EXTREME SPORTS

For extreme sports enthusiasts, Acapulco offers a wide variety of both safe and thrilling options: on most beaches, you can rent waverunners that accommodate two or more people, hire a boat for water-skiing, or soar high above on a parasail. You can even take the adrenaline fueled plunge on a bungee jump or swing from a perch on the beach?s famous Skycoaster. If you?re looking for a high-speed adventure, we recommend a speedboat tour of the bay or a nearby lagoon.

Zona Dorada. Located in the heart of Acapulco, where you can look out onto the entire bay, at this spot you can ride a waverunner, a jet ski, or do some water-skiing. You can also take a parasailing tour of the bay as you soar 20 meters (66 feet) high, or you can freefall on a 50-meter (165-foot) bungee jump. In Acapulco, you can go on the Skycoaster, a thrilling ride that swings you back and forth like a human pendulum. Or you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the bay and the surrounding mountains on an air balloon ride, one of Acapulco?s newest attractions.

Rio Papagayo. About 45 minutes from Acapulco and six kilometers (about four miles) south of Tierra Colorada on route 95. Considered one of the region?s most important river valleys, this amazing river runs through the jungle of Guerrero in the Sierras. You can see birds flying above the canyon in their beautiful natural habitat. Here you can live the excitement of a high-speed boat ride down the river, as it makes wild 360º spins and skillfully maneuvers between jutting rocks and the shoreline. It?s an experience like none other. Agencies and guides see to it that the tours are safe and fun.

Laguna de Coyuca. Located in Pie de la Cuesta, 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of Acapulco. It has 30 square kilometers of freshwater shoreline. Located southeast of Acapulco, at the 32 kilometer-mark along the Acapulco-Zihuatanejo highway, this area is known as "la puerta de oro de la costa grande" (the golden gateway of the big coast). Water-skiing and fishing are popular activities at this spot, where the salt water of the Pacific Ocean meets the fresh water of the lagoon. You can also take a so-called jungle tour through a mangrove swamp and admire the lush vegetation an ideal backdrop for bird watching.