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Mazatlan General Infomation ••• Mazatlan is Mexico's second largest coastal city (after Acapulco), with nearly 600,000 inhabitants. It has the largest port facility between Los Angeles and the Panama Canal, and is home to Latin America's biggest fleet of commercial shrimp vessels (over 800 boats). Nearly 40 tons of shrimp are processed each year, making Mazatlan "the shrimp capital of the world". Mazatlan has many events and festivities during the year. Carnival, in February, brings the cities colorful lifestyle to the forefront as thousands of costumed celebrants throng the resort's streets & beaches making Mazatlan's mardi gras the third largest in the world. Fishing and other sporting tournaments, as well as cultural events and various Mexican holidays fill out the year. Mazatlan has three distinct zones. The port and downtown area, Old Mazatlan, are at the southern end of a peninsula that separates the Pacific from an enormous saltwater estuary. To the north some four miles is the Zona Dorada (the golden zone), home to nearly all of Mazatlan's visitor attractions and beach hotels. Between the two is a long curved stretch of mostly undeveloped beach that serves as a sort of buffer between the port and resort zone. This separation allows the resort community to co-exist nicely with one of Mexico's busiest commercial ports. History & Culture: Mazatlan is one of the closest ports to the USA. For the last 400 years Mazatlan has welcomed ships and adventurers on their way to other countries. The first city government was established in 1837, and in 1867 Olas Altas Avenue, which picturesquely runs along the sea, was built and today constitutes one of the most important parts of Old Town. Currently the Old Town area is experiencing a rebirth of the splendor that characterized the city in its golden epoch of abundance in the 1800’s when it was an important mining, commercial and cultural center. The beautiful neo-classical architecture, which distinguishes Mazatlan from other Mexican tourist destinations, lends a noble ambience to Old Town with its narrow streets, its majestic Angela Peralta theater, its splendid and recently remodeled buildings, parks, gardens, plazas, arts and crafts stores, open-air cafes and restaurants. Each year Mazatlan hosts important cultural festivals such as the State Festival of Arts, the International Dance Festival series, the Mazatlan International Film Festival, the Mazatlan Book and Arts Fair, the International Guitar Festival and the Mazatlan Cultural Festival, all of which attract the participation of internationally known celebrities. Come and enjoy a few of the more than 140 presentations that are performed each year at the Angela Peralta Theater, the museums and the plazas. Old Town, the pride of all Mazatlan natives, is definitely a place to visit while in town. It’s not to be missed! Currency, Banks & Money Exchange: The peso is the national currency, although US dollars are widely accepted in businesses throughout town. Major credit cards are also accepted in most establishments. Banks offer currency exchange during business hours, which are generally Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, with a few offering at least morning service on Saturdays. Universal ATMs are broadly available for cash withdrawals from global cash cards; money exchange and hotels also offer currency exchange services. Exchange Rate information Business Hours: Most shopping malls are open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., continuously. Many downtown businesses and shops tend to close between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. for lunch. Weather: The  weather is very pleasant from November until May. Sometime in June, and definitely from July until September, it is quite hot and humid. January through March are the coolest months, with typical daytime temperatures in the high 70's to low 80's and evening temperatures in the low 60's. Month C     F    Rain in Inches     Month     C     F     Rain in Inches Jan 20.8   69.1   0.7   July   28.2   82.8   8.3 Feb 20.1   68.2   0.2   August   28.3   83.1   7.2 Mar 20.6   69.1   0.3   Sept   28.2   82.8   5.6 Apr 22.2   72.1   0.1   Oct   27.5   82.1   3.4 May 24.2   76.5   0   Nov   22.2   72.0   0.3 June 27.5   82.5   1.2   Dec   21.7   71.1   0.4 Electricity: Mexico operates on the same 110-volt current as the United States, so electrical adapters are not needed. Water: This is one of my favorite pet peeves with tourists down here. For some reason, many tourists refuse to add ice to their drinks, and grill each restaurant they dine in about their water supply. Unless you are in the habit of drinking the standing water that may collect in puddles in the streets, you are really going to have to make an effort to get sick drinking the water down here. Any restaurant you might frequent is going to have purified water and ice. Remember, the primary industry in Mazatlan is tourism, and what kind of repeat business would a hotel or restaurant get if it was in the business of poisoning it's customers? So relax, and enjoy yourself. After all, you're on vacation aren't you? Immigration: In order to enter Mexico, you need to prove that you are a US or Canadian citizen (assuming that your are.) A notarized birth certificate, a voter registration card or a valid passport will suffice. I recommend getting a passport, since generally the cambios, or money exchange places want to see an id with a picture, and a passport will do nicely, thank you. If you fly in, you will be given a tourist card, which you need to fill out and present to the immigration officials. This tourist visa is valid for 180 days, and you will be given a carbon copy of it. Do not lose this copy. Once you have decided on a destination contact us. Call Us Toll Free: 866-566-8078 Email Us: Jim@MexicoXpress.com