Guerrero

) Guerrero North America > Mexico > Pacific Coast (Mexico) > Guerrero WARNING: The U.S. State Department advises against all travel to Guerrero (Level 4: Do Not Travel) due to widespread crime and violence, including criminal roadblocks of highways and kidnappings of American tourists. Government travel advisories Canada United Kingdom United States (Information last updated 28 Aug 2025) Guerrero is a state on the Pacific Coast of Mexico . Almost all of Guerrero's tourism is concentrated among the cities of Acapulco, Zihuatanejo and Taxco, which the state promotes as the “Triángulo del Sol” (Triangle of the Sun). Acapulco is by far the most important of the three.

The best time to visit Guerrero depends on the region's climate. Generally, the dry season (November to April) offers the most pleasant weather for sightseeing and outdoor activities. The rainy season (May to October) brings afternoon showers but also lush green landscapes. High-altitude areas can be cool year-round, while lowland and coastal areas are warmer. Major festivals and holidays (Semana Santa, Día de los Muertos, Christmas) are vibrant but busy.

Due to safety concerns, the best way for foreign travelers to get around is by plane, flying to safer areas, such as Ixtapa - Zihuatanejo , or take a bus from Mexico City to the silver mining town of Taxco or the state capital of Chilpancingo . If you decide to rent a car and drive, you are safest staying on the major federal highways through the state, MEX-95 through Taxco, Chilpancingo, and Acapulco , or MEX-200 (the Pacific Coast Highway ) from Lazaro Cardenas , through Ixtapa and Zihuatenjo, Acapulco, and Cuajinicuilapa to the Oaxaca border. Exploring the backroads to lesser known towns may be risky as these towns are sometimes dominated by drug cartels. Several bus lines provide service throughout Guerrero. ETN is the most luxurious line serving cities along MEX-95 between Acapulco and Mexico City. Estrella de Oro serves coastal cities such as Zihuatenejo.

🌍 Chilpancingo — state capital, near the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park, which is famous for its caves 🌍 Acapulco — the state's largest city, known for its beaches 🌍 Barra de Potosí — a very small fishing village sitting in a mangrove lagoon 🌍 Cuajinicuilapa — the home of Afro-Mexican culture, with a museum 🌍 Iguala — the birthplace of the Mexican flag has a flag museum and a giant flag pole 🌍 Ixcateopan — ancient village dating back to 350 BC, has an archaeological site, a quaint colonial center, it is the final resting place of Cuahtemoc, last emperor of the Aztecs 🌍 Ixtapa — a planned city with many resort hotels 🌍 Troncones — an undeveloped beach town known for its surfing 🌍 Taxco — a beautiful, hilly town that is a center for silver mining and smithing 🌍 Zihuatanejo — one of the most-visited areas in Mexico, it is popular with sports fishermen

The cuisine of Guerrero reflects its regional Mexican heritage and local ingredients. Each state in Mexico has its own culinary identity — look for regional specialties featuring local chiles, moles, tamales, and traditional cooking methods. Markets and fondas offer the most authentic and affordable dining experiences. Street food is a highlight throughout Mexico.

Pelea de Tigres or Pelea de Jaguares - May 2-5, in the small town of Zitlala : locals dress in jaguar costumes and march to a battleground to do battle in honor of the rain god, Tlaloc . The more blood that is spilled, the more rain Tlaloc will grant to the town. The celebration pre-dates Hispanic culture.

Acapulco is one of Mexico's oldest and most well-known beach resorts , which came into prominence by the 1950s as a getaway for Hollywood stars and millionaires. Acapulco is still famous for its nightlife and still attracts many vacationers, although most are now from Mexico itself. Zihuatanejo has been paired with the modern tourist resort of Ixtapa, 5 km away. However, Zihuatanejo keeps its traditional town feel. Taxco was one of the primary mining areas during the colonial period. It has narrow winding streets with no sidewalks, due to being built in a narrow ridge on the side of a mountain. The town was declared a national monument by Mexico in 1990, with numerous historical buildings dating from the 17th to 19th centuries. Archeological sites Most of Guerrero's pre-Hispanic history is known through archeology. The state has 1,705 registered archeological sites, with seven open to the public. These include La Organera-Xochipala, Palma Sola, Teopantecuanitlán and Cuetlajuchitlán. La Organera-Xochipala is the best known of Guerrero's archeological sites because of its monumental architecture. The site has seven states of development with six patios, and thirty two structures. The site covers 1,600 m² and is located in the community of Xochilapa in the municipality of Eduardo Neri or Zumpango del Río, which is a mountainous and semi-arid region of the state. It was occupied from 650 CE to 1000 CE The tombs are the most notable constructions here and feature a number of Mayan “false arches.” Palma Sola is a site on the south side of El Veladero in Acapulco. This site does not have any structure but rather it is important for 18 rocks with petrogylphs with images of humans, plants and animals. There are also figures which look to be calendar like and geographic in function. Teopantecuanitlan is the most important Olmec era site in Guerrero. It is estimated to have been inhabited from between 1000 and 500 BCE. It is in the Valley of Copalillo where the Amacuzas and Mezcala (Balsas) Rivers converge. Cuetlajuchitlan was discovered accidentally during the construction of the Cuernavaca, Acapulco highway. To preserve the site, the Los Querendes Tunnel was built underneath it. It is calculated to extend 35 hectares (86 acres) but only 2 hectares (4.9 acres) have been explored. It was principally occupied between 200 BCE and 200 CE. It is identified as being with the Mezcala culture. The site stands out as an early example of a planned city which extends from the intersection two main roads. Pueblo Viejo is located on the side of the El Tamarindo mountain just west of the city of Iguala. This site has an extension of 900,000 m² and is divided in two parts due to a ravine that runs through it. The exact number of structures here is not known because the site has not been fully explored. The site of Ixcateopan is located in the municipality of the same name. The explored site was a civic-religious center with a palace and an altar to Quetzalcoatl. Los Tepoltzis , outside the community of Tixtla, consists of a number of small sites including a ceremonial center 30 meters long, 3 meters high with stairways and a plaza. Huamuxtitlán is in the municipality of the same name. While the site is covers significant territory only one pyramid has been uncovered. Most of the rest of the site consists of living quarters. Near this site are smaller sites along the Tlapaneco River.