World Famous Acapulco Night Clubs

A Party Scene to Rival Any Other

Acapulco's main draw (even after Spring Break) is its club selection.  Most of Acapulco Night Clubs cranks up around 11 p.m. will not end until 6:00 a.m. the next morning. 

Don't get sticker shock at the cover charge of these clubs- most cost around the same to enter (US$30-35 for men, US$25-30 for women).  The good news is the price usually includes ALL YOU CAN DRINK.  During Spring Break, you can expect some long lines at the more popular clubs.  Be ready to choose an alternate destination if waiting is not your thing.  Once you get in, though, the party is yours for the making, just like these folks at Disco Beach!

A great alternative to the Acapulco Night clubs are the bars in town.  While there is not much live music to be found in these places, impromptu dancing often erupts in the middle of the bar, and occasionally on top of the bar. Along the "Costera," most bars are open-air and you can go bar hopping quite easily. Here's our review of some of the best of Acapulco Nightlife.

The Dance Clubs

The crown jewels of Acapulco Night Clubs are its discos, or dance clubs as we call them back in the States.  No food here, just hardcore dancing and drinking under incredible light shows and world-class sound systems.

Most clubs also have dancers and costumed staff ready to entertain.   These places are large and typically hold hundreds or thousands of partiers at a time.  It can get quite crowded, but that's the point!

Palladium

Located on the rocky cliffs of Acapulco, this dance club is perhaps the most famous and popular club in the city.  Imagine- 160 foot-wide windows overlooking the bay, high tech laser and lights shows, all to the beat of the hottest dance and techno music around.  This is an Acapulco Night Club at its finest.  Visit Palladium here.

With capacity for 2500- this is the place to be for Spring Breakers looking to make the scene.  Expect to wait in line on the more popular nights.  The cover charge may seem a little steep (usually $26 U.S. for the ladies and $36 U.S. for the men), but it does include all your drinks.  Promoters will walk around the beaches on special days handing out discount coupons.  Special not to be missed here:  Dance with the Devil at 4 a.m.  (a silver-painted fire dancer)  It's a show worth staying around for!

El Alebrije

Known for having the best mix of music in Acapulco (heavy on the Mexican dance hits- but it's an atmosphere thing), this large and spacious club is also the biggest draw for the younger Spring Break crowd.  This is a great place to go with a group of friends (old and new) as the club has a large area of stadium-style seating with tables for those wanting to talk or do a little people-watching while experiencing Acapulco Night Clubs.  Special note: there is no centralized dance floor at this Acapulco Night Club hot spot- there is a pit, but there's also a bar there.

The rest of the club is a gigantic dance floor (complete with light show) and several bar areas for getting drinks.  You can even dance in front of an indoor waterfall!  One note- you may have to tip the wait staff before they will bring you a drink- very direct, but the norm here.  As with most Spring Break destinations, a pocket of greenbacks goes a long way towards getting you better service. 

Disco Beach

This open-air Acapulco Night club is half-beach and half-club.  This lends itself towards the more casual style found in this club, which plays a continual mix of popular dance music during Spring Break.  Theme parties abound during Spring Break- including a Mardi Gras party.

You can sit at an indoor table, shake you thing on the dance club, or have a few drinks right on the beach.  Who says Acapulco Nightlife doesn't have options?  Outside this club will even entertain you with fire dancers, as shown here!

The other major draw to this club:  Foam parties on Fridays!  As you might imagine, this is a big draw, so we recommend you make a night of this club if you want to see just how wild a foam party can get!  Cover charge is currently $30 U.S. and includes your drinks.

Baby'O

Definitely a club for the high rollers, though many locals consider this the best club in town due to the service and exclusivity afforded here.  If you can grab a table here, do it, as you'll be treated like local royalty.  This places has the coolest exterior because it looks like it was carved out of rock.  Visit their official website here.

With a mix of dance music, 80's, and Mexican pop, the beat is steady for the dance floor at this hot spot for Acapulco Nightlife.  It is smaller than most other clubs, but that's what draws the social elite anyway, right?  Cover charge (up to $60 U.S. for men) does not include drinks, which are also expensive here.  Look for specials during your week of Spring Break to experience this place- like all other clubs it wants to cater to Breakers.

Mandara

Just a short walk from Palladium and all the other restaurants in Las Brisas, this club is newer to the scene but still knows how to draw a crowd to the dance floor. 

With stadium-style levels featuring tables and the bars located in the back of the club, this is another good place to "see and be seen."  Trying to get a drink when away from the tables can, therefore, be tedious.  The atmosphere, though, is classy and this Acapulco Night club is known to put a little hip-hop into the music rotation.  This club also has the option of paying full cover, where drinks are included, or paying a lower cover where you buy drinks separately.

The Bars with Dance Music

The distinguishing factor between Acapulco Night Clubs and bars are that the bars tend to have food in addition to drinks and dance music.  As a result, they often open earlier than the dance clubs which make Acapulco Nightlife so famous.  This is not to say these places should be overlooked- often times they have no cover charge, which can be an attractive option once you've paid a few nights to get into the discos.

Mangos

A pretty cool "pub" atmosphere with lots of video screens adding to the mix of music playing over the sound system.  This place has a bar menu for food as well as all the drinks you will come to know and love in Acapulco.  Seating is available both outside and in an air-conditioned dining room.  Getting a table can be a challenge during the break Spring Break season, so be prepared for the crowds (or come early).  Once you're in, a good time will be had by all.

Bar Rio

This is a newly remodeled bar/night club with a center stage (for live musical acts) and various seating arrangements for those looking to take a break from the dance floor.  Sofas, tables with chairs, and numerous bars around the club make it easy to find a place to get comfortable.  The music here, though, can be extremely loud at times- even louder than you come to expect at the other clubs in the Acapulco Nightlife scene.  The cover here, currently $36 U.S., is the same as for the dedicated dance clubs, but it still includes all you can drink.

Barbarroja

This place gets my vote for the best bar-concept going among all of Acapulco Night clubs.  It looks like a giant pirate ship!  The wait and bar staff even dress like pirates.  This is an open-air bar, so there is no feeling like you're inside one of the big boxes of the other clubs.  While locals will call this place a tourist trap, I say, "Who cares?"  It's Spring Break and this place caters to our crowd.  Look for specials here during your stay as this place will host many a Break party during the high  season.

Still More

Return to Acapulco Spring Break Home.

Spring Breaker Reviews of Acapulco Nightlife

Have you experienced Acapulco Nightlife first hand?  Have you got great photos of you and your friends at these clubs, like this picture to your right?  Share them with others!  We're always looking for Acapulco Nightlife advice, stories, photos and comments from our fellow Breakers to enhance this site and keep our information as current as possible.  If you have something to add, please submit your Acapulco Night Club tips and pics here.