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90-852: Since 2002, HUPO organizes one international congress each year, with past congresses held in Cancun in 2022, virtually in 2021 and 2020, Adelaide in 2019, Orlando in 2018, in Dublin in 2017, in Taipei in 2016 and in Vancouver 2015. HUPO awards multiple awards each year, among them the This article about a scientific organization is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Cancun Cancún ( / k æ n ˈ k uː n / kan- KOON , US also / k ɑː n ˈ k uː n / kahn- KOON , Spanish: [kaŋˈkun] )

180-639: A Japanese samurai stabbed a Spanish colonial soldier in Acapulco. This was witnessed and recorded by historian Chimalpahin , who was the grandson of an Aztec nobleman. Some of Tsunenaga's delegation would stay and marry with the locals. The galleon trade made its yearly run from the mid-16th century until the early 19th. The luxury items it brought to New Spain attracted the attention of English and Dutch pirates , such as Francis Drake , Henry Morgan and Thomas Cavendish , who called it "The Black Ship". A Dutch fleet invaded Acapulco in 1615, destroying much of

270-615: A golf course. Starting at the Scenic Highway in Las Brisas, it includes Puerto Marqués and Punta Diamante and extends to Barra Vieja Beach. It is 10 minutes from the Acapulco International Airport. In this area, all along Boulevard de las Naciones , almost all transportation is by car, limousine or golf cart. Acapulco's reputation of a high-energy party town and the nightlife have long been draws of

360-758: A law that all international visitors arriving to the State of Quintana Roo are required to pay a fee called the VisiTAX. Visitors with a Mexican passport are exempted from the tax. Cancún is also served by three private bus lines that connect it to the downtown area and the "hotel zone" as well as more distant destinations such as Playa del Carmen and Tulum . Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez ( Spanish: [akaˈpulko ðe ˈxwaɾes] ), commonly called Acapulco ( / ˌ æ k ə ˈ p ʊ l k oʊ / AK -ə- PUUL -koh , US also / ˌ ɑː k -/ AHK - ; Nahuatl languages : Acapolco ),

450-492: A master plan that consists of "supermanzanas" (superblocks), giant trapezoids with a central, open, non-residential area cut in by u-shaped residential streets. Cancún's mainland or downtown area has diverged from the original plan; development is scattered around the city. The remaining undeveloped beach and lagoon front areas outside the hotel zone are now under varying stages of development, in Punta Sam and Puerto Juarez to

540-468: A new version was erected in 2010, which was later abandoned without proper maintenance until Woox Pinturas, a local wood maintenance company, made a donation to restore the structure to its original appearance. The real name of this monument is "Caribbean Fantasy", located in the heart of downtown Cancún, between the Coba and Tulum avenues intersection . It is the nerve center of the daily urban traffic of

630-403: A pioneer of FONATUR ( Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo , National Fund for Tourism Development), formerly known as INFRATUR. Since then, it has undergone a comprehensive transformation from being a fisherman's island to being one of the two most well-known Mexican resorts, along with Acapulco . Most 'Cancunenses' are from Yucatán and other Mexican states. A growing number are from the rest of

720-553: A population (as of 2005 ) of 786,830. For the names and terms of some Acapulco mayors , you can check a List of municipal presidents of Acapulco . Acapulco is the most populated city in the state of Guerrero, according to the results of the II Population and Housing Census 2010 carried out by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) with a census date of June 12, 2010, The city had until then

810-458: A population of only 4,000 or 5,000 in the 1940s, by the early 1960s, Acapulco had a population of about 50,000. In 1958, the Diocese of Acapulco was created by Pope Pius XII . It became an archdiocese in 1983. During the 1960s and 1970s, new hotel resorts were built, and accommodation and transport were made cheaper. It was no longer necessary to be a millionaire to spend a holiday in Acapulco;

900-704: A possible move of Atlante F.C. back Mexico City. On June 26, the relocation became official. The same day, the relocation of Cafetaleros de Chiapas to Cancún was announced, with the team renamed Cancún F.C. They play in the Liga de Expansión MX , the Mexican second division, at the Estadio Andrés Quintana Roo . The city is also home to the Pioneros de Cancún of the Liga Premier de México ,

