White-sand beaches, high-rise hotels, nightlife that glitters and the divers of La Quebrada - these are the postcard images of Acapulco, the granddaddy of  the Pacific coast's resort cities, where tourism has been the number-one industry since the 1950s.

Most visitors are happy to choose  to laze on the city's numerous beaches, shop at the many plazas or dine at all those restaurants with trilingual menus.

The famous cliff divers of La Quebrada have been amazing visitors  since the 1930s, gracefully plummeting from the seemingly suicidal height of 45m  (148ft) into a narrow crevasse that appears to contain only enough water to wash their feet. Not surprisingly, the divers pray at a small shrine before flinging themselves into the void.

You can catch a great view of the divers from the restaurant of the Plaza Las Glorias Hotel. For less crowded beaches, try the Pie de la Cuesta, 8km (5mi) Northwest of the city center, which is a good alternative to the glitz of the city but can sometimes have dangerous waves.

There are great views of Acapulco's bay on the road to Puerto Marqués, 18km  (11mi) Southeast of the city. Just south of the Peninsula de las Playas is the  so-called underwater shrine , a submerged bronze statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Don't miss the beautiful panoramic view from the restaurant of the Hotel "las Brisas", it is really beautiful in particular at night.