'''Mazatlan''' is a city in Sinaloa state, Mexico, known for its fine beaches.

Understand

Mazatlan is a socially and economically diverse city, welcoming people of all races. It is a popular destination for Europeans and Americans to retire in, and provides opportunities for working immigrants as well. It has several distinct inner city districts, as well as outlying suburbs that are mainly inhabited by poor and middle-class Mexicans.

Get in

By plane

Mazatlan has an international airport - [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Rafael_Buelna_International_Airport General Rafael Buelna International Airport] ({{IATA|MZT}}) ({{ICAO|MMMZ}}), also known as Mazatlan International Airport. It receives international travelers from: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Houston, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Denver, Minneapolis, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. You can reach Mazatlan from many other international origins via Mexico City.

By train

Mexico's passenger rail system including the old Nogales-Guadalajara route that passed through Mazatlan went out of service in the late 90's.

By car

Mazatlan is approximately 18 hr. drive from Phoenix, AZ (Amerocentric, please fix). There are many considerations when bringing an car into Mexico, see the main wikitravel page about this Mexico.

By bus

Mexico has an extremely well developed bus route system and one can easily find a bus to wherever they need to go. Mazatlan is about 12 hours away from Mexico City (~$90 one way), 6 hours from Guadalajara (~$40 one way), 15 hours from Nogales (~$50 one way), and only about 2 hours from Culiacan. Note: for whatever reason, the bus companies crank up the A/C, so bring a sweater!

By boat

There is a ferry from La Paz, Baja California Sur. Mazatlan has a busy port which accommodates a number of cruise ships that sail up and down the western coast of the Americas. From here, it's a five-minute taxi ride to the southernmost hotels or fifteen minutes to the more modern (and more expensive) places to the north.

Get around

Downtown is always packed with small, white open-topped taxis called ''pulmonias'' that look like dodgem cars. Although you'll never have to wait for one (they're always whizzing back and forth) ''ask the price before you get in''. You can always haggle and after a couple of journeys, you'll be paying half what the last guy did (and when you do, give him a little tip as appreciation for a safe journey.)

'''Bus'''

There are two different types of public transport buses that run in Mazatlan. There is one dedicated solely to tourists and runs only along the main tourist strip right along the water. These are the equivalent of coach buses, they are very well conditioned and in great shape. They cost around $.80 US per trip. The city is also served by regular local buses which are cheaper and only cost around US $.45 per trip. Be sure to check the windshield of the bus as the bus route is typically written on it. These buses serve the entire city well but can be confusing without a thorough knowledge of the system.

'''By car'''

Mazatlan is approximately on the intersection of highway 15 and highway 40. In-town transportation is mainly motorized, except for the Centro Historico, which is a very nice walking district. For tourists, cabs can be found in sparse supply compared to the amount of ''pulmonias'' in town. ''Pulmonias'' are essentially open-air taxis, many of them old Volkswagens. They're as safe as any cab, just as cheap, and offer a far better view of the city on a nice day.

  • '''AGA Rent a Car''', Av. Camaron Sabalo #312-A, Zona Dorada, [http://www.agarentacar.com]. AGA Rent-A-Car has been renting vehicles to travelers and local renters since 1989. Their first location opened in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico and they have since expanded to serve Los Mochis and Culiacan, with locations both at the the airport and in town.
  • See

