Taxis
Travel by taxi is covered more extensively elsewhere in Trip Advisor's Acapulco guide pages. In summary, though, the hundreds of Volkswagen 'bugs' with blue fenders are cheaper, as a rule, than larger four-door-sedan cabs; and simply standing by the curb (with or without a raised arm) will bring a swarm of horn-beeping cabbies in no time at all. Being as how none of Acapulco's taxi-cabs are metered, it's 'best' to ask the fare to your destination BEFORE you hop in - and politely negotiate the rate if it sounds too high. The majority of drivers want (and need) your business - and will rarely pass up a reasonable fare; but if a fare's out-of-line ... simply say 'no gracias', smile, wave him on, and hail another. As a very general rule-of-thumb, if you're going somewhere along the city's main boulevard (La Costera), offer 30 pesos and settle for a bit more (if need be). If, for some reason, you're going north into one of the 'colonias' - or to a more distant location - or the entire length of the six-mile-long Costera - offer 40 to 50 pesos and settle for up to 100 if necessary, depending on the distance. Having some basic knowledge of the city's layout can prove to be most helpful; and some repeat visitors become comfortable enough to 'do as locals do' ... hail a VW, hop in, state your destination, and pay 'an appropriate fare' on arrival - typically with no questions asked. The more-comfortable sedan cabs are often parked in front of hotels and command higher rates (about 50% more on average) and some won't budge without a minimum fare, even if one's destination is only a quarter-mile away. Meanwhile, as the VW 'bugs' begin to age and fade away, the city - in recent years - is seeing small Nissan-style four-door sedans take their place, though fares remain comparable. FYI: Expect to pay 'slightly higher' cab fares, all around, in the evening hours - and even more so late at night.
City Buses
Most visitors to Acapulco stay in a hotel on or close to the main coastal boulevard, La Costera Miguel Alemán, a six-lane thoroughfare which hugs and follows the curve of the bay from Base Naval (near WalMart) at its east/southeast point to Playas Caleta and Caletilla in the west/southwest. Several bus lines operate along this street, and the specific route is painted on the windshield, most of which say: Caleta - Hornos - Base. There is an alternate route, Caleta - Cine Río - Base, which leaves the Costera at the zócalo and runs through the business district along Avenida Cuauhtémoc, returning to the Costera via Avenida Wilfrido Massieu at La Gran Plaza shopping mall. The latter route may be convenient if you want to shop at Sears or The Home Depot - or if you simply want to explore or sight-see where few travelers ever venture. There are bus stops at intervals all along the Costera and Cuauhtémoc but most drivers will stop virtually anywhere if you signal that you want to board.
Pie de la Cuesta- You can board a public bus for a ride to Playa Pie de la Cuesta in front of the Sanborn's Centro store and the central post office, both just a few steps east of the zócalo. Look for a green and white bus with Pie de la Cuesta or Playa Luces scrawled on the windshield. It's a scenic 30-minute ride along the cliffs overlooking the Pacific at a cost of only four pesos per person, though the fanciful buses themselves resemble 'retired' school buses - and they aren't air-conditioned. On the other hand, it's a 'very local' (sometimes entertaining) experience.
Puerto Marqués- Public buses to Puerto Marqués leave from the area between Las Hamacas and La Comercial Mexicana just a short distance west of mid-bay, and departs approximately every 20 minutes. You'll want to board a bus which says Coloso on the windshield, ride the length of the Costera to the naval base, then up the Escénica over the mountains to the glorieta (traffic intersection) of Puerto Marqués. The Coloso buses turn left there, so you must get off and look for a 'colectivo' taxi heading 'right' to Puerto Marqués (or, if you're so inclined, for a different 'colectivo' which is going straight-ahead, down the Boulevard de las Naciones toward the new La Isla Shopping Village mall and the Acapulco airport.
Note- Many Acapulco buses have the word Costera painted on the side, but this is the name of the bus company and does not indicate the route actually travelled. Pay close attention to what's painted on the buses' windshields.
Air-Conditioned Buses
Air conditioned buses usually operate only on the two Costera routes mentioned above, but sometimes go to Coloso, Puerto Marqués, or Zapata. Be sure to check the windshield before boarding any bus.
Bus Fares
Regular bus fare is a mere 5 pesos (less than U.S. 50-cents) - while the air-conditioned buses, sometimes worth waiting for, charge 6 pesos and generally run at an interval of about 10 minutes. In any event, moving about via the city's public buses remains one of the best deals south of the border.