990-417: A recognized problem. It is a bother to tourists who simply want to relax on the beach, but the government says it is difficult to eradicate, as there is a lot of unemployment and poverty in the city. Around the city are many small shantytowns that cling to the mountainsides, populated by migrants who have come to the city looking for work. In the last decade, drug-related violence has caused massive problems for

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1080-523: A settlement here. The other states that the bay was discovered on December 13, 1526, by a small ship named the El Tepache Santiago captained by Santiago Guevara. The first encomendero was established in 1525 at Cacahuatepec , which is still part of the modern Acapulco municipality. In 1531, a number of Spaniards, most notably Juan Rodriguez de Villafuerte, left the Oaxaca coast and founded

1170-643: A temporary, outdoor, hard court stadium in Plaza Quintana Roo with a capacity of 4,300. Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina criticized the facility, saying that it was unacceptable for high level tennis , not ready in time for practice, and there was no time to fix it. Cancún is served by the Cancún International Airport with an added main runway that commenced operation as of October 2009. It has many flights to North America, Central America, South America, and Europe. It

1260-475: A total population of 673,479 inhabitants, of that amount, 324,746 were men and 348,733 women. It is considered the twenty-second most populous city in Mexico and the tenth most populous metropolitan area in Mexico. It is also the city with the highest concentration of population of the homonymous municipality, representing 85.25 percent of the 789,971 inhabitants. In the 2020 census of 658,609 people where counted in

1350-487: Is a planned city , created to foster tourism. When development of the area as a resort was started on January 23, 1970, Isla Cancún had only three residents, all caretakers of the coconut plantation of Don José de Jesús Lima Gutiérrez, who lived on Isla Mujeres . Some 117 people lived in nearby Puerto Juárez, a fishing village and military base. Cancún was created as a government project to boost tourism. In 1967 government allocated 2 million dollars fund to be administered by

1440-471: Is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico , 380 kilometres (240 mi) south of Mexico City . Located on a deep, semicircular bay, Acapulco has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico's history. It is a port of call for shipping and cruise lines running between Panama and San Francisco, California , United States. The city of Acapulco

1530-484: Is hot year-round, and moderated by onshore trade winds, with an annual mean temperature of 27.1 °C (80.8 °F). Unlike inland areas of the Yucatán Peninsula, sea breezes restrict high temperatures from reaching 36 °C (97 °F) on most afternoons. Annual rainfall is around 1,340 millimeters (52.8 in), falling on 115 days per year. The rainy season runs from late August through November, and

1620-542: Is located on the northeast of the Yucatán Peninsula serving an average of about fifteen million passengers per year. The airport is located around 20 km (12 mi) from the hotel zone, approximately a 20 minute trip by car. The island of Isla Mujeres is located off the coast and is accessible by ferry from Puerto Juárez and Playa Tortugas in the Hotel Zone. In 2020, the Quintana Roo government implemented

1710-415: Is on the northern end of the bay. Anchored by attractions such as the beaches of Caleta and Caletilla, the cliff divers of La Quebrada , and the city square, known as El Zocalo . The heyday of this part of Acapulco ran from the late 1930s until the 1960s, with development continuing through the 1980s. This older section of town now caters to a mostly middle-class, almost exclusively Mexican clientele, while

1800-411: Is the largest in the state, far larger than the state capital Chilpancingo . Acapulco is also Mexico's largest beach and balneario resort city. Acapulco de Juárez, Guerrero is the municipal seat of the municipality of Acapulco, Guerrero . The city is one of Mexico's oldest beach resorts, coming into prominence in the 1940s through the 1960s as a getaway for Hollywood stars and millionaires. Acapulco

1890-422: Is the main one, to Papagayo Park. It has several hotels, Acapulco Diamante, also known as Punta Diamante, is the newest and most developed part of the port, with investment having created one of the greatest concentrations of luxury facilities in Mexico, including exclusive hotels and resorts of international chains, residential complexes, luxury condominiums and private villas, spas, restaurants, shopping areas and

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1980-600: Is the most populous city in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo , located in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula . It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat of the municipality of Benito Juárez . The city is situated on the Caribbean Sea and is one of Mexico's easternmost points. Cancún is located just north of Mexico's Caribbean coast resort area known as

2070-708: The Yopis , who continued defending it and living there until the arrival of the Spanish in the 1520s. There are two stories about how Acapulco bay was discovered by Europeans. The first states that two years after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire , Hernán Cortés sent explorers west to find gold. The explorers had subdued this area after 1523, and Captain Saavedra Cerón was authorized by Cortés to found

