This beautifully restored pentagonal fort was built in 1616 atop a hill east of the zócalo. Its mission was to protect the Spanish naos (galleons) conducting trade between the Philippines and Mexico from marauding Dutch and English buccaneers. The fort was destroyed in a 1776 earthquake and rebuilt; it remains basically unchanged today and is home to the excellent Museo Histórico de Acapulco.
Fuerte de San Diego
Acapulco
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Clavadistas de la Quebrada
0.92 MILES
Acapulco’s most famous tourist attraction, the cliff divers of La Quebrada have been dazzling audiences since 1934. Every night, a team of seven lithe…
Museo Histórico de Acapulco
0.02 MILES
The Fuerte de San Diego is home to this excellent 15-room museum, an enjoyable romp through history of the region, from its settlement by various pre…
Zócalo
0.41 MILES
Every night Acapulco’s leafy old town zócalo comes alive with street performers, mariachis and sidewalk cafes; it also hosts occasional festivals. It’s…
Nearby Acapulco attractions
1. Museo Histórico de Acapulco
0.02 MILES
The Fuerte de San Diego is home to this excellent 15-room museum, an enjoyable romp through history of the region, from its settlement by various pre…
2. Museo de la Máscara
0.18 MILES
If you love masks but are unable to visit the epic museums in Zacatecas and San Miguel, swing by this new museum, where visages of devils, conquistadors,…
3. Zócalo
0.41 MILES
Every night Acapulco’s leafy old town zócalo comes alive with street performers, mariachis and sidewalk cafes; it also hosts occasional festivals. It’s…
4. Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad
0.44 MILES
The Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, built in 1930, dominates the square and is unusual for its blue-domed, neo-Byzantine architecture.
5. Playa Tlacopanocha
0.49 MILES
One of the beaches closest to Old Acapulco is Playa Tlacopanocha, directly across from the zócalo, noteworthy more as a departure point for bay cruises…
6. Playa Hornos
0.78 MILES
One of Acapulco's busy beaches along the strip, this can smell a little fishy at its western end from the day's catch.
7. Playa Manzanillo
0.79 MILES
Playa Manzanillo, a small crescent of sand handy for the center, is popular with locals but not especially clean.
8. Clavadistas de la Quebrada
0.92 MILES
Acapulco’s most famous tourist attraction, the cliff divers of La Quebrada have been dazzling audiences since 1934. Every night, a team of seven lithe…