MexicoXpress.com - Mazatlan Places of Interest

Mazatlan
Places of Interest

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Zona Dorada - The Golden Zone

The golden zone is the location of most of the tourist hotels, a lot of the finer restaurants and most of the local night life. For our purposes the golden zone is anywhere north of Punta Sabalo, where one of the cities most recognizable city attractions is situated, Fiesta Land. Fiesta Land is PARTY headquarters in Mazatlan, a great place to start or end your search for the local hot spot. Most of the nightlife, hotels and attractions in the golden zone are within walking distance of each other. If walking is not you thing, Mazatlan offers a unique form of transportation, the Pulmonía. These handy, open air cabs, are unique to this area and are seemingly everywhere. They will take you wherever you want to go in the city very reasonably. As a general rule the taxis in Mazatlan are reasonable for a resort area.

Old Mazatlan - The Historic Zone

Old Mazatlan, the area around the center of town is a great area to do some exploring. Many of the oldest buildings have been restored, or are in the process. There are walking tours and city tours that will point out the highlights of The Historic Zone. Take a tour if you are so inclined but a casual exploratory walk is the really best way to discover the real charm and history of old Mazatlan. Enjoy the sidewalk cafes and mingle with the friendly locals that are so proud of their lovely city.

Beaches

Mazatlan has over 15 miles of pleasant beaches to enjoy. The most popular tourist beaches are located in golden zone, which is located north of Fiesta Land, the Moorish style complex that houses a great deal of Mazatlan's hearty nightlife. In the golden zone you will find many varieties of water sports, great beachfront restaurants, and many of Mazatlans most popular hotels. To find your favorite spot on the beach, I suggest that you just start walking. One of the most popular areas seems to be the area around and between the Hotel Playa Mazatlan and Joe's Oyster Bar.

Beach vendors work on all of the beaches and will offer you everything from fresh fruit to temporary tattoos. You can have your hair braided – Bo Derek style - on every beach in Mazatlan.

Much of the beach action is really not in the sand or surf, but along the Malecón, which fronts the beaches. Each evening when the sun starts to set the Malecón springs to life. The Malecón in Mazatlan is one of the longest in Latin America and is a great place for some old fashion people watching. Many of the locals come to the Malecón each evening to watch the sunset and perhaps have an evening swim.

For surfers, finding the waves is a pretty easy task in Mazatlan, just drive the length of the Malecón and you should be able to find some decent waves. Mazatlan has quite a few surf breaks within the city and also on the beaches to the south.

One of the longest and best shaped waves in Mexico is located at Matanchen Bay, just outside the village of San Blas. San Blas is a delightful fishing village, nestled between the jungle and the beach. San Blas is also home to a jungle cruise that you will not soon forget. San Blas is located about 150 miles south of Mazatlan, an easy three and a half hour drive. There are more than adequate accommodations in San Blas, for those who do not want to make the trip in one day.

Best Beaches

Cerritos Beach
Warm, beige-colored seawater bathes the coarse sand on this gently inclined beach. It is about 3 km long and surrounded by small hills (Cerritos), after which it was named. Not heavily frequented.

Los Pinos Beach
The temperature of the water varies between warm and fresh; the beach is gently inclined and the sand is dark beige. It stretches some 200 meters from Paseo Claussen and is 7 km from downtown Mazatlan.

Norte Beach
The perfect place to enjoy the seafood on offer at the palm hut restaurants scattered along this beach facing the open sea. The water is warm and the waves normal-sized. This is one of the longest beaches in the country.

Olas Altas Beach
Located right next to the center of Mazatlan, this beach is especially beautiful at the time of the sunset. The waves coming in from the open sea are moderate in size and good for surfing. The water is warm and inviting.

Sabalo Beach
Apart from the magnificent view of three big islands, this beach is ideal for swimming, practicing water sports or just passing the time of day. The hotels in the Zona Dorada cause the place to be full of activity. The waves are normal-sized and the water is beautifully warm.

Things to Do . . .

Water Sports
Water sports are an all day - every day attraction in Mazatlan. The beaches are teeming with Waverunners, parasailing, banana rides, Hobie Cats, sea kayaks and a water park. If you are staying in the golden zone your favorite water sport is probably just a few steps away, almost everything is offered directly from the beaches.   The beaches of the golden zone are always bustling with activity , and on weekends some of the beaches can even get a little frenzied.

