and margueritas on the beach at sunset. Out on the Pacific coast, los clavadistas still scale dizzying heights to perform their diving show into the ocean. Further along the coast, the cliff-top terrace at the Hotel Los Flamingos is the perfect place to sip a 'coco loco' and watch the sun slowly sink over the Pacific Ocean.