Vintage photos show carefree Mexican vacation hotspots before cartel violence struck
Jordan Ray-Hart
Aug. 10, 2017 Updated: Aug. 14, 2017 11:45 a.m.
Click through this gallery to see incredible vintage photos of Mexico vacation hotspots before they were beset by cartel violence.
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1950: A woman sunbathes on a diving board at Acapulco
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1950: Holiday-makers diving at Acapulco, the Riviera of Mexico.
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Undated: Private home built into cliff overlooking Acapulco Bay.
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1950: Swimmer diving into rough water lashing against rocky cliffs at Acapulco, the Riviera of Mexico.
1950: Swimmers on a diving holiday at Acapulco, the Riviera of Mexico.
July 1952: A view of two water skiers in Acapulco, Mexico.
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July 1952: A women relaxes in a boat in Acapulco, Mexico.
August 1952: A group walk along the sandy beach with grass huts in Acapulco, Mexico.
August 1952: Fishermen hang the Sailfish and shark they caught off the coast in Acapulco, Mexico.
August 1952: A group poses on the sandy beach in Acapulco, Mexico.
July 1952: A view as people sunbathe on a boat in Acapulco, Mexico.
July 1952: A view of a couple relaxing on a boat in Acapulco, Mexico.
August 1952: A view as two women walk past parking lot on the way to the sandy beach in Acapulco, Mexico.
July 1953: A group rest and relax at the pool in Acapulco, Mexico in July 1953.
July 1953: A group relaxes in Acapulco, Mexico.
July 1953: A man and women talk to a local skier on the beach in Acapulco, Mexico.
May 1954: A family vacations in Acapulco, Mexico.
May 1954: A local man entertains a tourist on a beach Acapulco, Mexico.
1959: An unidentified man crouches on a hill and overlooks a beach near the Pierre Marques Hotel, Acapulco, Mexico.
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1970: A view of the Hotel Caleta and Caleta Beach circa1970 in Acapulco, Mexico.
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January 12, 1977: A couple poses for a photo in Acapulco, Mexico.
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1982: A couple hangs out in the water at Quintana Roo, Mexico.
1989: A woman in a bikini poses next to a resort pool in this Quintana Roo, Mexico, photo.
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2005: Vacationers hang out on the beach at Puerto del Carmen.
Undated: People swimming in the underground river at Quintana Roo, Mexico.
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Undated: Vintage photo shows the beaches of Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Undated: A couple hangs out on the beach at Quintana Roo, Mexico.
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Undated: A couple silhouetted by the setting sun, enjoying sights of Acapulco.
Undated: Three Mexicans with double bass, guitar and accordion playing Mariacchi music on the beach. Undated photo.
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Undated: The Acapulco Princess Hotel Mexico.
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Undated: Former pirate ship La Berita in Acapulco Bay now used for swimming and fishing.
39of53Graphic photos capture the violence and destruction that marked the summer of 2016 in Acapulco, Mexico, a former tourist haven.PEDRO PARDO/AFP/Getty ImagesShow MoreShow Less
A Mexican soldier stands guard under a footbridge with an inscription that reads Welcome to Acapulco in Acapulco, Mexico on July 14, 2016. With a population of 810,000 the touristic resort of Acapulco ranks as one of the most violent cities in the world, with a crime rate of 111 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015.
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A forensic staffer shows the morgue's cold chambers full of body bags in Acapulco, Mexico on July 13, 2016. With a population of 810,000 the touristic resort of Acapulco ranks as one of the most violent cities in the world, with a crime rate of 111 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015.
Forensic personnel work on a crime scene at the San Isidro neighborhood in Acapulco, Mexico on July 14, 2016. With a population of 810,000 the touristic resort of Acapulco ranks as one of the most violent cities in the world, with a crime rate of 111 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015.
A Federal Police officer stands at the entrance of a bar where a man was shot dead by gunmen, in Acapulco, Mexico on July 16, 2016. With a population of 810,000 the touristic resort of Acapulco ranks as one of the most violent cities in the world, with a crime rate of 111 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015.
Federal Police officers remain outside a bar where a man was shot dead by gunmen in Acapulco, Mexico on July 16, 2016. With a population of 810,000 the touristic resort of Acapulco ranks as one of the most violent cities in the world, with a crime rate of 111 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015.
Police officers stand by the site where an AK47 assault rifle was found in a taxi with a dead woman inside, after a shooting involving police, in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico on July 26, 2016. Acapulco in one of the world most dangerous cities.
Police officers inspect an AK47 assault rifle found in a taxi with a dead woman inside, after a shooting involving police, in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico on July 26, 2016. Acapulco in one of the world most dangerous cities.
Federal Police officers carry one of the three corpses found in a clandestine grave at the Manuel Anorve neigborhood in the municipality of Acapulco, Guerrero state, Mexico, on July 31, 2016. The famous Mexican seaside resort of Acapulco is one of the world most violent cities.
Forensic personnel work on a clandestine grave from where they fexhumed three corpses at the Manuel Anorve neigborhood in the municipality of Acapulco, Guerrero state, Mexico, on July 31, 2016. The famous Mexican seaside resort of Acapulco is one of the world most violent cities.
A federal police officer marks off the crime scene where parts of a dismembered body were found in a water channel in the Carabali neigbourhood in Acapulco, Mexico on August 8, 2016. With a population of 810,000, the tourist resort of Acapulco ranks as one of the most violent cities in the world, with a murder rate of 111 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015.
It may not seem like it now, but Mexican vacation spots didn't always have to worry about the brutal violence of drug cartels.
Though it's been home to a drug war for the last decade, the major seaport of Acapulco used to be a peaceful place where tourists could hang out by the beach, hop on a boat for some jet-skiing or even cliff-dive.
That's a far cry from the Acapulco of today, with homicide rates above 100 per 100,000 people five times since 2011, according to the Justice in Mexico project.
READ MORE: Mexico's deadly narco violence is creeping into its most popular tourist areas
In Quintana Roo, a state in Mexico's southeast home to the resort areas of Cancun and Playa del Carmen, the 134 homicides registered so far this year are nearly equal to the 165 seen all last year, according to government crime data.
Though cartel violence has overtaken some of the most beautiful places Mexico has to offer since the mid-2000s, vintage photos capture what vacationing in these places used to look like.
Click through the gallery above to see incredible vintage photos of Mexican vacation locales like Acapulco, Cancun and Playa del Carmen before they were transformed by cartel violence.
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Jordan Ray-Hart is a senior web producer for HoustonChronicle.com.
A Houston native, Jordan graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from TCU and a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. He went to high school at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory.
Before joining the Chronicle, Jordan was a regional growth producer at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He also had stops at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Houston Astros, at POLITICO as an intern for the web team, and at the Laredo Morning Times as the paper's first-ever web producer.