Population: 721,100

Time Zone: US Central Standard Time. Daylight saving time is observed from April-October.

Climate: Acapulco enjoys sunshine 360 days a year, with average daytime temperatures of 80°F. Humidity varies, with approximately 59 inches of rain per year. June through October is the rainy season, but July and August are quite dry. Tropical showers are brief and usually occur at night.

Emergency Numbers

Ambulance: Red Cross: 85.4122 Police: 85.0650 Fire: 060

Area Code: The telephone area code in Acapulco is 744.

Currency Exchange--Numerous banks along the Costera are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm, Saturday from 10am to 1:30pm. Banks and their ATMs generally have the best rates. Casas de cambio (currency-exchange booths) along the street may have better rates than hotels.

Hospital: Hospital Magallanes, Avenida Wilfrido Massieu 2 Fracc. Magallanes ( 744/485-6194 or 744/485-6096), which has an English-speaking staff and doctors, or Hospital Pacífico, Calle Fraile y Nao 4, Fracc. La Bocana ( 744/487-7180 or 744/487-7161).

Internet Access: Acanet, Costera Alemán 1632 Int., La Gran Plaza, Local D-1, lower floor ( 744/486-8182 and 744/486-8184; fax 744/486-9186; www.acanet.com.mx), is open daily from 10am to 9pm.

Parking--It is illegal to park on the Costera at any time. Some parking is available along side streets, or in one of the few covered parking lots.

Pharmacy: Farmacia Daisy, Francia 49, across the traffic circle from the convention center 744/484-7664 or 744/484-5950). Sam's Club and WalMart, also have pharmacy services.

Post Office: The correo is next door to Sears, close to the Fideicomiso office. It is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday from 9am to 1pm.

Tourist Police: Policemen in white and light blue uniforms belong to a special corps of English-speaking police established to assist tourists

How to Get to Acapulco

By Plane : Local numbers for major airlines with nonstop or direct service to Acapulco are Aeromexico ( 744/485-1625), American ( 744/466-9232, or 01-800/904-6000 inside Mexico for reservations), Continental ( 744/466-9063), Mexicana ( 744/466-9121 or 744/486-7586), and America West ( 744/466-9257).

Aeromexico flies from Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Tijuana; Mexicana flies from Mexico City.

The airport (airport code: ACA) is (14 miles) southeast of town.

Private taxis are the fastest way to get downtown from the airport.

The major rental-car agencies all have booths at the airport.

Transportes Terrestres has desks at the front of the airport where you can buy tickets for minivan transportation into town .

By Car: From Mexico City, take either the toll-free Highway 95D south (6 hr.) or scenic Highway 95, the four- to six-lane toll highway (3 1/2 hr.). The free road from Taxco is in good condition;. From points north or south along the coast, the only choice is Highway 200.

By Bus: The Ejido/Central Camionera station, Ejido 47, is on the far northern end of the bay and north of downtown (Old Acapulco)..

From this station, Turistar, Estrella de Oro, and Estrella Blanca have almost hourly service for the 5- to 7-hour trip to Mexico City and daily service to Zihuatanejo. Buses also serve other points in Mexico, including Chilpancingo, Cuernavaca, Iguala, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta, and Taxco.

Getting Around Acapulco

By Bus: Two kinds of buses run along the Costera: pastel color-coded buses and regular "school buses." New air-conditioned tourist buses (Aca Tur Bus) charge a few cents more than the old school buses. Covered bus stops are all along the Costera, with maps on the walls showing routes to major sights and hotels..

By Car: Rental cars are available at the airport and at hotel desks along the Costera. Unless you plan on exploring outlying areas, take taxis or use the easy and inexpensive public buses Areas of Acapulco

Tourist areas are roughly divided into three sections:

(1) Old Acapulco (Acapulco Viejo) is the original town

(2) The second section is the Hotel Zone (Zona Hotelera); it follows the main boulevard, Costera Miguel Alemán (or just "the Costera"), as it runs east along the bay from downtown.