  • '''The Lighthouse'''?look for the signs that say "Faro" around town. Now the highest natural lighthouse in the world (Gibraltar was the highest, but now not in operation), it is 515 feet above sea level. You will have the best view in Mazatlan if you hike up. Don't attempt the hike up unless you're in shape.
  • '''Cliff divers''' - These daredevils do something similar as in Acapulco, but it is lower and more shallow. The rock formation that they climb up is about 45 feet high and it is only 5 to 6 ft deep. They wait for the right wave to make the dive. They are there all day long, but the best time to see them is in the morning.
  • '''The Acuario Mazatlan'''?with bird, seal, and diving shows. Adjacent to the Parque de la Ciudad and Parque Infantil. Between Del Mar and Internacional, north of Deportes.
  • '''El Mercado'''?A large marketplace located in the historic center of town where they sell everything from t-shirts to traditional Mexican handcrafts. In the center is meat and fruit market that serves the local residents. The name is Mercado Pino Suarez and it was finished in 1899.
  • '''Machado Square''' (''Plazuela'')?The jewel of the restored Centro Historico. The west side of the square is flanked by the Teatro Angela Peralta, originally built in the 1800's, a beautifully restored building (1987 to 1992) which regularly offers many types of drama and music. Adjacent to the Teatro is a Spanish-language exhibit explaining the history of Mazatlan. The south side has Pedro y Lola's restaurant, a favorite among locals and tourists, as well as a hotel restored to its original beauty. A decent (Spanish-language) bookstore is only a couple of blocks away near the Universidad Politecnica de Sinaloa on Constitucion. Keep your eyes open for shops with interesting (high-end) local art. The restaurants on the ''Plazuela'' have great food, some a little nicer and pricier than others. El Patio and Cafe Pacifico line the northeast corner of the plaza, and regularly have a fantastic acoustic guitarist playing at night for the diners and the square. Along the north side are three great spots for lunch or dinner. With offers of cheap, ice-cold beer all day, it isn't hard to be lured in to try a little of their food.
  • '''Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception'''?This lovely building was finished in 1899 and is being gently restored to its original beauty, although to a visitor it is already beautiful to behold. Its exterior displays a beauty that needs no extras or frills, its inner beauty is juxtaposed to its outside. With all interior light coming through stained glass, it takes on a lovely color, and its reflection off gold statues and other images is quite something. A unique detail is that, at the time of the construction, there was a Jewish family living in Mazatlan, and they donated money towards the construction. People were so happy that they decided to set the Star of David in the top windows of this cathedral. One of the only Catholic churches with the jewish symbol.
  • '''A graveyard'''. There is one on Barragan, a block north of Najera. Beautiful and interesting.
  • Do

  • The miles of beach have plenty to keep most people occupied. '''Jet skiing''', '''waterskiing''', and '''parascending''' are all available, but always haggle on price.
  • Enjoy the '''nightlife'''. Mazatlan is known as a party city and has an exceptionally good night life. Some popular destinations include Sumbawa, Joe's Oyster, Valentino's, and Senor Frog's. The city gets crazy around American Spring Break when all city is flooded with American students looking for fun. Mazatlan also has a five-day festival (which is purported to be one of the largest in the world) near the end of February. During this festival, a large portion of the street in Old Mazatlan is closed down and live bands and vendors fill the streets. During the week of Semana Santa (Easter week), Mazatlan is flooded with Mexican tourists from all around the country who are escaping the heat to come to the beach. The miles of beach are literally jam-packed for the entire week. The atmosphere is wild, and you can have a lot of fun, but be ''very'' careful.
  • '''Surfing'''. Mazatlan has several prime locations where you can try out your surfing skills. The most popular spot is a beach called '''Playa Bruja''' to the North of the city. The waves easily reach heights of 8-10 feet and there is almost always a vendor from whom you can rent surfboards. This is a remote beach that is usually fairly empty. Not only is the surf great, but the lack of annoying vendors makes it even better. Another surfing location is right next to Valentino's (this is the largest landmark in the city). There are several places to rent boards right on the beach, however the waves are not nearly as good as Playa Bruja.
  • Learn

    Enough Spanish to deter the opportunists! Mazatlan's language school is considered to be one of the best in northern Mexico.

    Make sure to visit all of the Mazatlan beaches. [http://travelmazatlanmexico.blogspot.com/2008/12/travel-mazatlan-beaches-mexico.html]High waves. The beach is more historical Mazatlan is located in the southern part of the city, a few meters from the Historic Center. The section of boardwalk through high waves can be seen several monuments, such as The Shield, which contains the coats of Sinaloa and Mazatlan, deer, a statue of a deer on the etymology of the name of the city, Monument Pedro Infante, Monument to the continuity of life; Monument Women Mazatleca;

  • North Beach. Located in the Downtown. You can find the Fishermen's Memorial, better known as monkeys bichis; memorial to pneumonia and the Pacific Brewery. The first of these relates to the characteristic of this city taxis.
  • Playa Sabalo. Located in the north of the city.
  • Beach Cerritos. Is an extension of the Sabalo Playa.
  • The Dolphin Beach. Located north of the tourist area of the city.
  • Stone Island Beach. located in the southern part of the city and accessed easily by any of the ferries that leave from just off the road to El Faro.
  • Work