2160-457: The Americas and Europe . The municipal authorities have struggled to provide public services for the constant influx of people, as well as limiting squatters and irregular developments, which now occupy an estimated ten to fifteen percent of the mainland area on the fringes of the city. In 2023, a record 21 million tourists visited Cancún, topping the original estimate of 20.5 million. In

2250-470: The Bank of Mexico to determine the feasibility of creating new recreational zones, “preferably where no other viable development alternatives exist." This was entrusted to INFRATUR, a Bank of Mexico agency. Due to the reluctance of investors to gamble on an unknown area, the Mexican federal government financed the first nine hotels. The city began as a tourism project in 1974 as an Integrally Planned Center,

2340-576: The Gulf Cartel , had taken control of many smuggling routes through the Yucatán, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration . There have been a number of violent acts in the city related to drug trafficking. Between 2013 and 2016, there were 76 murders: 31 in 2016, and at least 193 in 2017, the vast majority related to drug trafficking. Most have occurred in the urban nucleus, and there have been various violent episodes with firearms in

2430-684: The Mexican War of Independence began. In 1810, José María Morelos y Pavón attacked and burnt down the city, after he defeated royalist commander Francisco Parés at the Battle of Tres Palos . The independence of Mexico in 1821 ended the run of the Manila Galleon. Acapulco's importance as a port recovered during the California Gold Rush in the mid-19th-century, with ships going to and coming from Panama stopping here. This city

2520-470: The Riviera Maya . According to early Spanish sources, the island of Cancún was originally known to its Maya inhabitants as Nizuc ( Yucatec Maya : niʔ suʔuk ), meaning either ' promontory ' or 'point of grass'. The name Cancún , Cancum or Cankun first appears on 18th-century maps. In older English-language documents, the city's name is sometimes spelled Cancoon , an attempt to convey

2610-488: The 1950s as the place where Hollywood stars and millionaires vacationed on the beach in an exotic locale. In modern times, tourists in Acapulco have been facing problems with corrupt local police who steal money by extortion and intimidate visitors with threats of jail. The city is divided into three tourist areas. Traditional Acapulco is the old part of the port, where hotels like Hotel Los Flamingos, owned by personalities Johnny Weissmuller and John Wayne are located,

2700-546: The 1950s, Acapulco became the fashionable place for millionaire Hollywood stars such as Elizabeth Taylor , Frank Sinatra , Eddie Fisher and Brigitte Bardot . The 1963 Hollywood movie Fun in Acapulco , starring Elvis Presley , is set in Acapulco although the filming took place in the United States. Former swing musician Teddy Stauffer , the so-called "Mister Acapulco", was a hotel manager ("Villa Vera", "Casablanca"), who attracted many celebrities to Acapulco. From

2790-488: The 1990s, crossing the mountains between Mexico City and Acapulco. The journey takes only about three-and-a-half hours, making Acapulco a favorite weekend destination for Mexico City inhabitants. It was in that time period that the economic impact of Acapulco as a tourist destination increased positively, and as a result new types of services emerged, such as the Colegio Nautilus . This educational project, backed by

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2880-472: The 21st century, Cancún had largely avoided the violence associated with the trade of illegal drugs; however, drugs are sold to tourists in bars and night clubs. Cancún has gradually been reported for being a center of money laundering . The links with Cancún date from the 1990s and early 2000s, when the area was controlled by the Juárez and Gulf drug cartels. By 2010, Los Zetas , a group that broke away from

2970-600: The 21st century, the Mexican Drug War has had a negative effect on tourism in Acapulco as rival drug traffickers fight each other for the Guerrero coast route that brings drugs from South America as well as soldiers that have been fighting the cartels since 2006. A major gun battle between 18 gunmen and soldiers took place in the summer of 2009 in the Old Acapulco seaside area, lasting hours and killing 16 of

3060-510: The Christmas season of 2009, Acapulco received 470,000 visitors, most of whom are Mexican nationals, adding 785 million pesos to the economy. Eighty percent arrive by land and eighteen percent by air. The area has over 25,000 condominiums, most of which function as second homes for their Mexican owners. Acapulco is still popular with Mexican celebrities and the wealthy, such as Luis Miguel and Plácido Domingo , who maintain homes there. From

