Filming Locations · Apple TV+
Where Is ‘Acapulco’ Filmed? Every Apple TV+ Filming Location, Season by Season
The pink Las Colinas resort isn’t in Acapulco at all. Here is exactly where Apple TV+ filmed its four-season comedy, which hotels played the resort, and why the show set up camp in Puerto Vallarta instead.
For four seasons, ‘Acapulco’ sold viewers on the glamour of 1980s Acapulco: a pink palace of a resort, poolside intrigue and a young Máximo Gallardo chasing his dream job at Las Colinas. But the cameras were never in Acapulco. The bilingual Apple TV+ comedy, starring Eugenio Derbez as the present-day Máximo and Enrique Arrizon as his younger self, was filmed some 500 miles up the Pacific coast in Puerto Vallarta, where real hotels, beaches and streets were transformed into the show’s sun-soaked world.
Here is every key filming location, season by season. Planning to visit? Our companion trip guide, Visit the Real ‘Acapulco’, covers where to stay and a three-day itinerary.
The cameras were never in Acapulco.
The filming locations at a glance
| Location | Role in the show |
|---|---|
| Barceló Puerto Vallarta | Season 1: the original Las Colinas resort |
| The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta | Seasons 2 and later: the reported Las Colinas stand-in |
| Mismaloya Beach | Beach scenes near the season one resort |
| Downtown Puerto Vallarta | Town and street scenes, including season three |
| Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco | Overall production base for all four seasons |
Why ‘Acapulco’ wasn’t filmed in Acapulco
The show is a love letter to Acapulco’s jet-set heyday, but the production chose Puerto Vallarta for practical reasons, including safety and logistics. Puerto Vallarta offered oceanfront resorts that could be repainted and redressed as Las Colinas, an experienced local production base and the same Pacific palette of jungle, cliffs and blue water. The result is a 1980s Acapulco that never quite existed, built from one of Mexico’s most beloved beach towns.
Season 1: Barceló Puerto Vallarta becomes Las Colinas
For the first season, the production took over Barceló Puerto Vallarta, an oceanfront hotel on the coast road south of downtown, near Mismaloya Beach. The normally white building was painted pink on its ocean-facing side and inside, then retrofitted with 1980s décor, from the lobby to the pool deck. Many of the show’s signature scenes, including young Máximo’s first days at the pool, were shot here, and Apple TV+ released a behind-the-scenes look at how the crew built the “pink paradise.”
Season 2 and beyond: a move to Marina Vallarta
From season two, the production was reported to relocate Las Colinas to The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta, a beachfront resort on the north side of town in Marina Vallarta, near the airport. It too was painted pink and dressed to match the original resort, so the change is almost invisible on screen. Puerto Vallarta remained the production base through the fourth and final season, which premiered on July 23, 2025.
Mismaloya Beach
Next to the season one resort, Mismaloya Beach supplied the show’s jungle-framed beach shots. It is a fitting choice: the cove became world famous after John Huston filmed ‘The Night of the Iguana’ there with Richard Burton and Ava Gardner, a production that helped turn Puerto Vallarta into an international destination.
Downtown Puerto Vallarta
For scenes away from the resort, the crew shot in downtown Puerto Vallarta, whose cobblestone streets and whitewashed buildings stand in for 1980s Acapulco. Local reports from season three placed filming on old-town streets near the Malecón, the oceanfront promenade that remains the city’s favorite place to watch the sunset.
Can you visit?
Yes. Both hotels that played Las Colinas take guests, and Mismaloya, the Malecón and the old town are all easy to explore. See our ‘Acapulco’ trip guide to Puerto Vallarta for where to stay and what to do, and if you are curious about the real city, read is Acapulco safe right now.
‘Acapulco’ Filming Facts
- Filmed in
- Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
- Las Colinas, season 1
- Barceló Puerto Vallarta, near Mismaloya Beach
- Las Colinas, later seasons
- The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta (reported), Marina Vallarta
- Other locations
- Mismaloya Beach; downtown Puerto Vallarta and the Malecón
- Seasons
- Four; the final season premiered July 23, 2025
- Stars
- Eugenio Derbez and Enrique Arrizon
See Las Colinas for Yourself
Compare stays near Mismaloya or in Marina Vallarta, and fly into Puerto Vallarta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is ‘Acapulco’ on Apple TV+ filmed?
‘Acapulco’ is filmed in Puerto Vallarta, in the Mexican state of Jalisco, not in Acapulco itself. The production uses real hotels, beaches and streets around the city to recreate 1980s Acapulco.
What hotel is Las Colinas in ‘Acapulco’?
In season one, the fictional Las Colinas resort was played by Barceló Puerto Vallarta, an oceanfront hotel near Mismaloya Beach that was painted pink and redecorated in 1980s style. Later seasons were reported to film at The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta in Marina Vallarta, which was also painted pink.
Why wasn’t ‘Acapulco’ filmed in Acapulco?
The production chose Puerto Vallarta for practical reasons, including safety and logistics. The city offered beachfront resorts that could be transformed into Las Colinas, a strong local production infrastructure and Pacific scenery that closely matches the show’s setting.
Was ‘Acapulco’ filmed at Mismaloya Beach?
Yes. Mismaloya Beach, south of downtown Puerto Vallarta and next to the season one resort, appears in the series. The same beach was the setting of John Huston’s 1964 film ‘The Night of the Iguana.’
Were any scenes filmed in downtown Puerto Vallarta?
Yes. Town scenes have been shot around downtown Puerto Vallarta, including streets in the old town near the Malecón, according to local production reports from season three.
How many seasons of ‘Acapulco’ are there?
‘Acapulco’ ran for four seasons on Apple TV+. The fourth and final season premiered on July 23, 2025.
Who stars in ‘Acapulco’?
Eugenio Derbez stars as the present-day Máximo Gallardo, who narrates the story, with Enrique Arrizon as young Máximo, who lands his dream job at the Las Colinas resort in the 1980s.
This article may contain sponsored or partner content and affiliate links; see our Editorial Policy & Advertiser Disclosure. ‘Acapulco’ is an Apple TV+ series; filming details are based on production reports.
