Guerrero · 24 Places · Best November-April (dry season)
Guerrero is a Pacific coast state in southern Mexico best known for the resort city of Acapulco, the colonial silver town of Taxco de Alarcón, and the twin beach towns of Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa. The state pairs dramatic coastline and mountain scenery with a serious, well-documented security situation that shapes how and where visitors should travel.
Guerrero stretches along Mexico's southern Pacific coast between Michoacán and Oaxaca, rising from beach towns into the rugged Sierra Madre del Sur. Acapulco, the state's largest city, was Mexico's original glamour resort in the mid-20th century and remains a major cruise and beach destination with high-rise hotel strips along Playa Icacos and Playa Condesa, alongside La Quebrada, where cliff divers leap into a narrow ocean inlet. North of the coast, the colonial mountain town of Taxco de Alarcón is built on steep cobblestone streets around the pink-stone Santa Prisca church and is famous nationwide for silver jewelry and silversmithing, with a UNESCO World Heritage tentative listing. Along the coast northwest of Acapulco, the fishing-village-turned-resort pair of Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa offers a calmer alternative, with Zihuatanejo's laid-back bay town contrasting with Ixtapa's planned hotel zone and golf courses. Inland and rural Guerrero, including much of the interior and the Costa Chica and Costa Grande regions, has experienced significant instability tied to organized crime, and safety conditions vary sharply between the developed coastal tourist zones and the rest of the state.
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The 24 destinations our editors recommend — from iconic landmarks to under-the-radar finds.
Divers leap from cliffs roughly 35 meters above a narrow ocean inlet at La Quebrada, timing each dive to the incoming swell in a tradition that has continued since the 1930s, with a public viewing platform and several restaurant terraces overlooking the cove.
This star-shaped stone fortress was built in 1616 to defend Acapulco's harbor from pirate raids on the Manila galleon trade and rebuilt in its current form after a 1776 earthquake, and now houses the Museo Histórico de Acapulco, tracing the city's role in transpacific trade between New Spain and the Philippines.
A wide, calm stretch of sand at the eastern end of Acapulco Bay near the naval base, generally quieter than the beaches fronting the main hotel strip and popular with families for its gentle, protected water.
The liveliest beach along Acapulco's central hotel strip, lined with beach clubs, restaurants, and water-sport rental stands, drawing a mixed local and international crowd throughout the day.
A small rocky island at the mouth of Acapulco Bay reached by short boat rides or glass-bottom tours, with a lighthouse, a modest beach, and snorkeling spots around its sheltered coves.
A narrow sand spit separates the open Pacific surf from the calm, mangrove-lined Laguna de Coyuca, where small boats carry visitors past bird colonies and coconut palms, and the beach side is known regionally for some of the best sunset views near Acapulco.
Pick a length, follow the route. Each itinerary balances headline sights with breathing room.
Three tiers, every traveller covered — from cost-conscious to flagship hotels.
Hostels, budget hotels, and guesthouses offer affordable stays without sacrificing experience.
Boutique hotels and well-located accommodations provide comfort and convenience at reasonable prices.
World-class resorts and premium hotels deliver unforgettable experiences.
Formerly known as the Fairmont Acapulco Princess, this pyramid-shaped resort sits on roughly 480 oceanfront acres along Playa Revolcadero in Acapulco's Punta Diamante zone, about a 15-20 minute drive from Acapulco International Airport. The property is built around several pools, a private beach on the open Pacific, an adjoining golf course, and multiple restaurants and bars, with a spa, tennis courts, and a kids club rounding out the resort-scale amenities.
Check rates on Booking.comBanyan Tree Cabo Marques occupies a hillside promontory above Bahia de Puerto Marques in Acapulco's Punta Diamante zone, roughly 25 minutes from Acapulco International Airport. Every villa includes a private plunge or infinity-edge pool overlooking the Pacific, and the resort's tiered layout is built for privacy, with a full-service spa, several restaurants, and an adults-oriented pace distinct from Acapulco's larger family resorts.
