Acapulco divides fairly simply into two halves: the old town , which sits at the western end of the bay, with the rocky promontory of La Quebrada rising above it and curving round to protect the most sheltered anchorage; and the new resort area , a string of hotels and tourist services following the curve of the bay east. A single seafront drive, the Costera Miguel Aleman - usually just "Costera" - stretches from the heart of the old town right around the bay, linking almost everything of interest. You can reach everywhere near the zocalo on foot, but to get further afield, frequent buses (look for "Caleta/La Base", "Zocalo" or "Hornos") run all the way along Costera. From the east "Cine Rio" buses travel past all the big hotels, then turn inland onto Cuauhtemoc, where they pass the Estrella de Oro bus station and the market before rejoining the Costera just before the zocalo. "Caleta" buses continue round the coast to Playa Caleta.

Acapulco's tourist office (tel 7/484-4416; daily 9am-3pm & 6-10pm) is at Centro Acapulco, a block west of CiCi - they also have an emergency desk which is staffed 24 hours a day. Unless you strike lucky and encounter an enthusiastic staff member, you're likely to come away with little but an armful of brochures and Acapulco's free magazines - Info Acapulco, Adventure in Acapulco, Passport and the glossy Acapulco Magazine - all full of thinly disguised advertising. For more edifying reading, try the book swaps at some of the budget hotels or browse through the selection at the bigger hotels and Sanborn's, just west of the zocalo.