8 Best Family Things to Do in Acapulco

Rollo Acapulco is a classic theme park and waterpark offering the chance to ride thrilling slides, go swimming, and fire water guns in Acapulco. Your family will have a whole day of fun here, racing down the slides, swimming against the current in the wave pool, or having a water battle in boats.

You can also buy souvenirs at the gift shop, or grab a bite to eat. It's 23 minutes north of town.

Museo Historico Naval de Acapulco, or the Acapulco Naval History Museum, covers 250 years of maritime history when the city was the main Pacific port in Mexico. At one point, this city was the primary point from which trade was conducted with the Far East. You can explore dozens of exhibits featuring photos, documents, artifacts, and other ephemera related to the city's maritime history. The kids will also love the regular workshops where they'll learn how to build their very own model ships.

Entry into this museum carries a very nominal "donation" and offers hours of fun and educational enjoyment. The experience is well worth the 40-minute drive west of downtown.

Manzanillo Park is a serene small park along Manzanillo Beach where you can enjoy a playground, shallow pools, and general relaxation to recharge your batteries. The shallow pools here aren't good for swimming but are ideal for wading, and they're great for the little ones to splash around. You can capture stunning views of the bay from here and see sites like a historic lighthouse. Just steps away, you'll find casual dining opportunities, and of course, the kids will enjoy the swing set, slide, and jungle gym at the playground.

Manzanillo Park is a casual and easygoing place to just kick back for a few hours after seeing the sights. It's 45 minutes west of town.

Playa Tlacopanocha is a small beach right on the Acapulco port where you can enjoy plenty of opportunities for shopping, dining, and general beach relaxation. The beach is adjacent to a boardwalk with serene waterfront views and is just steps away from many indie shops where you can find souvenirs and gifts. You can also enjoy casual local eateries here serving up seafood and local delicacies, many right off the boats from the nearby port. The surf here is very calm, making it a safe and ideal place for little ones to swim.

Being small and out of the way makes it less crowded than other beaches as well. It's 45 minutes from central downtown.

Acapulco Botanical Garden is a lovely, tranquil place to take the kids to escape the hustle and bustle, offering endless paths of tended green space and colorful flowers. This garden just 10 minutes from central downtown Acapulco showcases babbling brooks, water features, rock formations, and endangered flora like the Mexican purpleheart tree. You'll see and learn about many species of plant and tree life. The garden also puts you within easy reach of the city's Golden Zone with popular beaches, shopping, and dining.

If you plan to spend a day here, bring your own refreshments as the garden itself has no restaurant onsite. The garden is open daily from dawn till dusk and carries a minimal admission fee to enter.

Isla de La Roqueta is a large island right off of the beachfront area of Acapulco and offers vast green space, hiking, kayaking, dining and endless outdoor adventure opportunities. Here you can explore the stony crag's forested walking paths, relax on a rustic beach, go snorkeling or scuba diving, get out on the bay in a kayak, or take a glass-bottom boat tour to see the unique and colorful tropical sea life beneath you as well as the famed underwater Virgin of Guadalupe statue called Capilla Submarina.

You can visit a zoo with exotic animals and see a historic lighthouse. You can also dine at palapa-style restaurants. The island requires a boat to reach and is off the western shores.

Playa Puerto Marques is a popular family-friendly beach offering great views, calm surf, and warm, relaxing, clear waters with stretches of soft sand. The beach is dog-friendly, so if you have your furry canine companion along, they can partake in the fun. Activities here include jet-skiing, snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, paddleboarding, bodyboarding, or surf fishing to see what you can catch. Free parking is available, and you can rent beach mats, lounge chairs, and umbrellas. There aren't any restaurants on the beach, so pack a snack.

This beach is ideal for a family looking to just spend a day of fun in the sun and surf. It's about 19 minutes south of downtown.

Parque Papagayo, or Papagayo Park, is among the largest green spaces in the Acapulco metro area and offers a wealth of ecological, educational, and recreational activities for all. The park offers artificial lakes, ice skating, a library, and a zoo. It's in the heart of the city and covers 22 hectares of space with tropical vegetation and exotic animals to view. You'll find sports fields and take in an occasional show at the open-air theater.

This natural park is a fun and affordable way to spend a day enjoying a wealth of attractions. Whether you want to visit the zoo, catch great bay views, or just go hiking on the walking paths, it's a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon.