Would You Still Go To Acapulco After This Shootout? (hotels, vacation, resorts)

[Mike from back east]

Would you?

Today's WaPo reports that 18 are dead in a shootout between Mexican Army and drug criminals, near tourist hotels.

Excerpts from the WaPo:

- The gun battle, near tourist hotels in the Pacific Ocean resort, was a further blow to Mexico's tourism industry, already reeling from cancellations by foreigners scared away by the swine flu epidemic.

- Gunmen battled troops from a cartel safe house, throwing hand grenades at soldiers who had surrounded them and spraying gunfire into military vehicles and nearby homes. The shooting began late on Saturday and went on until after midnight.

Meanwhile, CNN reports on the small arsenal the criminals had:

Excerpt:

- Authorities seized 36 large-caliber weapons, 13 small-caliber weapons, two grenade launchers, 13 fragmentation grenades, 3,525 rounds of various caliber ammunition, 180 charges and eight vehicles, the ministry said.


If you had tentative plans to visit Mexico, do you still plan to go there? If you're going somewhere else, tell us about it.

We've never planned on going there, would rather visit the Florida keys instead, keep our money in the USA.

[sanmiguel]

The only tourist area of Mexico I would consider from a safety point of view is San Miguel de Allende. Right now the drug war in Mexico is similar to Iraq but San Miguel is the "Green Zone" of the region. Just don't stray outside of it and you will be fine.

[charolastra00]

Originally Posted by sanmiguel

The only tourist area of Mexico I would consider from a safety point of view is San Miguel de Allende. Right now the drug war in Mexico is similar to Iraq but San Miguel is the "Green Zone" of the region. Just don't stray outside of it and you will be fine.

Silly over reactionists.

I don't go to the big touristy beaches like Acapulco, Cancun, and Cabo because if I'm going to go to Mexico I would like to *really* go to Mexico rather than Gringolandia. However, if I had plans to go to Acapulco, I wouldn't reconsider. I also don't have any apprehensions at all going to anywhere else in Mexico. I lived there a few months last year and while I left due to the actions of a few people, I was never once in a drug-related situation or witnessed any drug violence. And no, I wasn't in San Miguel (aka Gringolandia light).

[Dd714]

To tell you the truth, current drug war or not, Acapulco is like a "has been" resort. I was there about 15 years ago and even then it was showing it's age from the highs of the 50's and 60's when hollywood movie starts and rich used to hang out there.

It still has some good resorts still, but also some crime problems, problems with touts and peksy street vendors, drugs, and the ocean water is really polluted (raw sewage pipes the just flow out a few hundred feet offshore).

Now it just attracts Mexicans on vacation and some older americans that have been coming there for decades.

Edit - oh and for you single guys that go to Acapulco, one word for a place to visit - La Huerta.

[Mooseketeer]

I love Mexico but hate Acapulco so I would still go to Mexico but the "real" Mexico away from resorts and places where the tourists hang around in large numbers. Same with Cancun which was probably wonderful about 100 years ago...

[Magnum Mike]

I've never been to Acapulco, but we were in Los Cabos/Cabo San Lucas in the summer of 2002, and back then we didn't have any problems, people down there were very friendly and we enjoyed the 5 days we spent down there. But that was 7 years ago, things might be different now.

[j groth]

Why would you ever have gone to Acapulco?
Polluted bay
Way too much concrete
Crowds

[j_k_k]

I don't need to fly to Mexico. I live in eastern Washington. Mexico came to me.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by Magnum Mike

I've never been to Acapulco, but we were in Los Cabos/Cabo San Lucas in the summer of 2002, and back then we didn't have any problems, people down there were very friendly and we enjoyed the 5 days we spent down there. But that was 7 years ago, things might be different now.

Back then, most border cities (outside of Nuevo Laredo) were safe, as were major business centers like Monterrey and Mexico City were generally safe.

Now many businesses are paying protection money to the cartels in order to "keep the peace".

[RickMG]

I too was in Acapulco about 14 years ago, but I loved it. It was, whatever holiday is in September (Independence day?). Anyway, there were more party places. The only problem I found with Acapulco was that the parties didn't start until after midnight and ran until daylight.

We even rented a car and drove to Ixtapa and spent the night there. Ixtapa was trying to become another Cancun at the time. I remember all the Palm Tree Farms along the drive and people doing their wash in the rivers at each town we drove through.