3150-659: The Pacific coast of Mexico in the state of Guerrero , is classified as one of the state's seven regions, dividing the rest of the Guerrero coast into the Costa Grande and the Costa Chica . Forty percent of the municipality is mountainous terrain; another forty percent is semi-flat; and the other twenty percent is flat. Elevation varies from sea level to 1,699 metres (5,574 feet). The highest peaks are Potrero, San Nicolas , and Alto Camarón . One major river runs through

3240-495: The Secretariat of Social Development, the metropolitan area of Acapulco grouped a total of 863,431 inhabitants in a surface of 3,538.5 km , which placed it as the tenth most populated district in Mexico. Tourism is the main economic activity of the municipality and most of this is centered on Acapulco Bay. About seventy-three percent of the municipality's population is involved in commerce, most of it related to tourism and

3330-420: The Yucatán current continually bringing warm water from further south, the sea temperature is always very warm, with lows of 79 °F (26 °C) in winter and highs of 84 °F (29 °C) in summer. 26 °C 26 °C 26 °C 27 °C 28 °C 29 °C 29 °C 29 °C 29 °C 29 °C 28 °C 27 °C The tropical storm season lasts from May to December,

3420-579: The antecedents of the Aztecs . In the later 15th century, after four years of military struggle, Acapulco became part of the Aztec Empire during the reign of Ahuizotl (1486–1502). It was annexed to a tributary province named Tepecuacuilco . However, this was only transitory, as the Aztecs could only establish an unorganized military post at the city's outskirts. The city was in territory under control of

3510-522: The area via Cuernavaca and Chilpancingo. Then Mayan influence arrived from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and through what is now Oaxaca . This history is known through the archaeological artifacts that have been found here, especially at Playa Hornos, Pie de la Cuesta , and Tambuco . In the 11th century, new waves of migration of Nahuas , including the Coixcas , came through here. These people were

3600-501: The area. Investigations are under way, but no arrests have yet been made as of September 29. The insecurity due to individuals involved with drug cartels has cost the city of Acapulco its popularity among national and international tourists. It was stated by the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil that the number of international flyers coming to Acapulco decreased from 355,760 flyers registered in 2006 to 52,684 flyers in

3690-496: The beaches of Caleta and Caletilla , the main part of the bay known as " Zona Dorada " ('golden zone' in Spanish), where the famous in the mid-20th century vacationed, and the south end, " Diamante " ('diamond' in Spanish), which is dominated by newer luxury high-rise hotels and condominiums. The name "Acapulco, Guerrero" comes from Nahuatl language Aca-pōl-co , and means "where the reeds were destroyed or washed away" or "at

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3780-512: The big reeds", which inspired the city's seal, which is an Aztec-type glyph showing two hands breaking reeds. The "de Juárez" was added to the official name in 1885 to honor Benito Juárez , former president of Mexico (1806–1872). The island and municipality of Capul , in the Philippines, derives its name from Acapulco, Guerrero. Acapulco, Guerrero was the eastern end of the trans-Pacific sailing route from Acapulco to Manila , in what

3870-551: The city for tourists. From November to April, luxury liners stop here daily and include ships such as the MS ; Queen Victoria , the MS  Rotterdam , Crystal Harmony , and all the Princess line ships. Despite Acapulco's international fame, most of its visitors are from central Mexico, especially the affluent from Mexico City. Acapulco is one of the embarkation ports for the Mexican cruise line Ocean Star Cruises . For

3960-618: The city of Cancún, was designed by the Mexican-American artist Joe Vera . It is divided into three parts: the color blue symbolizes the Caribbean Sea, the yellow the sand and the red the sun with its rays. In the years after the Spanish conquest of Yucatán , much of the Maya population died or left as a result of disease , warfare, and famines , leaving only small settlements on Isla Mujeres and Cozumel Island . Cancún

4050-600: The city while making landfall nearby. Hurricane John Struck Acapulco and Mexico's Pacific coast in late September 2024 as a Category 3 hurricane, delivering powerful winds and extreme rainfall that led to widespread flooding and significant damage. Acapulco experienced nearly one meter of rainfall, resulting in submerged neighborhoods and serious disruptions. Roads became impassable due to landslides, and extensive power outages left tens of thousands without electricity across Guerrero and Oaxaca. Around 40,000 homes were damaged impacting over 150,000 residents. The city, located on