Check rates on Booking.comPark Royal Beach Acapulco sits on a green hillside above Guitarron beach on the road between the Costera and Punta Diamante, giving guests bay views from most rooms and direct access to a private beach cove below the property. The all-inclusive resort operates several restaurants and bars, a pool, and a spa, positioning it between the Golden Zone's midrange hotels and the larger Diamante resorts in both price and scale.
Check rates on Booking.comEmporio Acapulco stands directly on the Costera Miguel Aleman in the heart of the Golden Zone, with beachfront access to the bay and a location within walking distance of the boulevard's restaurants, shops, and nightlife. Rooms run from Standard categories to Ocean View rooms and Suites, and the property's pool deck and beach club give guests a full-service base without the drive out to Punta Diamante.
Check rates on Booking.comCafés, neighbourhood gems, and tasting menus worth the table reservation.
A candlelit, palapa-roofed dining room on the Carretera Escénica above Acapulco Bay, known for grilled coastal seafood and sweeping evening views over the bay.
A modern Italian dining room on the Las Brisas hillside pairing handmade pasta and risotto with locally caught seafood, set above a wide view of Acapulco Bay.
A longstanding beachfront restaurant at the edge of Playa Caleta in Acapulco's Old Town, serving regional specialties like shark tamales alongside garlic shrimp and seafood casserole.
An open-air palapa restaurant on Playa Majahua near Puerto Marqués, focused on grilled whole fish and shrimp dishes served steps from the sand.
A bright, casual restaurant on the Costera known for fresh juice blends, fruit bowls and lighter grilled dishes, a common breakfast stop for visitors staying along the beachfront hotels.
A beachfront restaurant with tables set directly on the sand of Playa Condesa, serving grilled fish, ceviche and cocktails through the day.
Guerrero's two main visitor hubs, Acapulco and the Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa coast, sit about 240 km apart by road and are each served by their own international airport, so most trips center on one coast or the other rather than combining both in a single visit. Acapulco International Airport (ACA), officially Aeropuerto Internacional General Juan N. Álvarez, handles the Acapulco Bay area, while Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo International Airport (ZIH) serves Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa, and Barra de Potosí further north. Inland, the colonial silver town of Taxco and the state capital Chilpancingo are reached from Mexico City or Acapulco via the Autopista del Sol, a toll highway that is the recommended route over the older free roads. Within Acapulco and Zihuatanejo, taxis, colectivos, and city buses cover daily needs, while first-class intercity buses connect the coast to Mexico City, Taxco, and Chilpancingo.
Daily spend by tier in MXN, broken out by category.
| Category | Budget | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | MXN 400 (~$24) | MXN 1,250 (~$74) | MXN 4,100 (~$242) |
| Food (per day) | MXN 270 (~$16) | MXN 530 (~$31) | MXN 1,350 (~$80) |
| Transportation | MXN 140 (~$8) | MXN 280 (~$17) | MXN 650 (~$38) |
| Activities | MXN 120 (~$7) | MXN 340 (~$20) | MXN 700 (~$41) |
| Daily total | MXN 930 (~$55) | MXN 2,400 (~$142) | MXN 6,800+ (~$401) |
Guerrero's coast has a tropical wet-dry climate: the dry season from November through April brings sunny days, lower humidity, and calmer seas for beach visits along Acapulco and Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa. The rainy season from June through October brings afternoon downpours, higher humidity, and periodic tropical storms or hurricanes affecting the Pacific coastline, as seen with Hurricane Otis striking Acapulco in October 2023. Taxco, at higher elevation in the mountains, stays cooler year-round than the coast.
