Acapulco's clubs are open nearly 365 days a year from about 10:30 PM until they empty out. The minute the sun slips over the horizon, the Costera comes alive. People mill around, window-shopping, choosing restaurants, and generally biding their time until the disco hour. Many of the casual beach restaurants on the strip have live jazz or tropical music and attract people who are at ease settling in for the night to enjoy the scene.  For a more informal evening, head for the zócolo, where there's usually a band on weekend evenings.

The more expensive clubs have $20-$60 cover charges, sometimes including drinks and sometimes not. Women sometimes pay less than men. In general, a higher cover calls for dressier attire, i.e. no shorts. The more casual open-air bars are usually free to enter, and shorts and T-shirts are common. Drinks cost $2-$5, and two-for-one drink specials during happy hour are popular. The waiters depend on tips, usually in the 15%-20% range. Note that Mexico's legal drinking age is 18, but the law is not always closely enforced.

Villas Caribe Suggested Acapulco Nightclubs

Palladium:
A waterfall cascades down from the dance-floor level of this club, considered by many to be Acapulco's best. The dance floor itself is surrounded by 50-foot-high windows, so dancers have a wraparound view of the city. The staff is friendly and efficient, but the club is so popular that it may take you a while to get in and get drinks. Address: Carretera Escénica, Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico.  Phone: 744/446-5490

Baby O:
Small, expensive, and exclusive, Baby O caters to the local elite. The club has long had the reputation of being Acapulco's classiest, and the well-dressed clientele lounges and dances in a jungle-inspired interior. It can be hard to get in, and even harder to get a table, but this is the place to go to see and be seen. You'll hear dance music, including some '80s tunes. It's closed Monday to Wednesday in low season (May through November). The cover can range from $30-$60, not including drinks.  Address: Av. Costera Miguel Alemán 22, Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico.  Phone: 744/484-7474

Mandara:
Venture into this stylish chrome-and-neon extravaganza (formerly Enigma) perched on the side of the mountain for a true Acapulco nightlife experience. The plush, dim club has a sunken dance floor and panoramic view of the lights of Acapulco Bay. The club also has an intimate piano bar upstairs overlooking the disco, called Siboney, with a special champagne menu, which draws a more mature and moneyed crowd. The after-hours lounge Privado, also in the same building, opens its doors at 3am. Downstairs, there's pumped-in mood smoke, alternating with fresh oxygen to keep you dancing. Tight and slinky is the norm for women; no shorts for men. The club opens nightly at 10:30pm; fireworks rock the usually full house at 3am, which is when a stylized dance performance takes place on weekends in the style of Euro clubs. Call to find out if you need reservations, this club tends to be busiest on Friday nights. The cover charge is approx. $26 for women and $32 for men, includes open bar; or pay $10 for entrance to Siboney and pay for drinks separately.  Located in Carretera Escenica, between Los Rancheros Restaurant and La Vista Shopping Center.  Phone is 744-446-5711.