Just 12km from central Acapulco is Pie de la Cuesta, a rustic beach suburb built on a wide sand spit that acts as a dividing line between the sea and the freshwater Laguna de Coyuca. The large freshwater lagoon contains several islands including Isla Pájaros, a bird sanctuary. It's a more serene place than Acapulco proper, good for enjoying dramatic sunset views from the long beach and bloody sunrises over the lagoon or for horseback riding by the crashing ocean.
Movie buffs: Laguna de Coyuca is where part of Rambo: First Blood Part II was filmed.