The Museo Historico de Acapulco is located in the old fortress of Acapulco. The Spaniards had divided the world with Portugal in the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494. The Spaniards had almost all of America and the Portuguese had Africa and almost all of Asia. On the basis of this contract the Spaniards felt very safe on the Pacific coast, because the only way there is through the Strait of Magellan and only the Spaniards knew the sea route.

The English pirate Sir Francis Drake sailed with three ships towards America in 1577 to steal the gold from the Spaniards. He found the sea route through the Strait of Magellan and in 1579 attacked Spanish ports on the Pacific coast. Drake also hijacked Spanish treasure galleons. Francis Drake sailed back with his prey to London via Asia and Africa. Spain now had to fortify its ports on the Pacific to protect it from pirates. The fortress Fuerte de San Diego was built in 1617 above the port of Acapulco.

Fuerte de San Diego

www.acapulco.com/es/tours/fuerte