Things to do in Mazatlán
-
A
La Tramoya
Hearty Mexican meat dishes are set out on spacious sidewalk tables. Ravenous? Try the carne azteca – a steak stuffed with huitlacoche (corn fungus) and served on a bed of nopal es (prickly pear cactus).
reviewed
-
B
La Espiga Dorada
Doña Betty Pompa has operated this bakery for nearly 50 years from her home in a grand old building built in 1837. Try the fluffy sweet bread called concheta or a perfect meringue cookie. There's no sign; just follow your nose.
reviewed
-
C
Miso Sushi
Mazatlán has several sushi restaurants, but none as cosmopolitan as this trendy favorite, recommended for its hipster decor, good music and super-fresh, well-presented fare.
reviewed
-
D
Vittore Italian Grill
This elegant spot with romantic patio seating features delicious calorie-rich pasta dishes and memorable seafood and beef dishes. The service is rather formal.
reviewed
-
E
Kelly’s Bicycle Shop and Tours
Kelly’s Bicycle Shop and Tours can provide mountain bikes for M$195 per day.
reviewed
-
F
Islands
Resembling breaching whales in silhouette, the three photogenic land masses jutting from the sea are Mazatlán's signature islands. With secluded beaches and limpid waters ideal for snorkeling - and great multitudes of seals and marine birds - they provide an ideal day trip destination. On the left is Isla de Chivos (Island of Goats); on the right is Isla de Pájaros (Island of Birds), and in the center is Isla de Venados (Deer Island), which is the most visited of the three.
The islands are part of a wildlife refuge designated to help protect the marine fauna and birds they harbour. The most popular option for visiting the islands is the five-hour Deer Island Tour to Isl…
reviewed
-
G
Isla de la Piedra
Escape artists love Isla de la Piedra, located southeast of Old Mazatlán, for its beautiful, long sandy beach bordered by coconut groves. Anyone with an appetite sings the praises of the simple palapa (thatched-roof shelter) restaurants. Surfers come for the waves, and on Sunday afternoons and holidays the restaurants draw Mexican families. Most other times you'll have the beach to yourself.
Several companies offer no-hassle, all-inclusive excursions to Isla de la Piedra (it's actually a peninsula) including open bar, lunch, and a menu of activities such as water sports and short rides on forlorn, skinny horses.
It's a simple matter to get to Isla de Piedra on your own. …
reviewed
-
Tufted Jay Preserve
Especially worthwhile are Sendero México’s tours to the Tufted Jay Preserve, a nature resort located high in the mountains southeast of Mazatlán. You don’t have to be a birder to be enchanted by this beautiful enclave, created collaboratively in 2005 by the local community and the Mexican conservation group Pronatura to protect the lush habitat of this striking endemic bird – easily identified by its long tail, black bib and wings, and Mohawk-style hairdo. Day trips (M$1900) include hiking, bird-watching and optional horseback riding. Overnight visits (by arrangement with Sendero México) include accommodations in lantern-lit wooden cabins with kitchenette or in safari …
reviewed
-
Onca Explorations
If being in the wake of cetaceans floats your boat, try Onca Explorations and its 3½-hour Whale Quest, a humpback-whale research expedition led by marine ecologist Oscar Guzón (M$1100) from December to March. During your journey, learn about whale-research techniques as the crew collects information on the behavioral ecology of the whales and conducts a photo-identification project. Also offered is a four-hour dolphin research and island snorkeling expedition with an emphasis on marine ecology and conservation (M$975, year-round), and a fascinating four-hour tour to the archeological site Las Labradas (M$850), where the only beachside petroglyphs in the Americas exist.
reviewed
-
H
Fiesta Land
That ostentatious white castle on Punta Camarón at the south end of the Zona Dorada is the undisputed epicenter of Mazatlán’s nightlife. Inside its walls are a half dozen clubs, including several of the city’s most popular dance spots: Valentino’s draws a mixed crowd to three dance floors throbbing with hip-hop and Latin music; Bora Bora is popular for its open-air dance floor and lax policy on bar-top dancing; and Sumbawa Beach Club is the perfect after-hours spot for dancing in the sand, lounging on a oversized mattress or cooling off in the pool.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
I
Teatro Ángela Peralta
To feel the pulse of Mazatlán’s burgeoning culture scene, a night at the Peralta is a must. Built in 1860, the theater was lovingly restored over five years to reopen in 1992. It has an intimate auditorium with three narrow, stacked balconies. Events of all kinds are presented – movies, concerts, opera, theater and more. A kiosk on the walkway out front announces current and upcoming events. The schedule is fullest around the November–December Festival Cultural Mazatlán.
reviewed
-
J
Aqua Sport Center
The Aqua Sport Center is the place to go for all sorts of water sports, including scuba diving (one-tank dive M$900), snorkeling rentals (per day M$150), jet skiing (per half-hour M$650), banana-boat rides (M$450 for up to five passengers), parasailing (M$500), sailboat rentals (per hour M$500) and kayak rentals (per hour M$200 to M$325). Water-sports equipment can also be hired from the beaches of most other large beachfront hotels.
