Some of Mazatln's most beloved sights (such as the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception) are centered inOld Mazatln. Let me know if any interest. In fact, he studied video production at Michigan State University. The most popular is Playa Brujas in the north of the city, where you can find vendors renting surfboards if you dont have your own. Regards. Great port option for cruisers - away from tourist crowds. But I am getting so used to it that I hardly hear it anymore. Lomas is a mostly residential area tucked in behind the main streets of the Golden Zone. Eating traditional cuisine is definitely one of the top things to do in Mexico, and Mazatlan is no exception. They say beer is cheaper than water in Mazatln, and that may indeed be true: Pacfico has a brewery here, and cerveza is sold in eight- and 10-packs instead of those little ol six-packs. Lots of new hotels and condo buildings under construction which gives off noise constantly, even evenings and weekends. Shops start to close around 4:00. So far out that its impossible to live without a car. The selection and prices are good too. Whether youre looking for a laidback dive bar or a bumping nightclub, you can find it here in Mazatlan. The heart of the city. Even if youre not up for playing a full round, you can head to the Pacific Food Truck Park & Golf to hit some balls on their driving range. Crack an ice-cold cervesa and enjoy the show! The biggest question for newcomers is: Which area of Mazatln is best for expats to live in? While Carnaval is definitely the wildest time of the year here, the partys always going in this popular beach town. The process of getting the tickets at the theater was very disorganized and took an hour. And while we encourage you to celebrate every day, certain events in Mazatln are especially worth experiencing. Will defiantly go back next year. This is a lovely Cathedral in the heart of Historico. There are new suburbs popping up all over the edge of Nuevo Mazatln. Mazatln is justifiably proud to be one of the biggest shrimping ports in the world, and youll find fresh, locally caught shrimp (camarn) on every menu for every meal at more than affordable prices. Jelly fish were so popular, we couldn't get close enough to see. Note: This blog is to help you make more of an informed decision on what area of Mazatln you might want to consider living or vacationing in. These few central blocks are stuffed with unlimited trendy cafes and restaurants, endless activities and community events, and tons of markets and small local shops. One of the most popular things to do in Mazatlan is to see the amazing cliff divers. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. And if you can find em, dont pass up a paper bag of hot crispy, cinnamon-y churros. Highly rated activities for a rainy day in Mazatlan: The top indoor things to do in Mazatlan. El Cid is a gated community set back onto a gold course and green space, with marina access leading out onto the ocean. Its also the place with the highest concentration of hotels. I love the intricate decorations and bright colors used in Mazatln's architecture. Immersed in history, this fabulous c The malecon, or beachfront, is 16 miles long, stretching from downtown to the Golden Zone. Old Mazatln is free to enjoy at any time of day, but know that individual vendors will have their own operating hours and costs. Many new options for homes, even some directly on the malecon. Cant wait to go back !! Should you need some refreshments on your stroll, there are plenty of street food vendors, restaurants, cafes, and bars to choose from. This is a really neat experience. We look forward to hearing from you! Long a favorite of surfers and expats, Mazatlan has a lot to offer travelers! Lots of statues, a salt water pool, cliff divers and the continuation of one of the longest Malecons in the world. I also love how its smack dab in the middle of the city, which is easy to go north for the Galerias mall, but also easy to go south to be in Centro. It is a very popular boulevard with many restaurants and statues along about 6 Km. The flat, walkable beach stretches for miles, flanked by plantations of coconut palms, and as of yet, there are no high-rise towers or major development. As an expat living in Mazatlan, I have already gone through the whole What neighborhood should I live in? conundrum. The Mazatln Venados of the Mexican Pacific League play from October through January. Situated just blocks from the city's historic Old Town, Olas Altas is a popular surfing spot where visitors can marvel over ocean sunsets, take a dip in the . If you are in Mazatlan, go down the Aleman and find Tres Islas, you won't re get it. In this post, Ill share some of the best things to 18. Thankfully you can stay in the centro area and get the best of both worlds by living in Olas Altas or Loma Linda. While there is marina views, ocean views and beach access are almost non-existent. The beach is