Acapulco, Mexico

For many years Acapulco has been a popular resort for holiday makers. The city has had its star-spangled times, prompting none other than Frank Sinatra to give the place a mention in his all time classic "Come Fly With Me". Modern Acapulco has a great appeal. The vast majority of the tourists are Mexicans, but many other foreign nationals make appearances in the numerous bars and clubs dotted around the bay.

In recent years, Acapulco has made some ground on Cancun for spring break's most popular resort destinations. Acapulco offers a relatively unknown experience and a larger, international student crowd than Cancun. Approximately 5 million people visit Acapulco every year. Apart from just the beach, Acapulco's best known island Roqueta, is a great resource which is typically reached by transparent-bottom motor boats (enabling clear view of the bottom sea).

Havana, Cuba

Havana City is the smallest of the Cuban provinces, but the most populated. There are different architectural styles in the city, from houses of the XVII to modern constructions. Havana is the most important destination for tourists in Cuba and one of the most important in Latin America. It is also the main base for the government of the country, and various ministries are based in the city, as are the head offices of businesses such as Corporacion Cimex. The industries in Havana are an important part of the economy of the country. Havana’s harbor is the most important in Cuba and through it come and go half of the Cuban imports and exports.

On the night of July 8-9, 2005, the eastern suburbs of the city took a direct hit from Hurricane Dennis, and in October 2005, the coastal regions suffered severe flooding following Hurricane Wilma.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

The most popular tourist sites are found in the historic city core, comprising Monserrat and San Telmo. The city was originally constructed around the Plaza de Mayo, the administrative center of the Colony. To the east of the Square is the Casa Rosada, the official seat of the executive branch of the government of Argentina. To the north, the Catedral Metropolitana which has stood in the same location since colonial times, and the Banco de la Nacion Argentina building, a parcel of land originally owned by Juan de Garay. Other important colonial institutions were Cabildo, to the the west, which was renovated during the construction of Avenida de Mayo and Julio A. Roca. To the south is the Congreso de la Nacion (National Congress), which currently houses the Academia Nacional de la Historia (National Academy of History). Lastly, to the northwest, is City Hall.

Avenida de Mayo links the Casa Rosada with Congress building. On this avenue there are several buildings of cultural, architectural and historical importance, such as Casa de la Cultura, the Palacio Barolo and Cafe Tortoni. Underneath the avenue, the first subte (metro) line (Linea) in South America, was opened in 1913. The avenue ends at Plaza de los Dos Congresos, which features a number of monuments and sculptures, including a signed copy of Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker".

The Manzana de las Luces area features the San Ignacio church, the Colegio Nacional Buenos Aires, and the old city council building (1894 to 1931). This area has hidden tunnels, which crossed the city during colonial times.

In the neighbourhood of San Telmo, Plaza Dorrego holds and antiques fair on Sundays, complete with tango shows. There are several religious shops formed by the church of Nuestra Senora de Bethlem, Parroquia de San Pedro Telmo and Museo Penitenciario "Antonio Ballve". To the south stands the Museo Historico Nacional on Parque Lezama.

In the barrio of Recoleta are located a number of tourist sites including the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the Biblioteca Nacional, the Centro Cultural Recoleta, the Faculty of Law of the Universidad de Buenos Aires, the Basilica Nuestra Senora de Pilar, the Palais de Glace, the Bar La Biela and the Cementerio de la Recoleta, where the remains of Eva Duarte de Peron can be found.

In the barrio of Retiro, the Estacion Retiro can be visited. There are several monuments in this neighbourhood including the Guerra de Malvinas, the General San Martin, Torre de los Ingleses, and the Kavanagh Building, one of the tallest in the city.

The Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires is located in the barrio of Palermo, and is one of the most important in the country. In this neighbourhood can also be found the Bosques de Palermo, the Planetary and Buenos Aires Zoo.

The southern zone of the city, (including barrios such as Barracas and Parque Patricios) while traditionally not a top tourist destination, is historically the source for much of the city's early tango culture. It is now home to a burgeoning arts scene.

Another important tourist site is Avenida Corrientes. In this avenue, theaters like Teatro San Martin, Paseo La Plaza and the stadium Luna Park can be found. At the intersection of this avenue with Avenida 9 de julio, the Obelisco, the emblem of the City of Buenos Aires, is located. Mercado de Abasto, which is currently a shopping mall, is also on this avenue.

Buenos Aires has been attracting the largest homosexual community in Latin America. [1] Year 2006 has seen more arrivals of gay cruise ships, an increase in the number of gay businesses, and the commencement of construction of a 5-star gay hotel.