Acapulco: Come for the Nightlife!

During the day, get some sun. Rest or snooze on the beach. Be casual. But when the sun goes down, the city takes on a completely different vibe, and so will you. Things don’t really get started until well after midnight.  The only reason to go anywhere before then is if you think the line to get in will be long. The clubs and bars stay lively until 4 or 5 am. Most stay open until 5 or 6 am. A few places are known as “after hours” clubs, and they don’t get started until then, continuing the party perhaps until late morning!

A few of the bars along the beach stay casual throughout the night, but most clubs will expect or require upscale styles. You’ll find that the women are dressy and usually very daring. The men usually go for simple elegance, which may mean a silk shirt and classic slacks. Designer jeans can work, but it’s not guaranteed everywhere. If you must wear jeans, make sure they’re not ripped or torn, that they fit you reasonably well, and that the shirt, blouse or jacket is fancy enough to compensate. The women often wear heels, which makes dancing really difficult. A few bring flats and switch into them for dancing.. Men, try to go for real shoes. Sneakers and sandals are unwelcome in most places, and they make dancing almost impossible. Even if you think you can get away with dancing barefoot in the clubs, don’t. It’s just not safe, especially if someone has broken a glass.

You can find a good party almost anywhere in town, but Acapulco’s main party areas are:

Condesa Beach. This region is in Acapulco's “Golden Zone,” on the bayside and among many hotels.  There are both nightclubs and bars, designed to appeal to everyone, from college crowd to the older set. Thus these places trend towards more casual, and are somewhat easier on the pocketbook than more elegant locations. Well-known favorites include the Barba Roja, the Baby Lobster, Mojito, and Disco Beach.

Las Brisas is a neighborhood along the Escénica – the “scenic highway” that connects the bay side of Acapulco with the more recent and luxurious developments in the “Diamond Zone.” The road climbs high above the beaches as it crosses the ridge, affording fantastic views back towards the traditional zone of town. This is where Acapulco’s “top-shelf” discos can be found. They are in large, interesting, modern, minimalist buildings with large dance floors, lots of glass, breathtaking views, many busy bars, and the latest in sound, video and lights. Examples of the clubs in this area are the famed Palladium, Mandara, Classico del Mar, and Sky Garden.

In Acapulco Diamante you can find other clubs with similar accents on size, style, and flair. Pure Night (usually just called “Pure”) is the latest entry – a very large and swanky club on the “Boulevard de las Naciones” near the Fairmont Hotels and the Mayan Palace.

In Acapulco’s “Golden Zone” in Costa Azul you will find several of Acapulco’s most well-known and busiest nightspots. This is the section of the Costera Alemán that extends from the traffic circle at the Convention Center to the Naval Base (where the “Escénica” starts). Club Dubai is the most recent entry, in the space where “Salón Q” used to be. Salon Q essentially was folded in with a related club, also in the area, called “Nina’s Tropical” – well-known for its salsa, cumbia and meringue nights. “Baby’O” is perhaps the oldest and most famous of the clubs in this reason. El Alebrije, which is very nearby, is perhaps the largest of them all. (An “Alebrije” is a brightly-colored pottery effigy of a salamander (or “cuica”) made by natives indigenous to the mountains around Acapulco, and a symbol of exceptionally good fortune.)

In Acapulco’s “Traditional Zone” (downtown, La Quebrada and out to Las Playas and Caleta Beach), you will also find a number of great party locales. Take the walkway that overlooks and borders the ocean. It goes from La Quebrada to the Sinfonía de Mar and past. Here you can be casual, and you can party on a budget. The street becomes alive with locals and visitors alike. You can choose any one of several small bars, but you can also just show up with your own favorite beverage. Park your car, and start celebrating.

No matter where in town you decide to go, take a few minutes to collect all the information you need to be sure the night goes smoothly for you. If you are in a hotel that has a concierge service, you might want to sit down with him or her well in advance of your outing and get as much detail as possible. Here are some important tips:

• Check with the hotel to be sure the place you want to visit is open. Nightclubs in Acapulco change and turnover frequently and they sometimes become very “in” or very “out.” Get the very latest intelligence. You don’t want to show up to a place that is closed or empty, and perhaps you would rather not join in the shoving to enter a place that has just become the hottest in town for the socialite set.
• If you plan to use a credit card, be sure the place accepts the card you plan to use. Take a reasonable amount of cash with you anyway, as the night will present lots of junctures when a tip is called for.
• If you are driving, consider where you are going and how you’re going to park. Many places have valet parking, which is really a good option if you’ll be out until very late. Don’t drive home if you’re not in good shape. The cops get up very early just to harvest fines from drunks coming out of the bars and clubs in the wee small hours of the morning.
• Take some ID with you to prove you are old enough to be there. Do this even if you think it is ridiculous. Sometimes the door people are instructed to check everybody, and if you can’t be checked, you may have to come up with a fat, extra tip. Do not take your passport with you, however, unless that is your only possibility. Passports are valuable in the secondary market, and are fat targets for thieves.