Acapulco Fair

The so-called fair of Acapulco was a celebration and commercial event that was realized during the time of the viceroyalty of New Spain in the city of Acapulco, Mexico, on the occasion of the arrival to port of the galleon of Manila (also called Nao de Manila ). The galleon of Manila was a galleon carrying goods from Manila, which were landed, loaded in wagons and transported by land to Veracruz or Mexico City, where they were re-embarked to be transported to Europe. There was so much transcendence to the event that it was not well known that the galleon was near the coast in the churches of Mexico prayers were prayed. The new arrival of the galleon was to be communicated to the viceroy by a man with the title "de Pliegos" who was traveling aboard and after communicating the arrival the viceroy ordered a general ringing of bells.

Because of the growing contraband, from the eighteenth century it was arranged that once the ship was near the coast it was monitored, and boats were prohibited from coming to receive it because sometimes goods were thrown overboard which were not registered.

In this regard the German explorer and traveler Alexander Humboldt wrote:

"After the arrival of the galleon on the coasts of Mexico, the roads of Chilpancingo and Acapulco are covered with people, and the merchants are in a hurry to be the first to deal with the surcharges arriving from Manila , And a few powerful houses of Mexico have been assembled to buy all sorts of goods together, and it has happened that the cargo was sold before Veracruz was informed of the galleon.This purchase is made almost unopened.It is necessary to confess that this trade between two countries, three thousand leagues distant from each other, is done in fairly good faith, and perhaps even with more honesty than trade among some nations of civilized Europe. "

The fair

The arrival of the galleon from Manila to Acapulco was the most important event of the viceroyalty. Merchants from all over the viceroyalty and even from other viceroyalties moved to this event. With the fair the unloading of the galleon was carried out, the cargo was checked and the amount of taxes to be paid was defined, and finally it began the traffic and negotiation for the merchandise. Until the mid-sixteenth century, traders from Peru came to the fair, until this practice was banned.

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