Fiesta & Siesta: Where to Stay and Play in Mexico

Acapulco and the Costa Grande

The glam and romance of Acapulco will always be linked with the ’50s and ’60s American movie and music stars who gathered here to soak up some sun— and sometimes elope—in a beach locale far from the gossip columnists. Not only did Elvis Presley laze around Acapulco Bay, he also filmed Fun in Acapulco while here. Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Brigitte Bardot and Rita Hayworth also famously frequented the stunning stretch of beach. Perched on Mexico’s southern Pacific shore, Acapulco is still fun after all these years. Although the American celebs are largely long gone, there’s still a certain glitz along the golden sands and the restaurants and clubs in the high-rise hotels along the bay. And there’s history too: check out the old zócalo (square) with its ancient cafés and cool arcades, and La Fuerte de San Diego, a solid Spanish colonial fort built in 1616 to protect the treasure-laden Manila Galleons that used to anchor in Acapulco Bay. Don’t miss: Watching the cliff divers of La Quebrada.

A couple of hours north of Acapulco via the coast highway is the Costa Grande (Big Coast) region. The name is relatively new, but perfect for describing an area that really does seem to stretch forever, with the rugged Sierra Madre del Sur mountains on one side and the deep blue Pacific on the other. Many of the locals still fish, farm and ranch for a living, giving the region an authentic feel lacking in other resort locales. And the area affords an opportunity to blend modern activities like surfing and scuba with hacienda horseback riding or visits to traditional country fairs in towns like Petatlán. A one-time fishing village around a bay called Zihuatanejo and the nearby beach area of Ixtapa are the best bets for visitors.

At the chic Las Brisas Ixtapa, a 416-room resort that hugs a private cove, even the most modest rooms boast private balconies with hammocks for a couples’ siesta or a cozy champagne toast under the stars. The more lavish suites boast private pools, while rooms in the Brisas Beach Club— an adults-only hotel-within-a-hotel— include access to a private 20th-floor lounge with complimentary breakfast, early evening cocktail hour and sweeping vistas. The resort’s recreation menu features a full range of water sports, as well as golf, tennis and spa treatments (room rates start at about $250 a night; brisashotelonline.com).