Destination overview

Located just south of the Tropic of Cancer, establishing the city at the start of the Mexican tropics, Mazatlán is hot in summer and warm in winter, but never really dips below 66°F (19°C). Warm sunny days are followed by even more sunny days. No wonder this is one of Mexico’s prime resort areas. Those that aren’t swimming and sunning are surfing off Punta Camarón or Playa Bruja. Or horse riding through the coconut plantations before cantering along an open stretch of sand next to the crashing waves.

Discover the passion and enchantment of the real Mexico in beautiful Mazatlán, one of the most secure, pristine beach destinations in the country. With so much to see and do in Mazatlán, you will find this to be a stunning, culturally and historically rich beachside city.

Once populated by hunters, fishermen and farmers, Mazatlán, which means ‘land of the deer’ in the state’s native Náhuatl language, began to attract tourists in the 1930s. In the 1950s, hotels were built along Playa Olas Altas, Mazatlán’s first tourist beach, and from the 1970s onward, a long strip of hotels and visitor hot-spots spread north along the coast. Since the downtown area’s restoration in the 1990s and early 2000s, more travellers have rediscovered the glory of buildings key to the area’s history, including the Gothic and Baroque-styled Mazatlán Cathedral, built in the late 1880s.

Today, Mazatlán remains a major tourist destination along the Mexican Gold Coast, attracting more than one million visitors annually, including close to 8,000 North Americans who choose to stay for much of the year due to the area’s peacefulness and tropical splendour. Whether you travel by plane, boat, car or a combination of those, you, too, will come to love this extraordinary Mexican jewel.

One of the biggest draws to Mazatlán, if not the biggest, is its coastline — 15 miles of soft, sandy beaches kissed by the lulling waters of the Pacific Ocean. The weather is perpetually warm and summer-like, which makes the area a refuge for many during the cooler months. With its golden beaches lined with gracefully swaying palms and dotted with crystal-blue lagoons, it’s no wonder Mazatlán’s nickname is the ‘Pearl of the Pacific’.

Mazatlán offers visitors an endless array of recreational activities. Given its location on the Sea of Cortez, water sports abound, with surfing, snorkelling, parasailing, kayaking and diving all well-catered for. Sport fishing is also a major attraction, and the area boasts a long list of species exclusive to this destination. Hiking is popular for both tourists and natives alike, and Mazatlán doesn’t disappoint with its breathtaking views, fascinating flora and fauna and scenic access to the surrounding historic villages. Golf enthusiasts, too, will enjoy Mazatlán — the city features three professionally designed courses, each with varying levels of difficulty.

Catch a water taxi past the pelicans on Cacos Island and rocks playing home to sunbathing sea lions to Isla de la Piedra, where you can bodysurf and walk through flower-filled fields and lush coconut plantations before enjoying the local cuisine at one of the beachside restaurants.

Then there’s the scuba diving and some of the best sports fishing you could ask for. Over 10,000 sailfish and marlin are hooked every year. Mind you, that kind of excitement is only to be expected considering that this is Mexico’s main fishing port as well.

However, to see the heart of Mazatlán venture beyond the traditional tourist areas near the resorts and into the city’s pueblo viejo, Old Mazatlán. Stroll ancient cobblestone streets and you’ll be awed by weathered statues, exquisitely aged buildings and a growing number of restored gems. Catch a theatre show at the Teatro Ángela Peralta, or grab a bite at the Plazuela Machado or one of the atmospheric seafood restaurants to sample incredibly fresh tuna, or a delicious shrimp cocktail served in a green coconut, or lobster, or Pescado Zarandeado, the local specialty. Walk off your dinner by strolling through the brightly lit and beautifully restored buildings in this historic part of town. But, if you’re strolling the tree-lined streets during the day, go to Centro Mercado for the full Mexican market experience of bargain-priced crafts, food stalls, bags of fresh spices and locally-grown fruit and vegetables.

Step into one of the many small museums to get an informed look at local history, or hunt for trinkets and treasures in a nearby boutique. Here in Old Mazatlán, life goes on as it has for centuries, with an awe-inspiring vibrancy permeating the bustling markets full of flowers, fruits and wares, stately churches and tree-encased plazas throughout the neighbourhoods. Then you can finish with a look inside the large 19th century cathedral.

The Zona Dorada has plenty of tourist stores for jewellery and other craft, as well as fashion. The mall at Hotel Playa Mazatlán has some more expensive, but excellent, craft shops with masks from Guerrero, tinware from Oaxaca and Talavera pottery. Zona Dorada also has a number of pulsating discos, while old Mazatlán is the place for good bars. And, of course, there’s Isla de la Piedra, especially on Sundays, which is said to be a time of ‘live music, hard drinking and hot dancing’. Some might like the thrill of the Clavadistas who dive from a platform high above the ocean or at the Plaze de Toros bullring. More sedate activities are the Mexican art at Museo de Arte, artefacts at Museo Arquelógico and antiques at the restored Machado Museo Casa. Kids will really enjoy the shows at the aquarium, and the entire family will enjoy the sight of the second-highest lighthouse in the world, perched on a rocky outcrop at the southern end of the peninsula. The views of the city and coast are certainly superb.

Whether you’re after miles and miles of beach all to yourself, sunning yourself on the edge of the Sea of Cortez or forays into the Sierra Madres, you’ll find plenty to do in and around this exuberant city.

Visit the historical attractions and enjoy hiking, bird-watching or aquatic sports. No matter how you choose to spend your days and nights, beautiful Mazatlán is a tropical paradise no traveller should overlook.