clean, the sand is fine, however there are exponentially more people at Playa Burjas than at the adjacent Playa Cerritos. Angela Peralta Theater (Teatro Angela Peralta) 475. Baseball fans will want to plan a visit during the sport's season in Mazatln. Surfers in particular love the beaches in Mazatlan, however, if youre looking to swim in calm waters, youll want to check out Playa Sabalo. Perhaps the best area of Old Town to hang out in is Machado Square. Olas Atlas Beach (Playa Olas Altas) 234. The theatre is easy to access once in the mall, nice entrance and treats. Watching the sunset with your special someone is one of the more romantic things to do in Mazatlan. Playa Los Pinos. Thorough good touch. Or perhaps you value peace and quiet over anything else? Acuario Mazatlan. See Also: Things To Do in San Miguel de Allende Mexicos Colourful City. Whether you are visiting Mazatlan for a few hours ashore from a cruise ship or for a few months escaping winter like me, be sure to make time for a stop at Casa Etnika! July 19, 2023. The answer is: That depends on your personality and what you value the most! Mazatlecos love to have fun. If you are looking to be immersed, centro historico is where you should live. Along the way, youll see several unique statues and monuments, including the iconic Fishermen Monument. Here is where you will find another entire collection of restaurants, cafes, and tourist souvenir shops. Tours from $56. Mazatln Cruise Port is a popular cruise port located on Mexico's Pacific coast, across from the southern tip of Baja California, usually part of the Mexican Riviera itineraries. The theatre was named after a famous Mexican opera singer who tragically died as a result of a yellow fever epidemic that struck the city. Aug 13 - Aug 14. Islands in Mazatlan. Beautiful walkable beach with calm waves perfect for swimming. Our week there was just what you want from a Beach vacation, relaxation and beauty. Since all the buildings are relatively new compared to the colonial centro area of town, living in the Golden Zone is a totally different vibe! Seafood lovers will revel in the abundance (and low cost) of fresh tuna, mahi-mahi, snapper and dorado, prepared in a myriad of ways. It never gets old. From the Golden Zone, hire a Jet Ski to take you out and pick you back up, rent a kayak or paddleboard or book a day trip on a catamaran. You either need a quick ferry or a very long drive around to get you into Mazatln. It was neat to see all the food vendors, not just souvenirs. Some streets have very high levels of noise around the clock. Tons of restaurants from street food carts to fine dining, all steps from each other. They love how its still close enough to be a few minutes walk to all the action of centro, but far enough removed to be out of the heavy noise and sometimes crumbling real estate. Constant construction noise for the next few years. Once the offer is at 50 percent walk away and go browse other stores. There are rip tides, so you have to be careful if you are out swimming, but at low tide you can walk forever! Perched on top of a hill and overlooking the sparkling Adriatic Sea, its charming white houses, narrow cobblestone streets, historical churches, and atmospheric little squares give it a unique and magical atmosphere. Highly recommend!! Have something to say? Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity. I love how walkable the Golden Zone is. You could easily spend the entire day enjoying all that the Malecon has to offer and not get bored. Playa Burjas is a deep beach, with safe ocean swimming, and is near Hotel Riu Emerald Bay. This is the neighborhood where it all began, with some of the buildings being over 500 years old! 10 Highly-Rated Things to Do in Mazatlan, Mexico Check out these 10 highly rated things to do in Mazatln, Mexico, which can be helpful during a Mexican Riviera cruise. They have to time their dive very carefully so as to not hit the rocks. Pay a visit to Acuario Mazatlan, a large aquarium offering sights of o See more. What an amazing massage. Spoke English and Pedro Infante, singer/actor of the golden era of cinema & music was born in this house. Its truly island vibes. Surf That Wave. Joining a tour to get up close to these majestic creatures is sure to be one of your favourite things to do in Mazatlan. Cruises for Families. If you are thinking or relocating or snowbirding in Mazatln, we hope this area guide will be useful for you. 1. Its a process to have food delivered, cabs ordered, or even visitors into El Cid. Both were excellent- just the right pressure and hit the trouble spots. In addition to ensuring a comfortable and safe experience, your guide takes souvenir photos that are available for purchase after the tour. See all Sadly, the ongoing development of coastal areas in Mexico has hurt the reproductive success of the turtles. See Tripadvisor's 117,011 traveller reviews and photos of kid friendly Mazatlan attractions There are several stages