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| Geography to Acapulco, Guerrero |
Acapulco, Guerrero Geography
Rather than just discuss Acapulco in this section it isn't a bad idea to look
at the whole state of Guerrero, which has an area of about 26,000 square miles
(somewhere between the size of Austria and Switzerland), 250 miles of coastline
and extends about 140 miles inland. It has a population of about 3.3 million of
which approximately 2 million live in Acapulco.
The state is blessed with a widely varied range of landscapes ranging from lush coastal planes and mangrove swamps through tropical jungle and cool sheltered mountain valleys to Cloud Forest.
Acapulco is located about 268 miles directly south of Mexico City running from the temperate highlands to the steamy Pacific coast.
Probably the state of Guerrero's and certainly Acapulco's most spectacular piece of physical geography are the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountain range which cradles much of the city of Acapulco as it rests overlooking Acapulco Bay.
The Coast
With their usual flair for the original the coast has been divided into Costa
Grande (from Acapulco west to the border of Michoacan), which is 150 miles long
and the Costa Chica (from Acapulco east as far as Oaxaca), which is only 100 miles
long. Each changes name at the state border.
The whole coast is dotted with surprisingly large lagoons interspersed with rocky
outcrops which break up the very long beaches, creating rocky coves, some with
and some without beaches, and bays (of which Acapulco Bay is by far the greatest.
The lagoons are spectacular and have a tranquility and wildlife which should not
be ignored. Along the Costa Grande can be found La Laguna de Coyuca, La Laguna
Mitla, El Estero Valentín, and La Launa Valentín. Traveling east you will find
La Laguna de Tres Palos (three sticks), La Laguna Tecomate and La Laguna Chautengo.
Obviously there's not much point in going to all of them but if you want a jolly
day out go to La Laguna de Coyuca at Pie de La Cuesta. If however you are after
something a bit more peaceful and unspoiled, try La Laguna de Mitla, where things
don't seem to have changed for eons.
These lagoons are formed by the water from numerous rivers and streams coming
down from the mountains, pushing their silt into the sea which tries to push it
back again. Consequently, during the rainy season the rivers win and breach the
sand bars, creating, in some instances, islands. The rainy season comes to an
end and the process is reversed by the waves pushing the sand back to shore, blocking
up the channels. This constantly shifting coastline means that building should
only take place on the most established shores and explains why so many of the
restaurants on the beaches are so dilapidated. It simply isn't worth a huge investment
if the whole thing could be washed at any moment.
Moving inland, north of the lagoons can be found the rest of the coastal plane
which in most cases is dedicated to agriculture. This area ranges between 15 and
30 miles wide and is the source of much of the produce to be found in the markets.
(Markets NOT supermarkets)
Very soon, as you travel north you are in the mountains, The Sierra Madre del
Sur, which boasts 4 or five mountains over 10,000 feet high. There is in fact
a chain of ragged summits from Cerro San Marcos (10,170ft) in the East past Teotepec
(12,150ft) not very far from Acapulco, and on to Cerro Tejamil (10,460ft) near
Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa.
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| What's happening
in Acapulco? |
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