4140-455: The city. In 1983, singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel wrote the song "Amor eterno", which pays homage to Acapulco. The song was first and most famously recorded by Rocío Dúrcal . Additionally, Acapulco is the hometown of actress, singer, and comedian Aída Pierce , who found fame during the 1980s, 1990s and the first decade of the 21st century. The tollway known as the Ruta del Sol was built during

4230-551: The city. It has witnessed multiple social and political events, undergoing constant repairs and remodeling for years. Six years after Quintana Roo was recognized as the youngest state in the Mexican Republic and barely a decade after the city of Cancún was born, on October 22 and 23, 1981, the North-South Summit was held at the now defunct Sheraton Hotel . Two abstract pillars made of metal crossbeams gave

4320-430: The dry season runs from November through April. The hurricane season runs from June through November. The hotel zone juts into the Caribbean Sea and is therefore surrounded by ocean keeping daytime temperatures around 1 to 2 °C (1.8 to 3.6 °F) cooler. Windspeeds are higher than at the airport located some distance inland, which is the official meteorological station for Cancún, averages as shown below. Thanks to

4410-595: The dynamics of the water fountain . Once again, Lorraine Pinto was on call to create what locals began to call the Ceviche Fountain or the Ceviche Roundabout. There are some small Mayan vestiges of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in Cancún. El Rey (Las Ruinas del Rey) is located in the Hotel Zone. El Meco, a more substantial site, is found on the mainland just outside the city limits on

4500-402: The economy of New Spain . In 1550, thirty Spanish families were sent to live here from Mexico City to have a permanent base of European residents. Galleons started arriving in Acapulco from Asia by 1565. Acapulco would become the second most important port, after Veracruz , due to its direct trade with the Philippines. This trade would focus on the yearly Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade, which

4590-574: The elite there. Much of the original hotel and trading infrastructure was built by a businessman named Albert B. Pullen from Corrigan, Texas , in the area now known as Old Acapulco. In 1933 Carlos Barnard started the first section of Hotel El Mirador , with 12 rooms on the cliffs of La Quebrada . Albert Pullen built the Las Americas Hotel . In the late 1930s, “La Fraccionadora de Acapulco, S.A.” (FASA), consisting of William Pullen, Anacleto Martínez, Juan M. Salcedo, and Wolf Schoenburg, who

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4680-550: The first incident's dead were six members of the city police and the brother of an ex-mayor. In the second incident, the headless bodies of 15 young men were found dumped near the Plaza Sendero shopping center. On August 20, 2011, Mexican authorities reported that five headless bodies were found in Acapulco, three of which were placed in the city's main tourist area and two of which were cut into multiple pieces. On February 4, 2013, six Spanish men were tied up and robbed and

4770-412: The foreign and Mexican middle class could now afford to travel here. However, as more hotels were built in the south part of the bay, the old hotels of the 1950s lost their grandeur. For the 1968 Summer Olympics in neighboring Mexico City , Acapulco hosted the sailing (then yachting) events. In the 1970s, there was a significant expansion of the port. The Miss Universe 1978 pageant took place in

4860-474: The form of cocoa, cotton and corn. Cortés established Acapulco as a major port by the early 1530s, with the first major road between Mexico City and the port constructed by 1531. The wharf, named Marqués, was constructed by 1533 between Bruja Point and Diamond Point. Soon after, the area was made an "alcadia" (major province or town). Spanish trade in the Far East would give Acapulco a prominent position in

4950-439: The glitzier newer section caters to the Mexican upper classes, many of whom never venture into the older, traditional part of town. Acapulco Dorado had its development between the 1950s and the 1970s, and is about 25 minutes from the Acapulco International Airport. It is the area that presents the most tourist influx in the port, runs through much of the Acapulco bay, from Icacos, passing through Costera Miguel Aleman Avenue, which

5040-733: The gunmen and two soldiers. This came after the 2009 swine flu pandemic outbreak earlier in the year nearly paralyzed the Mexican economy, forcing hotels to give discounts to bring tourists back. However, hotel occupancy for 2009 was down five percent from the year before. The death of Arturo Beltrán Leyva in December 2009 resulted in infighting among different groups within the Beltrán Leyva cartel. Gang violence continued to plague Acapulco through 2010 and into 2011, most notably with at least 15 dying in drug-related violence on March 13, 2010, and another 15 deaths on January 8, 2011. Among

