La Quebrada Diving Show

Acapulco can be called the summer residence of Hollywood. So, entertainment suits its status. A famous La Perla Restaurant is located in one of the cliffs. Every day, tourists gather on a veranda of the restaurant. But they do not want to see pelicans catching fish. The veranda offers gorgeous views to one of Mexico's extreme shows, La Quebrada or Gorge in Spanish.

Watching this performance, you think about myths and legends that can be possibly related to it. But its history is rather clear. A deep cleft was made artificially for the natural ventilation of the city. At that time, local fishermen decided to make a kind of competition: who dares jump from the highest point of the cliff. In 1932, Rigoberto Arac made his first jump from the 40-meter altitude. This brave “clavadista” or diver became famous in the entire country. Fearless young men from Mexico also got a desire to try their luck. 

Nowadays, this "deadly" performance takes place several times a day. At nightfall, the cliff is illuminated, and clavadistas jump with burning torches. Before jumping to the gorge, beautiful young men greet their spectators and pray to the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. Each jump is very dangerous. People may smash upon the cliffs or sea bottom. The width of the gorge is only about some meters.

This show lasts only several minutes. Divers jump from a height of 25 meters. Each of them has his style, they do it individually or in pairs. The highlight of the show is a jump of a stuntman from the highest and dangerous point. The suspense of the audience reaches its maximum. Only when a clavadista comes up safely, spectators feel relief and applaud.