Mazatlan

Location: 23°13′N, 106°25′ W, on the Pacific Coast of Mexico
IATA destination code: MZT
Known as the "Pearl of the Pacific"

Mazatlan

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El Cid Marina Hotel and Resort

Royal Villas Resort Mazatlan

Pueblo Bonito Hotel Mazatlan

The main tourist destination in Sinaloa is Mazatlan ("place of the deer"), a popular beach resort area on the southern coast of the state, at close to the same latitude as the tip of the Baja California Peninsula. It is one of Mexico's major Pacific Coast commercial seaports.

Mazatlan is accessed by land via Mexican Federal highway 15/15D that runs along the coastline. It is serviced by the Gral. Rafael Buelna International Airport, with National and International concourses, that brings in a great deal of tourism, principally from the U.S. and Canada. Direct flights arrive from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Denver, Houston and other northern cities as well as from a number of points in Mexico. A car ferry connects to the city of La Paz in Baja Sur.

Mazatlan's downtown area is centered around Plazuela Machado. Around the plaza's periphery are found a number of restaurants and shops, and the plaza itself often hosts open arts and crafts exhibits and sales. An important landmark is the recently restored Angela Peralta Theater that houses an art school, concert hall at which the Machado Orchestra and the Sinfonica de Sinaloa (Sinaloa Symphony) play on a regular basis, a dance conservatory and a number of art galleries.

Mazatlan offers the visitor many beaches, among which are found: Playa Olas Altas, Playa Norte, Playa Sabalos, Playa Gaviotas, Playa Venados, Playa Cerritos, Playa Brujas, Marmol and Playa Camaron. Beach activities include body boarding, banana boats, catamaraning, diving and snorkeling, parasail and surfing, mainly on the northern beaches. Mazatlan is also a popular destination for the sport fisherman looking for sailfish and marlin, among other deep sea catches. Mazatlan's shrimp fleet is Mexico's largest, and digging into piles of freshly cooked shrimp is one of the culinary joys of the region.

For the sailor and boater, Mazatlan has excellent marinas offering slip rental and boat maintenance

Marina El Cid: At El Cid Resort, Av. Camaron Sabalo, P.O. 913, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, 82110, approx. 11 km north of the port. Offers full facilities including provisions store, laundry, fuel dock, pumpout, port clearance service, tennis court, message center, golf course, tours and other resort amenities and services. Tel: +52 (669) 914-1311
Marina Mazatlan: Blvd. Marina Mazatlan, Int. Paseo de la Isla s/n, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, 82100. Tel: +52 (669) 669-2936 VHF Offers full facilities including fuel dock, port clearance service, laundry, pumpout, message center and security.

Carnaval in Mazatlan
Since 1898 ... over 100 years! ... Mazatlan has been host to the colorful and exciting Mazatlan Carnaval, one of the largest in the world, with parades, pageants, music, dance, elaborately decorated floats and costumes, and days of fun and cultural activities for one and all. Mazatlan's Carnival now includes a number of additional cultural activities such as poetry readings, literary awards, culinary shows and contests, and activities for the appreciation of the arts in general. Mazatlan Carnival Website

Mazatlan Aquarium
Taking a visit to Mazatlan's aquarium is a fun experience for both young and old, with 51 fish tanks housing more than 250 species of fish, both marine and fresh water varieties, a sea lion show, a large tank where you can watch the divers feed and interact with denizens of such as sharks and rays, botanical gardens with parrots and other birdlife, crocodiles and turtles. Visit the official Mazatlan Aquarium website

Other sites and activities of interest:

Cerro del Creston - for ecotourism rock-climbing and tide pool tours; topped by the 2nd tallest lighthouse in the world. Located just south of the port.

Las Tres Islas eco reserve – This island reserve is 3 km off the coast and consists of the islands of Pajaros, Venados and Lobos (Birds, Deer and Wolves).

Enjoy golfing on one of Mazatlan's golf courses:
The El Cid Golf & Country Club - 27 holes - designed by Lee Treviño
Estrella Del Mar Golf Course - an 18-hole championship course, designed by the Robert Trent Jones Jr.

Take a sunset walk along the malecon (boardwalk) of Av. Camaron Sabalo

Check out Mazatlans discos and hottest dance spots in the Zona Dorada, north of town.

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