The Real Setting of the Emilia Cruz Series
Emilia Cruz’s Acapulco Travelogue
Beyond the high-rise hotels and the sparkling waters of the Diamante district lies the real Acapulco—a city of steep hills, hidden colonias, and a history as volatile as it is beautiful.
This travelogue is a guided tour through the locations that breathe life into the Detective Emilia Cruz series. From the iconic cliff divers at La Quebrada to the gritty backstreets where the sun rarely reaches the pavement, explore the sensory details, local landmarks, and cultural pulse that transform this tropical paradise into the ultimate setting for crime fiction.
More about the setting for the series:
Why Acapulco is the perfect setting for a mystery series
The fabled cliff divers of La Quebrada soar off cliffs on the western side of Acapulco Bay. Their daily shows attract visitors from all over the world to watch divers plunge from tiny ledges cut into the cliff as high as 80 feet above surging water.
The divers must calculate the right moment to catch an incoming wave and stretch the dive far enough away from the cliff to avoid either diving into water that is too shallow of hitting rock on the way down.
In CLIFF DIVER, Emilia can relate. As she investigates the murder of her lieutenant, she doesn’t know if she’s going to hit the water or the rocks.
Acapulco’s Our Lady of Solitude Cathedral, or Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Acapulco, is immediately recognizable by its twin onion domes. Close to the water on the west side of the bay, it’s the main Catholic church in Acapulco. The parish was established in 1555.
The fictional funeral of the mayor’s sister took place there in BARRACUDA BAY, with a gripping conflict afterwards that Emilia was forced to witness.
Sinfonia del Sol is the best place to watch a spectacular Acapulco sunset. It’s an amphitheater jutting out into the bay. Stone benches form concentric half-circles and the stage is decorated with a tile mosaic.
As Emilia Cruz discovered in NARCO NOIR, it’s not just for sunsets. The stunning spot can easily become a movie set for an action flick starring her worst enemy.
This photo captures the highs and lows that make Acapulco such a dramatic setting for a mystery series. The wealth is easy to see in the white boats bobbing gently in the water while a hotel shows off Old Hollywood vibes.
But in the background, poor neighborhoods claw up the mountainside. Over and over, Emilia Cruz must learn to live between these two worlds.
The distinctive onion domes of the cathedral are on the left, overlooking pleasure boats and shopping. Behind it, houses, hotels and apartment buildings are stacked on the hillside.
This is where Emilia goes undercover as a taxi driver in NARCO NOIR, criss-crossing the city as bait to catch a killer.
This fabulous view of the tourist beach zone in Acapulco at night hides the fact that night is a dangerous time in many of the inland colonias, where cartels and street gangs fight over allegiances, territory, and control of organized crime.
The Acapulco money shot! Acapulco is known for the ring of white skyscrapers that line the central and eastern side of the bay, known as the Diamante or Diamond district.
While Detective Emilia Cruz grew up in a poor inland neighborhood, both her private life and police investigations mean she now must navigate both the high society world of skyscrapers, lush resorts, and expensive restaurants as well as her old streets where money is tight and crime is high.
Caleta Beach on the west side of the bay is a family-friendly beach with mid-priced hotels.
But for Detective Emilia Cruz, it’s an unexpected spot to meet a reluctant Pinkerton agent who might have information about a suspected kidnapping in DIABLO NIGHTS.
Acapulco sunsets provide the perfect backdrop for al fresco dining. Although Emilia Cruz lives in the most luxurious hotel in the city, managed by Kurt Rucker, she rarely gets to enjoy fine meals.
One exception is when Emilia is invited to an outdoor dining event in BARRACUDA BAY, which also introduces her to the dangers of champagne on an empty stomach.
Fuerte de San Diego on the west side of the bay is a major tourist attraction, and home to the Acapulco Historic Museum. Built by the Spanish in the 17th century, it was rebuilt in the 18th century.
Emilia’s most productive snitch can usually be found outside the ancient fort, pestering tourists with flyers and collecting snippets of information to sell to Emilia.
The Camino Real hotel on Punta Diamante served as inspiration for the Palacio Real hotel in the Detective Emilia Cruz series. Built against the cliff and boasting multple private balconies, swimming pools and fantastic amenities, living there with Kurt Rucker forces Emilia out of her comfort zone.