reviewed
-
King David’s Mazatlán Jungle Tour
King David’s Mazatlán Jungle Tour offers a six-hour ecotour into the gorgeous bird-filled mangroves of a protected wildlife refuge. Stops along the way include an enormous coconut plantation, a secluded beach strewn with sea urchins, and a rustic restaurant for a lunch of freshly smoked fish. Offered separately is a five-hour bird-watching tour (adult/child M$650/450), which goes even deeper into Isla de Piedra’s protected waterways.
reviewed
-
K
Centro de Idiomas
Centro de Idiomas offers Spanish courses for three or five hours from Monday to Friday with a maximum of six students per class. Begin any Monday; registration is Saturday morning from 09:00 to noon. The school also facilitates individual instruction, volunteer work within the community, and homestays with three meals a day. Prices listed are for the first week of study; substantial discounts are offered for each additional week.
reviewed
-
Sightseeing Tours
Several boats take three-hour Sightseeing Tours, mostly leaving from the marina near El Faro at 11:00 to sail the harbor and islands. Two-hour sunset cruises (sometimes called 'booze cruises') include hors d'oeuvres and alcohol. Look for flyers around town, talk to a tour agent or call the operators of boats such as Costalegre (982-31-30; Calz Camarena s/n) and Yate Fiesta (981-71-54; Calz Camarena s/n).
reviewed
-
El Nivel
If you get a chance, try to hear a rousing traditional banda sinaloense – a boisterous brass band unique to the state of Sinaloa. Watch for announcements posted around town or broadcast from slow-moving cars with speakers mounted on top, and check out the weekend performances at El Nivel, a cantina-style bar in the Fiesta Land complex.
reviewed
-
L
Playa Olas Altas
In Old Mazatlán, the crescent-shaped Playa Olas Altas is the beach where tourism first flourished in the 1950s. The small pebbly beach in a small cove is not ideal for swimming, but it's a grand place to soak up some regional history. The breezy seafront road, Paseo Olas Altas, strongly evokes 1950s-era Mazatlán, with a couple of faded relic hotels.
reviewed
-
M
Domitila
This romantic new restaurant is doing its part to raise the ante for gourmet fare on Plazuela Machado. The waiters are quick to replenish your fresh tamarindo (tamarind) margarita and the plates are delicious and well presented. Feeling decadent? Try the small squid stuffed with crab meat and salsa with cheese sauce.
reviewed
-
N
Ginger’s Bi-Lingual Horses
If you dream of cantering beside the sea, your best bet is with Ginger’s Bi-Lingual Horses. The horses are healthy, happy and eager to stretch their legs on the trails leading through coconut plantations to the sands of Playa Bruja. Take a ‘Cerritos Juárez’ bus from Zona Dorada or a taxi to Playa Bruja.
reviewed
-
O
La Copa de Leche
Harkening back to a bygone Mazatlán, this old-timer is prized by the local gentry for its authentic menu. The economical comida corrida is served all day long, but for something really delicious you'd do well to try the hearty sopa de mariscos, a soup with squid, shrimp, fish and a wedge of lime.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Yate Fiesta
Several boats take three-hour sightseeing tours (M$200), most leaving from the marina near El Faro at 11am. Two- to three-hour sunset cruises (sometimes called ‘booze cruises’) include hors d’oeuvres and alcohol (M$250 to M$350). Yate Fiesta is one of the operators offering these and other cruises.
reviewed
-
P
Deer Island Tour
The most popular option for visiting the islands is the five-hour Deer Island Tour to Isla de Venados departing from the marina at El Cid Mega Resort. The price includes activities and a (frankly, meager) lunch. These trips are often booked to capacity, and at last visit proffered sub-par snorkeling equipment.
reviewed
-
Trimaran Kolonahe
The speedy Trimaran Kolonahe sets sail for Isla de Venados Tuesday through Sunday at 9:30am. The five-hour cruise costs M$650, including use of kayaks, snorkeling equipment, lunch and drinks. There’s also a Thursday sunset cruise for M$500. Both tours are half price for kids aged four to 12.
reviewed
-
Q
Clavadistas
Although not as famous as Acapulco's cliff divers, local clavadistas cast their bodies from a platform into the treacherous ocean swells for your enjoyment. Tip accordingly. They usually perform around lunchtime and in the late afternoon, but they won't risk their necks until a crowd has assembled.
reviewed
-
R
Plazuela Machado
A short southwesterly walk will bring you to the tree-lined Plazuela Machado. The plaza and surrounding streets are abuzz with art galleries, cafés and restaurants. The center of attention is the Teatro Ángela Peralta, half a block south of the plaza. All kinds of cultural events are staged here.
reviewed
