Mazatlan is a city in Sinaloa state, Mexico, known for its fine beaches. 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.
Mazatlan is a Nahuatl word meaning "place of the deer." The city was founded in 1531. By the mid-1800s a large group of immigrants had arrived from Germany. These new citizens developed Mazatlan into a thriving commercial seaport, importing equipment for the nearby gold and silver mines. It served as the capital of Sinaloa from 1859 to 1873. They also influenced the music, banda, which is an alteration of Bavarian folk music, and also started the Pacifico Brewery on March 14, 1900.
In the 70's, tourism in Old Mazatlán declined as other, newer venues opened on the expanses of beach to the north of the city. As an example of Mazatlán's tourism expansion, one of the largest timeshare providers in Mexico, Mayan Resorts was founded in 1975 with the inauguration of Paraíso Mazatlán (Mazatlán Paradise). This time also saw the expansion of the Hotel Playa Mazatlán and the construction of many others, a trend that continues to this day.
As the 21st Century begins, the Centro Histórico has been rediscovered by newcomers and locals alike, spurring a renaissance of restoration and entrepreneurial endeavors. Once-fine homes that had fallen into literal ruin have been restored to their former glory and house families and boutique businesses. The city has assisted in upgrading infrastructure, such as better water, sewer and electrical services.
PLACE TO VISIT
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 Histórico. 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 Mazatlán. 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 Politécnica de Sinaloa on Constitución. 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 Café Pacífico 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.
WHAT TO 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. Mazatlán is known as a party city and has an exceptionally good night life. Some popular destinations include Sumbawa, Joe's Oyster, Valentino's, and Señor Frog's. The city gets crazy around American Spring Break when all city is flooded with American students looking for fun. Mazatlán 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 Mazatlán is closed down and live bands and vendors fill the streets. During the week of Semana Santa (Easter week), Mazatlán 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. Mazatlán 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.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Mazatlán has an international airport - General Rafael Buelna International Airport , also known as Mazatlán 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 Mazatlán from many other international origins via Mexico City.
By train - Mexico's passenger rail system including the old Nogales-Guadalajara route that passed through Mazatlán went out of service in the late 90's.
By car - Mazatlán 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. Mazatlán 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 Culiacán. 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. Mazatlán 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.