    Buy

  • '''Centro Historico''' Most of the shops and vendors down here are trying to make a living selling their wares. You can get fantastic product, at far cheaper prices than if you go to the "Golden District" or to the Mall. It's also a great district to walk through, giving you more to do than just spend money all day.
  • '''Golden Zone''' The name says it all. High class, high prices. Valentino's Disco is famous for its parties, no matter what time of the year.
  • '''La Gran Plaza Mall''' You'll find the Mall largely empty but for a few middle class kids milling around looking for somewhere to spend their money. High prices in almost all the stores, bad food (well, I guess it's just mall food, like anywhere else), and absolutely no culture or feeling like you're anywhere but somewhere to waste money. The one bright spot? A really big video-game parlor that is great for kids big and small.
  • Eat

  • '''Coconuts''' - Try it with lime, salt, chili powder, various hot sauces.
  • There's a restaurant to suit everyone's taste and budget. They're keen on seafood, especially prawns (''camarones'') and steaks.

    Budget

  • '''La Bahia''' - Amazing seafood.
  • '''Tonys on the Beach''' - The best Seafood and Mexican food and right on the beach.
  • '''Chili's Pepper''' - Good atmosphere and often busy (always a good sign).
  • '''Chon''', at Carnival and Flores. Crab, shrimp and marlin tacos, etc. 4 for a little over 50 pesos.
  • '''Costanzas''', Old Maz., at Serdan and 21 de Marzo. Comida corrida (daily special), prices vary, always good.
  • '''La Mona''', Centro Historico. A great pizza place. Always filled with locals (a good sign), and they have salads that tourists can safely eat.
  • '''Pedro y Lola's''' - Everyone knows where this is. On the Plaza Machado, a beautiful square that you must see. Eat here for dinner as it's not open for lunch. Live music. Come early as the locals will stay here all night long.
  • '''Te Amo Lucy's''' - Great place for breakfast. Freshly squeezed OJ, all homemade food (Lucy makes it in the kitchen). Tony, her husband, works out front and is a bit weird, but you really do have to love the place, and he adds character.
  • '''La Tromoya''' - Also on Plaza Machado and the best option next to Pedro y Lola's. Indifferent service, but good food (especially the tortilla soup).
  • There's also a restaurant in the middle of the Square located at Zaragoza and Nelson. Ham and eggs with tortillas, toast, and beans?30 pesos. The iguanas in the square are fun to watch, too (but terrible to eat).

    Mid-range

  • '''El Olivo''' Cafe, Deli & Boulangerie. The best cafe, delicious breakfasts, house-bread deli sandwiches, organic salads, pastas, unbelievable fresh fruit salads. And a wonderful variety of freshly baked pastries. Gaviotas and Camaron Sabalo, Fracc. Gaviotas Zona Dorada. Phone 913 2327.
  • '''Topolos''' - A really fancy restaurant-outside in a beautiful courtyard with red walls and oil paintings from local artists. The food is amazing, the service is amazing, but the atmosphere beats all. Be prepared for a 5-star meal for 300-400 pesos per person with appetizer, wine, and a main course. Their main dishes range from 90-150 pesos. Try the ''cubos tementapec'', or the shrimp.
  • Splurge

    Drink

    Just like the restaurants, there are plenty of bars to choose from, depending upon taste, budget and comfort. Tourists occupy the seafront bars whereas locals head inland where the atmosphere can be excellent.

    You must try '''Pacifico''', a beautiful locally brewed beer. Sold everywhere for 15 pesos (about $1.50 or __0.75).

  • '''Senor Frog's''' bar and restaurant (part of an international chain) is the place to be and be seen for locals on a Saturday night, and draws a huge tourist crowd as well.
  • '''Bora Bora''' complex, which looks like an enormous white castle on the beach, has half a dozen bars and clubs overlooking the ocean and is always happening well into the dawn.
  • '''Simon's Coffee Shop''', in Centro Historico [http://simonscentro.com].
  • Sleep

    Mazatlan is well known for offering the best value of any of Mexico's major resorts. Both affordably priced lodging as well as food can be easily secured. Outside of January (when the city can be a little cold) it is one of the most attractive seaside destinations in Mexico.

  • Hotel Playa Mazatlan. ww.hotelplayamazatlan.com. Nice, beachfront hotel. 3 swimming pools, open-air restaurant, fitness center and volleyball court.

    Budget

  • Hotel Lerma. imon Bolivar 622. ld Mazatlan. 69) 81 24 36. rices range between $5 for a single without bath and $8 for a double with bath..

