Pie de la Cuesta - Acapulco, Mexico

Pie de la Cuesta

Pie de la Cuesta, along with Puerto Marques, is one of my favorite places in Acapulco for natural beauty. Both places are very different and offer their own special delights.

I have to admit that I enjoy the drive out there almost as much as actually getting there. The ride out takes you though Guerrero's sublime countryside, the sort of countryside where you can stop and get the freshest of fresh fruit and still see the peasants with their burrows ambling along the dusty road with the sky in their eyes.

Pie de la Cuesta is basically miles of little developed beach sandwiched

between on the open ocean and a tranquil Coyoca lagoon which is actually some three times bigger than Acapulco Bay. It contains several small islands and a former banana plantation. It's a great place for photographers and bird watchers. Most of the hotels and tourist attractions are located near the entrance but there are a number of possibilities along the way. Personally I like to drive all the way to the end down mile after mile of primitive landscape before arriving at Barra de Coyoca. All I can say is being behind the wheel tooling down the road really makes one feel mighty free. Well, truth be told you can’t go too fast due to the dreaded topes, but the drive is beautiful. I think it would be worth renting a car just to drive out here and the Puerto Marques.

The road running along Pie de la Cuesta is basically a 10 mile long cul du sac.

Last time I drove out, the little girls from the villages had a new means of getting donations from passers by. They would get two kids on each side of the street and run a thin white string across the road. When a car approached they would both pull the string tight to about steering wheel level - their own personal toll booth. When you stop a troop of cute little children come up asking for a donation for school or this worthwhile reason or that worthwhile reason. Remind me to add this to situations where One thing you'll notice about Pie de la Cuesta is that the mighty Pacific out here is for admiring and not for swimming. The waves are huge and they are violent. I think even the bravest among us will quickly decide they're no match for the waves at Pie de la Cuesta and lose any insane notion of trying to conquer this piece of the sea.

How do you get there?

You can get to Pie de la Cuesta by bus or by taxi not to mention renting a car and driving. If you take a taxi or bus, they'll drop you off at the entrance and you're pretty much limited to that. If you want to get to Pie de la Cuesta by taxi, but on the cheap, there are numerous flat rate taxis whose job is to take you out there for a very reasonable amount.I think I paid 20 or 30 pesos which is a bargain because it can be a drive. Buses there can usually be found near where Diego Hurtado de Mendoza meets la Costera and forms a half circle. Low fare taxis can be found over near the Zocalo in the area behind Sanborns. Just say "taxi para Pie de la Cuesta" and you should find you way just fine.

How do you get back?

This can be a bit more challenging, especially as it gets late, but there are typically a good number of taxis with whom you can catch a ride or maybe you can even hop into the back of a pickup truck with some of the locals if you're feeling adventurous. There are buses by the entrance, but they get less frequent as day turns to night.

Pie de la Cuesta offers a couple good choices of hotels thatyou can read about under Pie de la Cuesta in the Real Acapulco hotel section. Most are dive hotels but here are some upscale selection as well. There is also camping available. Hell, I think you'd be fine sleeping on the beach.