5130-464: The homicide rate was one of the highest in the world: 103 in every 100,000. In September 2018 the city's entire police force was disarmed by the military, due to suspicions that it had been infiltrated by drug gangs. The resort area is divided into three parts: the north end of the bay and beyond is the "traditional" area, which encompasses the area from Parque Papagayo through the Zócalo and onto

5220-410: The island of Cozumel , and then made an official landfall near Playa del Carmen in the state of Quintana Roo at around 11 p.m. local time on October 21 with winds near 140 mph (230 km/h). Portions of the island of Cozumel experienced the calm eye of Wilma for several hours with some blue skies and sunshine visible at times. The eye slowly drifted northward, with the center passing just to

5310-403: The island of Cozumel. In the Cancún region, a loss of $ 87 million (1989 USD ) due to a decline in tourism was estimated for the months of October, November and December in 1988. On October 21, 2005, Hurricane Wilma made landfall on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, with strong winds in excess of 150 mph (240 km/h). The hurricane's eye first passed over

5400-400: The latter 20th century on, the city has also taken on other less-positive reputations. Some consider it a passé resort, eclipsed by the newer Cancún and Cabo San Lucas . Over the years, a number of problems have developed here, especially in the bay and the older sections of the city. The large number of wandering vendors on the beaches, who offer everything from newspapers to massages, are

5490-401: The local tourism trade. Another problem is the garbage that has accumulated in the bay. Although 60.65 tons have recently been extracted from the bays of Acapulco and nearby Zihuatanejo , more needs to be done. Most of trash removal during the off seasons is done on the beaches and in the waters closest to them. However, the center of the bay is not touched. The reason trash winds up in the bay

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5580-494: The locality and 779,566 in the municipality of Acapulco, a small drop from the last census. The metropolitan area of Acapulco is made up of six towns in the municipality of Acapulco de Juárez and four in the municipality of Coyuca de Benítez. In agreement with the last count and official delimitation realized in 2010 altogether by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, the National Council of Population and

5670-489: The municipality, the Papagayo , along with a number of arroyos (streams). There are also two small lagoons, Tres Palos and Coyuca, along with a number of thermal springs. Acapulco features a tropical wet and dry climate ( Köppen : Aw): hot with distinct wet and dry seasons, with more even temperatures between seasons than resorts farther north in Mexico, but this varies depending on altitude. The warmest areas are next to

5760-401: The north, continuing along Bonampak and south toward the airport along Boulevard Donaldo Colosio. One development abutting the hotel zone is Puerto Cancún; Malecon Cancún is another large development. Cancún has a tropical climate , specifically a tropical wet and dry climate ( Köppen Aw ), with little temperature difference between months, but pronounced rainy and dry seasons. The city

5850-428: The port. Mining and manufacturing employ less than twenty percent and only about five percent is dedicated to agriculture. Industrial production is limited mostly to bottling, milk products, cement products, and ice and energy production. Agricultural products include tomatoes, corn, watermelon, beans, green chili peppers, and melons. Acapulco is one of Mexico's oldest coastal tourist destinations, reaching prominence in

5940-601: The rainy season extends into January with peak precipitation in October. February to early May tend to be drier with only occasional scattered showers. Cancún is located in one of the main Caribbean hurricane impact areas. Although large hurricanes are rare, they have struck near Cancún in recent years, Hurricane Wilma in 2005 being the largest. Hurricane Gilbert made a devastating direct hit on Cancún in September 1988 and

6030-751: The road north to Punta Sam. Close by in the Riviera Maya and the Grand Costa Maya, there are sites such as Cobá and Muyil (Riviera) the small Polé (now Xcaret ), and Kohunlich , Kinichná, Dzibanché, Oxtankah, Tulum , and Chacchoben , in the south of the state. Chichén Itzá is in the neighboring state of Yucatán . Football club Atlante F.C. was founded in 1916 in Mexico City and moved to Cancún in 2007 due to poor attendance in Mexico City. In June 2020, speculation began about

