Acapulco Cliff Divers

Acapulco Cliff Divers

Acapulco Cliff Divers are a must see Tourist Experience

The dives are spectacular. The speedos are skimpy.

When you visit Paris you go to the Eiffel Tower. Similarly when you go to Acapulco, you must pay homage by going to see the Cliff Divers at La Quebrada.  It has become an icon of the city itself.

The divers climb barefoot up the 135 foot cliffs to the diving ledges.
The performance is choreographed with dives timed to give maximum safety and audience appreciation.
The divers have impeccable timing; choreographic moves that require skill and practice.

La Quebrada – meaning gulch in Spanish- is a 12 ft deep water inlet with steep, jagged cliffs reaching up to 130 feet on each side. Young men dive from the rocks to the waters below. Using prayers and incredible timing, the young men are trained to ensure they hit the water at precisely the right moment to land on the incoming waves and to avoid impact with the shallows.

The show start at 12:45 pm and last 30 minutes.  They are scheduled at 12:45 pm, 7:30 pm, 8:30 pm, and 9:30 pm.

The tradition began between 2 local fishermen who challenged each other to the jump in 1934. Nine decades later, the art of cliff diving has bee perfected and has continued through generations of a few families.

Elvis didn’t jump off the cliffs in the film (his stunt double did) and never even personally visited Mexico.

Acapulco was the hot spot for the who’s who in the ’40.  John F. Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Orson Welles, Walt Disney, Rita Hayworth, Errol Flynn, Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds,  Johnny Weissmuller, John Wayne – the celebrities of the day popularized the area.

Tarzan and the Mermaids popularized Acapulco in the ’40’s.

In 1948 the movie “Tarzan and the Mermaids” Johnny Weissmuller’s stunt double jumped off these cliffs. In 1963 Elvis’s double did the same in “Fun in Acapulco.” (Elvis never filmed in Mexico and was not allowed in the country)

Now decades later the tradition and art of cliff diving continues. And throughout that time, there hasn’t been any fatalities.

A dance in the sky – skills passed down from father to son. Miraculously no one has died on the cliffs.

The young men swim to the almost vertical rocky wall and climb the almost vertical 135 foot slope with bare hands and feet to the ledges above.

The men pray to the Virgin of Guadalupe before they teeter on the ledge and wait for their moment. And wait and then dive. Arms outstretched – chest forward. A bird planning a decent.

Useful information:


It is easiest and cheapest the Uber or taxi to La Quebrada. The streets are narrow and confusing. The parking is scarce.

Everyone knows where it is. The cost of admission is approximately $3.  When the divers finish their show they come to you to receive tips. Be generous. The money goes directly to the families.

Go to Acapulco, Guerrerro

Go to West Coast Routes