Sportfishing
Sportfishing has focused worldwide attention on Mazatlan for many years. Before many of the other popular Mexican resorts were even thought of, Mazatlan was attracting big game fishermen from all over the world.  The sportfishing fleet in Mazatlan is spread out, with many boats in the old harbor near the lighthouse. Many more are located in Marina El Cid or Marina Mazatlan, in the golden zone.

Golf and Tennis
Mazatlan is home to two championship golf courses and an aging 9 hole course that is located pretty close to town but almost impossible to find. One of the championship courses, El Cid, in the heart of the golden zone. The course at El Cid is open to the public during off-season and on a limited basis other times. (Members and guests receive preference) The other championship course, Estrella del Mar, is a beautiful new course that skirts the ocean and is located to the south of town, on Stone Island, just a a short distance from the airport. If you are staying in town, the short trip south will be well worth your time.  This course is open to the public and even has a shuttle that will take you there from the golden zone.

Tennis players will be content in knowing that there are sufficient courts to keep their game polished. A tennis complex at the El Cid Golf and Country is open to the public (subject to availability, with guest and members getting preference), featuring 13 well kept courts and is located directly adjacent to their golf course. There are many other locations within Mazatlan where you can play tennis or get lessons. The Playa Real hotel has two courts, available to the public, which are located on a bluff right above a small cove. An incredible view of the Pacific can accompany your tennis.

Shopping
Mazatlan has many fine shops, a modern shopping mall (another is under construction) and an unending number of open air stores. Many of the local shops feature the crafts that are so famous all over Mexico. Unique art can be found, custom made leather clothing, there are also some great buys in sporting and resort wear. One of the more unique stores is a "Sea Shell Supermarket" featuring many truly unique shells and items form the sea. You may have to look a little harder to find that great shop, with the perfect item, in Mazatlan. That is what makes shopping such an adventure.

The central market located in the middle of downtown (where else?) is one square block of everything you can imagine, and then some. If you have the time and are in the area, at least take a quick walk through, you will be surprised and the diversity of merchandise. Offering the unsuspecting consumer everything from hanging meat to huarache sandals, this is a true "Mercado Central" in the old Mexican tradition.

Central Market—Mercado. This is not to be missed! It is located between B. Juarez and Aquiles Serdan streets, and Melchor Ocampo and Leandro Valle. You'll find the market surrounded by a variety of small shops, food vendors and juice bars where you can enjoy fresh fruit and vegetable juices and iced Agua Frescas.

Inside, the market is divided in sections by food types. You'll find a couple of aisles with fresh seafood; chickens are to one end; the middle rows have cooled displays of beef and pork; then several alleys of fresh fruits and veggies. The dairy vendors are scattered around the market. Near the B. Juarez entrances you'll find fellow tourists shopping for T-shirts, blankets, and every imaginable Mazatlan souvenir.

Food prices are generally not negotiable. You see rates posted for fruits and vegetables. However, the clothing and tourist items are definitely negotiable. Don't ever pay the first price they give you! Counter with a price about half of their first price. Expect a better price if you're buying several of one item. It helps to price items at two or three vendors so you've done your homework. Now, I'll go back and make an exception to what I just wrote above. Sometimes they will start off with a fair price. Especially if you don't look like a "dumb tourist." So use your head when given a price. If you know that wallet should be about 150 pesos, don't turn around and offer half. It can't hurt to ask if they won't give you a better price. After a few tries, you'll get the hang of it.

From the Golden Zone, the Sabalo-Cocos bus will take you right alongside the market on Serdan. With the Sabalo-Centro bus, you won't see the market since you are a block west of B. Juarez. Either follow the map, or get out when most of the people leave the bus at Leandro Valle street. If you see the tall spires of the Cathedral, you've gone a street too far. No big deal. You'll want to visit the Cathedral and the Central Square park anyway.

Surrounding the Mercado. There is great shopping for several blocks on all sides of the Mercado. The best shops seem to be along Serdan. You'll find clothing and shoe stores with low prices and frequent signs posted advertising their sale prices.

Juarez Market/ Sunday Flea Market. There is a large daily produce market similar to the central Mercado. Sunday mornings, there is a large flea market covering several streets near the regular market. From the Golden Zone, take the Cerritos-Juarez bus. From downtown, walk over to Av. Miguel Aleman and take the Juarez bus.

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