Pie de la Cuesta

Pie de la Cuesta is a long, narrow strip of sand about 10 km northwest of Acapulco, part of the city's wider urban area, squeezed between the open Pacific on one side and the calm fresh water of the Laguna de Coyuca on the other. A single road runs along the bar past small hotels and palm-roofed restaurants, and it feels far quieter than the beaches of the Costera or Diamante. People have lived here for a long time: rock paintings dated to around 1200 BC and petroglyphs found in the area point to early settlements of fishermen, farmers and hunters. The Mexican Air Force's Air Base No. 7, León González, is also here.

The ocean side is known above all for its sunsets, often called the best on Mexico's Pacific coast; around 6 pm the sun drops straight into the sea, and many visitors simply lie in a hammock or rent a palapa and wait for it. The surf, however, is powerful and dangerous. The beach faces the open sea, and from about 2 pm the tide rises and the waves get heavy, so swimming in the ocean is not advised; if you want to go in, go early and stay close to shore. Horse rides along the sand at sunset are a local classic.

The lagoon side is the opposite: still water ideal for waterskiing, wakeboarding, kayaking and sailing, and the departure point for boat trips through the mangroves to the islands of La Montosa and Los Pájaros. Restaurants on both sides serve fish and seafood, from shrimp and ceviche to pescado a la talla, at prices a little lower than in central Acapulco. Lodging runs to small boutique hotels, rustic villas and cabins rather than big resorts.