The Mexican Riviera of the 1950s, when Acapulco was not yet the fiefdom of drug dealers

In recent years, the Mexican resort of Acapulco has been overwhelmed by a wave of violence related to the activities of drug dealers. However, in the 1950s the city was quite different: among wealthy tourists, including Hollywood stars, it was popular to relax on this quiet stretch of coast. Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra loved to visit here. The collection of photos given in this material will tell you how Acapulco looked at that time.

Attracting many Hollywood celebrities, Acapulco was the first resort in the world where tourists arrived mainly by air. Among wealthy Mexicans, this resort on the Pacific coast became popular back in the 1920s. Thanks to large foreign investments in the resort business, the city's population grew from 5 thousand people in the 1940s to 50 thousand people in the 1960s.

At the same time, the city center was reconstructed and a new airport was built. The first road between Mexico City and Acapulco, opened in 1927, turned into a four-lane highway by the middle of the century. The new hotel infrastructure, built in the 1960s and 1970s, allowed less affluent people to visit the resort. Thus, gradually the resort lost its attractiveness for representatives of high society, becoming a popular place for the middle class.

A girl feeds a donkey, July 1953.

Children on the playground by the pool, July 1953.

Today, the city is gripped by bloody gang fights.

A couple in a street cafe, July 1953.

A boy in a national costume.

The white walls of the southern city dazzle. Donkeys, as you can see, were a popular mode of transport in Acapulco at that time.

Among wealthy Mexicans, a small town on the Pacific coast became popular back in the 1920s.

The new hotel infrastructure, built in the 1960s and 1970s, allowed less affluent people to visit the resort.

Streams of middle-class tourists flowed into the city.

Locals watch how a dashing rider copes with a horse, 1952.

Bullfighting is very popular in Mexico.

A woman poses with a basket full of fruits and vegetables, July 1953.

Previously, recreation in the city was available only to wealthy tourists lying on the beach and frivolously dissecting coastal waters on yachts.

A couple tries food on the beach.

A couple is relaxing on a yacht.

The famous beaches of Acapulco were a popular place for sunbathing.

Locals were fleeing from tourists on less well-known and half-empty beaches.

The beauty of the local nature and the cozy coastal atmosphere were conducive to romantic walks.

Sea, yacht, beautiful girls in swimsuits, alcohol, fruit — a classic set.

Many couples of that time spent their honeymoon this way.

Tourists go boating.

The modern city bears little resemblance to its old version: a chain of high-rise hotels along the coast has changed the appearance of the city almost beyond recognition. But the high crime rate still seriously reduces the popularity of the resort.