6120-579: The scene of one of the most devastating climatic-environmental phenomena in the history of the Yucatan Peninsula, Hurricane Gilberto . The sculpture was irreversibly affected, leaving only the solid concrete base and the metal skeleton. Due to its crosswise and bare appearance, the locals began to call it "Insectronic", a device manufactured by the Steren company to kill flies and mosquitoes . The municipal authorities decided to keep its base and

6210-523: The sea is quite stable, with lows of 82 °F (28 °C) between January – March, and a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in August. These sea surface temperatures are much warmer than those further north along the Pacific coast, and indeed warmer than most places further south, as sea surface temperatures begin to decline with proximity to the Southern Hemisphere's Humboldt Current . As

6300-578: The sea where the city is. Pacific hurricanes and tropical storms are threats from May through November; notably, the city was struck directly by Category 5 Hurricane Otis on October 25, 2023, which caused extensive damage. The forested area tends to lose leaves during the winter dry season, with evergreen pines in the highest elevations. Fauna consists mostly of deer, small mammals, a wide variety of both land and seabirds, and marine animals such as turtles. Oddly enough, January, its coolest month, also features its all-time record high. The temperature of

6390-512: The seat of a municipality, the city of Acapulco is the government authority for over 700 other communities, which together have a territory of 1,880.60 km . This municipality borders the municipalities of Chilpancingo, Juan R Escudero (Tierra Colorada) , San Marcos , Coyuca de Benítez with the Pacific Ocean to the south. The metropolitan area is made up of the municipalities of Acapulco de Juárez and Coyuca de Benitez. The area has

6480-553: The six Spanish women with them were gang-raped by five masked gunmen who stormed a beach house on the outskirts of Acapulco, though after these accusations, none of the victims decided to press charges. On September 28, 2014, Mexican politician Braulio Zaragoza was gunned down at the El Mirador hotel in the city. He was the leader of the conservative opposition National Action Party (PAN) in southern Guerrero state. Several politicians have been targeted by drug cartels operating in

6570-496: The so-called "Zona Hotelera". Beginning in 2018 with a high wave of violence, Cancún is above the national average in homicides. In January 2018 alone, there were 33 homicides, triple the number from January 2017. Apart from the island tourist zone (part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System ), the Mexican residential section of the city, the downtown part of which is known as "El Centro", follows

6660-490: The sound of the name. Cancún is derived from the Mayan name kàan kun , composed of kàan 'snake' and the verb kum ~ kun 'to swell, overfill'. Two translations have been suggested: the first is 'nest of snakes' and the second, less accepted one is 'place of the golden snake'. Snake iconography was prevalent at the pre-Columbian site of Nizuc. The shield of the municipality of Benito Juárez, which represents

6750-418: The state government, was created for the families of local and foreign investors and businessmen living in Acapulco who were in need of a bilingual and international education for their children. The port continued to grow and in 1996, a new private company, API Acapulco, was created to manage operations. This consolidated operations and now Acapulco is the major port for car exports to the Pacific. The city

6840-468: The structure a stepped pyramidal appearance, with small masts displaying the flags of the countries attending the 1981 North-South Summit. The author, Lorraine Pinto , added details representing Quetzalcoatl on the sides, resembling the pyramid of Chichen-Itza , located in Yucatan . In 1994, the municipal authorities of Cancún decided to demolish the commemorative structure because the city had been

6930-613: The third tier of Mexican football. The Tiburones de Cancún (Cancún Sharks) were a professional American football team who played in the Fútbol Americano de México (FAM) league until the league's dissolution in 2022. The city is also home to the baseball team Tigres de Quintana Roo , who play in the Mexican League (LMB). In October 2023, the WTA Finals ( Women's Tennis Association ) were held in Cancún, in

7020-480: The tourist hotels needed to be rebuilt. In both cases, federal, state and municipal authorities were well prepared to deal with most of the effects on tourists and local residents. Hurricane Dean in 2007 also made its mark on the city of Cancún. Making landfall in 1988, Hurricane Gilbert was the second most intense hurricane ever observed in the Atlantic basin. It landed on the Yucatán peninsula after crossing over

7110-462: The town before being driven off. The Fort of San Diego was built the following year to protect the port and the cargo of arriving ships. The fort was destroyed by an earthquake in 1776 and was rebuilt between 1778 and 1783. At the beginning of the 19th century, King Charles IV declared Acapulco a Ciudad Official and it became an essential part of the Spanish Crown. However, not long after,

