History of Acapulco in Timeline

Acapulco de Juárez, or simply Acapulco, is a major seaport city in the state of Guerrero on Mexico's Pacific Coast, located 380 kilometers south of Mexico City. Situated on a deep, semicircular bay, it has served as a port since early colonial times and is a significant stop for shipping and cruise lines between Panama and San Francisco. Acapulco is the largest city in Guerrero, surpassing the state capital Chilpancingo, and is Mexico's biggest beach and resort destination. It also serves as the municipal seat for the municipality of Acapulco, Guerrero.

1911: Revolutionary forces take over main plaza

In 1911, revolutionary forces seized control of Acapulco's main plaza.

1920: Prince of Wales visits Acapulco

In 1920, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) visited Acapulco and recommended the area to Europeans, boosting its popularity among the elite.

1933: Hotel El Mirador first section started

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

1958: Diocese of Acapulco Created

In 1958, the Diocese of Acapulco was established by Pope Pius XII.

1958: Underwater statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe created

In 1958, the underwater statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe was created by Armando Quesado in memory of a group of divers who died here.

1963: Fun in Acapulco released

The Hollywood movie Fun in Acapulco, starring Elvis Presley and set in Acapulco, was released in 1963, though the filming took place in the United States.

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1968: Acapulco hosts Summer Olympics sailing events

For the 1968 Summer Olympics held in neighboring Mexico City, Acapulco served as the venue for the sailing events.

1972: Pierre Marqués course designed

In 1972, the Pierre Marqués golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones for the World Cup Golf Tournament.

1976: Baby 'O nightclub opened

Baby 'O nightclub has been open to the national and international public since 1976.

1978: Miss Universe Pageant

In 1978, the Miss Universe pageant was held in Acapulco.

1983: Amor eterno written by Juan Gabriel

In 1983, Juan Gabriel wrote "Amor eterno", a song paying homage to Acapulco, which was famously recorded by Rocío Dúrcal.

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1983: Diocese of Acapulco Becomes Archdiocese

In 1983, the Diocese of Acapulco was elevated to an archdiocese.

1993: Mexican Open tennis tournament began

In 1993, the Mexican Open tennis tournament, an ATP 500 event, began in Acapulco. It was initially played on clay courts before switching to hard courts. The event takes place at the Arena GNP Seguros.

1996: API Acapulco created

In 1996, API Acapulco, a new private company, was created to manage port operations, consolidating operations and making Acapulco the major port for car exports to the Pacific.

1997: Hurricane Pauline devastation

In 1997, Hurricane Pauline devastated Acapulco, causing widespread damage, stranding tourists, and resulting in over 100 deaths, mainly in shantytowns.

2000: Fort of San Diego renovations

In 2000, renovations were done to the Fort of San Diego.

2005: Population of Acapulco area

As of 2005, the metropolitan area of Acapulco, including Acapulco de Juárez and Coyuca de Benitez, had a population of 786,830.

2006: Decrease in international flyers

In 2006, the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil registered 355,760 international flyers coming to Acapulco.

2006: Start of fighting between drug cartels

Since 2006, the Mexican Drug War has impacted tourism in Acapulco as drug traffickers fight for the Guerrero coast route and soldiers combat the cartels.

2008: Students visit Acapulco for spring break

In 2008, 22,500 students visited Acapulco for spring break, attracted by the glitzy hotels and nightlife.

February 2009: US State Department issued a travel alert for Acapulco

In February 2009, the US State Department issued a travel alert directed at college students planning spring break trips to Acapulco, due to violent activity springing from Mexico's drug cartel.

June 2009: Drug cartel incidents in Acapulco

In June 2009, a number of incidents occurred between the drug cartel and the government in Acapulco, including coordinated attacks on police headquarters and open battles in the streets.

December 2009: Arturo Beltrán Leyva death

The death of Arturo Beltrán Leyva in December 2009 led to infighting among different groups within the Beltrán Leyva cartel.

2009: Acapulco Christmas season visitors and revenue

During the Christmas season of 2009, Acapulco welcomed 470,000 visitors, predominantly Mexican nationals, contributing 785 million pesos to the local economy.