The US State Department rates the entire state of Guerrero at Level 4: Do Not Travel (Mexico Travel Advisory, most recently updated in 2026), the advisory's highest risk category, citing crime, kidnapping, and armed robbery linked to organized criminal groups. Guerrero is grouped with only five other Mexican states at this top tier (Colima, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas)
Unlike some neighboring Level 4 states, the advisory for Guerrero carries no tourist-zone carve-out: US government employees may not travel anywhere in the state, including Acapulco, Taxco, Ixtapa, and Zihuatanejo, and the advisory text specifically names Acapulco, the Acapulco-Chilpancingo highway, and rural Guerrero as areas of serious concern
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) draws a narrower distinction than the US, advising against all but essential travel to the whole state of Guerrero with an exception for Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa specifically when reached by air rather than overland; this reflects a genuine difference in how the two governments assess the coastal resort towns versus the rest of the state
US citizens and lawful permanent residents have been kidnapped in Guerrero according to State Department reporting, and incidents have occurred in areas visited by tourists as well as rural areas; this is named explicitly as a real, ongoing risk rather than a historical footnote
Fly directly into Acapulco International Airport (ACA) or Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo International Airport (ZIH) rather than arriving overland from other states; avoid road travel on the Acapulco-Chilpancingo highway and other interior routes, which the advisory names specifically
Stay within the most developed, actively used tourist areas: Acapulco's Costera hotel zone and Diamante zone, Taxco's central plaza and silver-shopping streets, and Zihuatanejo's town center and Ixtapa's hotel strip; avoid outlying neighborhoods, the Costa Chica, the Costa Grande, and the interior/mountain regions
Avoid travel after dark anywhere in the state, including within Acapulco itself; use hotel-arranged or pre-booked transport rather than hailing taxis on the street, and avoid walking beach areas at night
Register with a home country's traveler enrollment program (such as the US State Department's STEP) before visiting so the embassy or consulate can reach travelers in an emergency, and keep embassy contact details accessible offline
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck near San Marcos, Guerrero (northeast of Acapulco) on January 2, 2026, killing two people, injuring two dozen, damaging hundreds of buildings, and triggering landslides on highways around Acapulco; travelers should confirm current road and building conditions before any 2026 trip, particularly for routes and structures outside the main hotel zones
Hurricane Otis made landfall directly at Acapulco as a Category 5 storm in October 2023, causing catastrophic damage; recovery has progressed substantially by 2025-2026 with most hotel-zone properties reopened, but some infrastructure and outlying-area rebuilding was still ongoing as of this advisory, so confirm a specific property's operating status before booking
Most visitors from the US, Canada, EU, UK, and many other countries do not need a visa for tourism and receive a Forma Migratoria Multiple (FMM) tourist permit for stays of up to 180 days on arrival in Mexico. Requirements vary by nationality, so check with the nearest Mexican consulate or the National Immigration Institute before traveling.
The US State Department rates Guerrero state a Level 4 advisory (Do Not Travel), its highest risk category, due to widespread crime, armed robbery, and kidnapping linked to organized criminal groups. Unlike some neighboring states, this advisory applies to the entire state without a tourist-zone exception, including Acapulco, Taxco, Ixtapa, and Zihuatanejo, and US government employees are barred from traveling anywhere in Guerrero. Anyone considering a visit should review current official advisories in full, understand the seriousness of this rating, and take extensive precautions.
Taxco de Alarcón is a colonial mountain town built on steep cobblestone streets, famous nationwide for silver jewelry and silversmithing that began during the colonial silver-mining era. Its centerpiece is the pink-stone Baroque Santa Prisca church on the main plaza, and the town has a UNESCO World Heritage tentative listing for its colonial architecture.
Zihuatanejo is an older fishing-village-turned-resort town built around a calm bay with a walkable malecón and a more low-key atmosphere, while neighboring Ixtapa is a planned resort development with a hotel-zone strip, golf courses, and larger all-inclusive properties. The two are a short drive apart and are often visited together.
Guerrero's signature dish is pozole verde, a green hominy soup traditionally eaten on Thursdays, alongside Pacific seafood such as ceviche and pescado a la talla (butterflied grilled fish) along the Acapulco and Zihuatanejo coastline. The state's Costa Chica region also contributes dishes with African and indigenous influences distinct from central Mexican cuisine.
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