  • Casa de Huespedes Casillo. ose Azueta.

  • Hotel Mexico. 01 Calle Mexico, Centro. 69 981 3806. :00. 2:00. 00 pesos per night, double during Carnaval..

    Mid-range

  • '''El Cid Castilla Beach Hotel''', Av. Camaron Sabalo S/N, Mazatlan, Mexico 82110 Phone: 011-52 (669) 913-3333, [http://www.elcid.com/index2.php?dest=mzt&nego=castilla&cat=accommodations&op=welcome&lang=eng]. A modern, Spanish-style resort located on the beach and a member of El Cid Resorts. The amenities of the hotel include private balconies in every guest room, two connected free form pools, a swim-up bar, children_fs club, spa, fitness center, and five on-site restaurants.
  • '''El Cid Granada Hotel & Country Club''', Av. Camaron Sabalo S/N, Mazatlan, Mexico 82110 Phone: 011-52 (669) 913-3333, [http://www.elcid.com/index2.php?dest=mzt&nego=granada&cat=accommodations&op=welcome&lang=eng]. Located 150 yards from the beach and surrounded by lush gardens, this hotel is a member of El Cid Resorts. This Mexican-style low rise hotel located on the golf course features a serene swimming pool, secluded areas for relaxing, and is within walking distance of the spa and tennis facilities.
  • '''El Cid El Moro Beach Hotel''', Av. Camaron Sabalo S/N, Mazatlan, Mexico 82110 Phone: 011-52 (669) 913-3333, [http://www.elcid.com/index2.php?dest=mzt&nego=moro&cat=accommodations&op=welcome&lang=eng]. The beachfront resort is a member of El Cid Resorts and features all suite accommodations, private balconies with ocean views, an oceanfront Jacuzzi and swimming pool, open-air restaurant, and on-site spa, fitness center, golf and fishing.
  • '''El Cid Marina Beach Hotel''', Av. Camaron Sabalo S/N, Mazatlan, Mexico 82110 Phone: 011-52 (669) 913-3333, [http://www.elcid.com/index2.php?dest=mzt&nego=marina&cat=accommodations&op=welcome&lang=eng]. A member of El Cid Resorts, this all suite oceanfront hotel features Mediterranean style accommodations, a private beach, swimming pools and on-site golf, water sports, tennis courts, and fitness center.
  • Splurge

  • Sea Garden Mazatlan. v. Sabalo Cerritos s/n. 52-669-989 4000. onciergemzt@seagarden.com.mx. ttp://www.mayanpalace.com/maz/. Beach and Golf Luxury resort with 3 swimming pools, spa, tennis court, gym.

  • '''Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay''', Ave Ernesto Coppel Compania S/N, Zona Nuevo Mazatlan, Mexico 82110 Phone: +52(669) 989-0525, [http://www.pueblobonitoemeraldbay.com]. Set on 20 pristine acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Emerald Bay is in a new and unspoiled area that is known as "New Mazatlan." Each suite comes with a panoramic ocean view. Amidst the sound of native birds, you'll relax below 150-year-old mangroves that surround a free-form pool.
  • '''Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan''', 2121 Ave Camaron Sabalo, Mazatlan, Mexico, Phone: +52(669) 989 8900, [http://www.pueblobonito-mazatlan.com]. Authentic Mexican style unites with modern amenities. Resort features two pools, one of the longest stretches of beach in Latin America, and a number of nearby water activities. Each suite at the Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan comes with an ocean view.
  • Stay safe

    Generally speaking, Mazatlan is perfectly safe by day for all ages; still, Mazatlan has the problems that all cities do. It's wise to walk in groups or with someone else in any city after dark, including Mazatlan. The Centro Historico is very well lit and is most alive at night. Don't be afraid to walk around the Cathedral or Plaza Machado until as late as 2:00-3:00 a.m., when restaurants start to close up. In other areas of the city (such as the Golden Zone) there's almost no activity at night, and it would be both uninteresting and possibly unsafe to be there after dark. Incidents of chain-snatching by juvenile delinquents have been reported, especially during the busy tourist seasons, so avoid wearing loose jewelry such as gold chains. With lifeguards on almost all main stretches of beach, you'll usually know if jellyfish are in the water by looking at the flags on the beach but stings are still possible, you may want to bring a small container of vinegar to ease the sting. They will also warn you of other dangerous conditions, so be sure to look for them and heed their warnings.

    Get out