2009: Hotel visits decreased in Acapulco during spring break

In 2009, Hotels in Acapulco registered a reduction in the number of students visiting during spring break, due to the economic situation in the United States, and partially because of scares of drug-related violence.

March 13, 2010: Drug-related violence

On March 13, 2010, at least 15 people died in drug-related violence in Acapulco, including six members of the city police and the brother of an ex-mayor.

June 12, 2010: Population and Housing Census

According to the results of the II Population and Housing Census on June 12, 2010, the city had a total population of 673,479 inhabitants, of that amount, 324,746 were men and 348,733 women.

2010: American teenagers travel to Mexico for spring break

Before 2010, over 100,000 American teenagers and young adults traveled to resort areas and balnearios throughout Mexico during spring break each year due to the drinking age of 18 years.

2010: Metropolitan area population

In 2010, the metropolitan area of Acapulco grouped a total of 863,431 inhabitants in a surface of 3,538.5 km.

January 8, 2011: Fifteen deaths due to drug violence

On January 8, 2011, the headless bodies of 15 young men were discovered near the Plaza Sendero shopping center in Acapulco, victims of drug-related violence.

August 20, 2011: Five headless bodies found

On August 20, 2011, Mexican authorities found five headless bodies in Acapulco, with three in the main tourist area and two cut into pieces, indicative of ongoing gang violence.

February 4, 2013: Spanish tourists attacked

On February 4, 2013, six Spanish men were robbed and six Spanish women were gang-raped by masked gunmen at a beach house on the outskirts of Acapulco; however, no charges were pressed.

September 28, 2014: Mexican politician gunned down

On September 28, 2014, Mexican politician Braulio Zaragoza was fatally shot at the El Mirador hotel in Acapulco.

2014: Nomination of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade Route was initiated

In 2014, the idea to nominate the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade Route was initiated by the Mexican ambassador to UNESCO with the Filipino ambassador to UNESCO.

2014: Upsurge in gang violence

Since 2014, Acapulco has experienced a massive upsurge in gang violence and homicide numbers, deterring foreign tourists and leading to travel warnings from the US government.

April 23, 2015: Experts' Roundtable Meeting held at the University of Santo Tomas

On April 23, 2015, an Experts' Roundtable Meeting was held at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) as part of the preparation of the Philippines for the possible transnational nomination of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade Route to the World Heritage List.

2015: Number of international flyers decreased

The number of international flyers coming to Acapulco dropped from 355,760 in 2006 to 52,684 in 2015.

June 2016: Implementation of the Acabús

On 25 June 2016, the bus network in Acapulco was simplified with the implementation of the Acabús, a bus rapid transit system spanning 36.2 kilometres (22.5 miles), with 16 stations spread throughout the city along five routes.

2016: Murders and Homicide Rate

In 2016, Acapulco recorded 918 murders, resulting in one of the world's highest homicide rates, with 103 murders per 100,000 people.

September 2018: City's police force disarmed by the military

In September 2018, the entire police force of Acapulco was disarmed by the military due to suspicions that it had been infiltrated by drug gangs.

2018: Mexican Armed Forces occupied the city

In 2018, the Mexican Armed Forces entered and occupied Acapulco, disarming the police department due to alleged links to cartels.

February 2020: Calandrias service ended

In February 2020, the practice of tourists riding in colorful horse-drawn carriages called calandrias ended due to concerns about mistreatment of the animals.

2020: Acapulco population count

In the 2020 census, 658,609 people were counted in the locality and 779,566 in the municipality of Acapulco, a small drop from the last census.

2022: Acapulco's ranking in deadliest cities

As of 2022, Acapulco is ranked as the ninth deadliest city in Mexico and the tenth-deadliest city in the world, prompting the US government to warn its citizens against traveling there.

October 25, 2023: Hurricane Otis devastates Acapulco

On October 25, 2023, Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 hurricane, caused widespread devastation throughout Acapulco while making landfall nearby.

September 2024: Hurricane John struck Acapulco

In September 2024, Hurricane John struck Acapulco and Mexico's Pacific coast as a Category 3 hurricane, leading to widespread flooding and damage. Acapulco experienced nearly one meter of rainfall, and tens of thousands were left without electricity.