7200-477: The village of Villafuerte where the city of Acapulco now stands. Villafuerte was unable to subdue the local native peoples, and this eventually resulted in the Yopa Rebellion in the region of Cuautepec . Hernán Cortés was obligated to send Vasco Porcayo to negotiate with the indigenous people giving concessions. The province of Acapulco became the encomendero of Rodriguez de Villafuerte who received taxes in

7290-518: The west of Cancún, Quintana Roo. Two years later after Hurricane Wilma, in 2007, Hurricane Dean made landfall as a Category 5 storm in Majahual , 190 miles (310 km) to the south of Cancún. Fierce winds at the edge of Dean's impact cone stripped sand off 7.5 miles (12.1 km) of beaches from Punta Cancún (Camino Real Hotel) to Punta Nizuc (Club Med). The authorities asked tourism operators to suspend sending tourists to Cancún while Hurricane Dean

7380-538: The year 2015, the number of international tourists flying to Acapulco dropped 85% in the interval of nine years. In 2018, the Mexican Armed Forces entered the city, placing it under occupation. The police department was disarmed after allegations of the latter being linked to the cartels. On October 25, 2023, Hurricane Otis , a Category 5 hurricane with 1-minute sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h), caused widespread devastation throughout

7470-436: Was approaching, but did ask airlines to send empty planes, which were then used to evacuate tourists already there. Despite being a young city, Cancún has a memorial monument of its foundation on a replica of the old Airport Control Tower that resembles to its own date of foundation. The original control tower was a provisional wooden structure, the work of Mexican architects Agustín and Enrique Landa Verdugo. The old airport

7560-612: Was besieged on 19 April 1854 by Antonio López de Santa Anna after Guerrero's leadership had rebelled by issuing the Plan de Ayutla . After an unsuccessful week of fighting, Santa Anna retreated. In 1911, revolutionary forces took over the main plaza of Acapulco. In 1920, the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII ) visited the area. Impressed by what he saw, he recommended the place to his compatriots in Europe, making it popular with

7650-421: Was devastated by Hurricane Pauline in 1997. The storm stranded tourists and left more than 100 dead in the city. Most of the victims were from the shantytowns built on steep hillsides that surround the city. Other victims were swept away by thirty-foot (9 m) waves and 150 mph (240 km/h) winds. The main road, Avenida Costera, became a fast-moving river of sludge three feet (1 m) in depth. In

7740-415: Was especially instrumental, started tourism development in earnest. In the mid-1940s, the first commercial wharf and warehouses were built. In the early 1950s, President Miguel Alemán Valdés upgraded the port's infrastructure, installing electrical lines, drainage systems, roads and the first highway to connect the port with Mexico City. The economy grew and foreign investment increased with it. During

7830-461: Was located on the same part of the city that today corresponds to the Kabah Avenue. The tower is 15 meters tall, has a 45 step staircase and has a base dimension of 5 × 5 meters. The memorial was first built in 2002 with a donation by Aerocaribe, a local airline, but the structure was damaged after Hurricane Wilma in 2005. After pleas by the local people to rebuild the tower memorial,

7920-460: Was once a popular tourist resort, but due to a massive upsurge in gang violence and homicide numbers since 2014, Acapulco no longer attracts many foreign tourists, and most now only come from Mexico itself. It is both the ninth deadliest city in Mexico and the tenth-deadliest city in the world as of 2022; the US government has warned its citizens not to travel there. In 2016 there were 918 murders, and

8010-530: Was the nexus of all kinds of communications between New Spain, Europe and Asia. In 1573, the port was granted the monopoly of the Manila trade. On January 25, 1614, a delegation led by samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga , which included over one hundred Japanese Christians as well as twenty-two samurai under the shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu , arrived from Japan to Acapulco as part of a mission to form closer relations with Catholic Europe. A fight soon broke out in which

8100-640: Was then a Spanish colony . By the 8th century around the Acapulco Bay area, there was a small culture which would first be dominated by the Olmecs , then by a number of others during the pre-Hispanic period before it ended in the 1520s. At Acapulco Bay itself, there were two Olmec sites, one by Playa Larga and the other on a hill known as El Guitarrón . Olmec influence caused the small spread-out villages here to coalesce into larger entities and build ceremonial centers. Later, Teotihuacan influence came to

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