Is Acapulco Worth Visiting After The Hurricane?

by Maria Haase

Spoiler: Yes, absolutely! Acapulco has so much history and flair that it should definitely be on your list of Mexican beach destinations to check out. Especially if you are looking for a little bit more unique and offbeat vibe. You get brand new and updated hotels & restaurants and a community spirit that will touch your heart at a price that can’t be beat.

Hurricane Otis Hits Acapulco

On October 25, 2023 at 1:25 AM Hurricane Otis changed Acapulco forever. What started as a minor Category 1 Hurricane 21 hours before quickly intensified into a Category 5 Hurricane and left locals without any time to prepare. One weather station measured peak sustained winds of 113.64 mph (182.88 km/h) with a gust reaching 204.90 mph (329.76 km/h), the 7th-highest wind speed ever recorded worldwide.

The destruction was devastating. 52 people lost their lives. Half a million people were without power for days, some for weeks. 80% of all hotels (377) and 95% of businesses were destroyed. The estimated total damage was $ 12-16 billion, making it not only the strongest but also the costliest hurricane to ever hit Mexico.

6 Months After Otis

Tianguis Turistico — Mexico’s largest tourism trade fair — alternates each year between Acapulco and a rotating Mexican city. I’ve attended the last three years: Acapulco in 2024, Rosarito in 2025, and Acapulco again in 2026. Watching the same event unfold in the same city, two years apart, gave me a front-row seat to just how much has changed.

In 2024, I visited Acapulco just 6 months after Hurricane Otis hit. To be honest, it was a gutwrenching experience. Half the city looked like a war zone. Most of the hotels still looked like skeletons. And here I was, swimming in my private pool at the beautiful mid-century-modern Las Brisas Hotel overlooking Acapulco. It was one of the first hotels to reopen to tourists, just 58 days after the hurricane. It felt wrong being there. Here I was in this luxurious property that welcomed guests like Sylvester Stallone and Neil Armstrong before, and below me, Acapulco lay in ruins.

And despite the devastation, the locals still living in shelters or in the hotels they were rebuilding, bringing back tourists as quickly as possible was and is the only way forward for Acapulco. And so they did what they had to do. They put down their heads and got to work!

Photo by Andrew Stillman Acapulco, April 2024

2.5 Years After Otis

What Acapulco has accomplished in the past 2 years is nothing short of amazing. With 17,000 rooms currently available, Acapulco has rebuilt about 86% of its pre-Otis room capacity, and the restaurants, businesses, and shops are thriving.

People have come together in this crisis and built back better than it was before. I have goosebumps thinking about how far this city has come in this short time, and I simply love this place. The people are so friendly and welcoming, the scenery is fantastic. The food is mouthwatering.

Is Acapulco Safe?

To be honest, I have mainly traveled to Acapulco as a visitor to the Tianguis Tourism Conference, and we did all our excursions in organized groups, so I cannot offer any personal experience exploring Acapulco on my own. For up-to-date travel safety advisories, please check with the US State Department.

However, as we walked through the old town and along the Malecon of Acapulco, all the locals and tourists around me seemed genuinely relaxed and at ease. As a frequent female solo traveler, I pay attention to my surroundings and the “vibe” of the area that I am in, and I would not have had an issue walking around and exploring the touristy areas of Acapulco by myself.

I would exercise general safety precautions, such as not wearing any flashy jewelry, paying attention to your surroundings, using safe transportation, and getting first-hand info from locals before exploring in Acapulco. I would NOT advise leaving the tourist areas, especially at night.

5 Reasons why Acapulco is Worth Visiting after Hurricane Otis

1. The People Are Amazing

I have nothing but admiration for the resilience and work ethic of the people of Acapulco. They went through some really tough times, and now they welcome us with a warmth and a smile that just hits differently than in other places.

2. The Hotels Are Brand New

To be honest, Acapulco before Otis was already past its glamour days of the 1950s and 60s. Now, the hotels, shops, and restaurants are all brand new and with modern standards, while many pay homage to the style and glam of the golden days.

Las Brisas Acapulco

My favorite hotel is Las Brisas Acapulco. It is located on the hills overlooking Acapulco Bay, and each “room” is actually a villa with its own backyard and pool. It is striking. I did not want to leave!

Hotel Amares Acapulco

This time, I stayed at the Hotel Amares Acapulco, right on the beach. The views from my balcony were breathtaking, and I could hear the waves crashing at night. I loved just walking out on the beach and enjoying the water. The main “tourist street” with many restaurants and shops was right there too, which made it very convenient to get around.

Secret Tip: There is a small mini golf area on the 3rd floor, a spacious fitness studio, and a second pool that is a lot less crowded than the main pool.

Fiesta Americana Acapulco Villas

I also got the chance to visit the Fiesta Americana Acapulco Villas, another stunning property right on the beach. I loved their patio overlooking the rocky cliffs. It made the beach feel small, but private and secluded. The hotel had a nice and modern vibe, and their breakfast buffet was delicious.

3. The Prices Are Reasonable

Acapulco is still a relatively up-and-coming destination that is currently in its “rediscovery” phase. Take advantage of the lower prices and good value that you can still get here, before it turns into the next Puerto Vallarta or Tulum.

The average price for a 4* Hotel in Acapulco is about ~150/night in the off-season, about half what you would pay in Puerto Vallarta and Tulum. Pair that with a domestic flight from Tijuana after using CrossBorderXpress, and you can have a 1-week beach vacation starting at ~$1200-1500. Using CBX to hop into Tijuana Airport for a domestic flight costs a fraction of flying internationally from San Diego.

4. It’s Not Overly Americanized

Don’t get me wrong, I am not against American tourists. I am one of them. I just want to share how it affects the vibe of a destination when it becomes popular among Americans.

Most people vacationing in Acapulco at the moment are tourists from Mexico or Americans with Mexican roots. It is not overflowing with American tourists yet, which gives it a bit more of an authentic vibe while still having all the amenities of a fully developed beach destination.

When I walked through Acapulco, I rarely heard English; most shop owners or street vendors only spoke a few words of English, and we stumbled our way through the transaction with a mish-mash of Spanglish.

5. So Many Cool Things To Do

Acapulco has some fun things to do, but it isn’t so overwhelming that you feel FOMO when you just want to chill on the beach for a few days. The old town and city center, with the cathedral and Alvarez plaza, are fun to explore, especially at night, with all the street vendors.

If you are a history buff, don’t miss Fort San Diego. I loved the architecture and learning about the history of the trade routes to the Philippines that originated from Acapulco.

A nice, lush getaway is the Botanical Garden of Acapulco. We got to meet the volunteers who helped re-plant the gardens after Otis, and it was great to see their hard work pay off and make such a beautiful space.

One of the most special moments of my time in Acapulco was during my trip to Barra de Coyuca. This is a stunning natural habitat about 45 minutes from Acapulco, where you have a marsh and river system on one side and a white sandy beach and the Pacific on the other side. Spectacular!

We did a boat tour through the marsh, sipped some refreshing coconut water, and then headed to the beach to release baby turtles into the ocean. They were so adorable. Unfortunately, they only have about a 25% survival chance, even with our help (or so we were told).