with live bands and tons of vendors selling costumes, food, and drinks to keep the party going. One of the quintessential places to party is Bora Bora, a massive club where dancing on the table is the norm. Have you ever seen to Sayulita near Puerto Vallarta? We enjoyed generous breakfasts at the open air restaurant with views of the beach. While centro is undeniably beautiful and quaint, most of the downtown core homes will not have any sort of an ocean view. Within a 400m circle from my condo I have everything I could ever want. 4. Cruises for Couples. The Sea Lion show was funny. The ability to live without a car? Great variety of homes, all situated in a quiet setting. Mexico has no shortage of beach towns for you to choose from for a sun-drenched vacation. This aquarium has 50 smaller tanks, several larger tanks, trained sea lions and other animals, birds, lizards, sting. Hit the Beach; 6. Now, while Cerritos is wonderful, its pretty dang far from Centro if you plan on going there frequently. I bought a beautiful Mazatln T-shirt designed by the vendor & a necklace made out of dried orange peels for a really Thoughtful renovated the entire old town. Living down in the central core of town will give off a certain European vibe that is really hard to compete with. If youd like to help out with the efforts, you can join a tour to visit one of the sanctuaries in Mazatlan. The usual Mexican souvenirs though. Get yourself to either of the two docks in Playa Sur, where a water taxi (30 pesos round trip) takes you across a short channel. This is my go to place for pedicures in Mazatlan since we stay in El Centro. Learn more about sports fishing in Mazatlan here. Whether its an omelet de camarn for breakfast, a shrimp burger or brocheta de camarn for lunch or a shrimp pasta or entre for dinner, youll be able to eat more shrimp than youve ever imagined. It is also near Plaza Machado and the Cathedral. It has been very popular with expats lately because of having more economical accommodations, being a very quiet community, but still having coveted beach access. Saw several musicians strutting their stuff while everyone was drinking & attempting to sing..not my cup of tea, but maybe it is for the thousands of expats that come here from cold places, crave an beach life style.or come from someplace like California..like my cousins Forum posts were selected by looking for forum titles asking specific questions and taking the top showtopic page by total pageviews as the optimal topic. From Lahaina: Turtle Town Snorkel Aboard the Quicksilver, Savannah History and Haunts Candlelit Ghost Walking Tour, Capri and Blue Grotto Private Day Trip from Salerno, Review of: Angela Peralta Theater (Teatro Angela Peralta), Review of: Catedral Mazatln Baslica de la Inmaculada Concepcin. The good part of new buildings is a lot more options for brand spanking new ocean view accommodations. Here are a few top choices for a great stay in Mazatlan, Mexico. This part of the city contains many top-notch hotels, fun places, and stores for visitations. I travel to Mexico quite a bit, and Mazatlan is a friendly little coastal city that gets a bad rap. We have been to Mazatlan countless times, and this is the company we would definitely use again and again. Its more modern, beachy, and perhaps commercial. Who knows you may end up loving Mazatlan so much that you decide to join the scores of expats who have chosen to call this coastal city home. I feel pretty again!! Is it having easy beach access? A very interesting area to wander. Good swimming and lots of sun in January. My husband and I just bought a condo in Mazatln and would like to rent it for a longer period of time until we are ready for retirement. Step out of your Mexican food comfort zone and look beyond tacos and burritos! Centro is basically the oldest part of town, with the Golden Zone being newer and the Marina area being newest. After a lot of research and asking fellow expats and locals what their favorite areas are and WHY, I realized that all the key neighborhoods are ideal in their own way. Discover top tours and activities in Mazatlan . Walking Tour of the Historic Centre; 3. Very walkable, great bus routes, easy to get a taxi/Uber. If you want to use Look Gallery is a wonderful place to get a view of many artists living and working in Mazatlan. Its home to the Gran Plaza mall (complete with casino and cinema) and well as the newly remodelled Venados baseball stadium. Theres good news, though, as there are a few places in Mazatlan working to protect and conserve the turtles. The main road Cameron Sabalo is prone to flooding during rainy season. Obviously the best part about living in the Marina area is having direct access or a view of the Marina itself. ST39306. Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC. There are walking tours throughout the restored Colonial buildings and historic places. Beautiful landscaping and green spaces with some houses being on the gold course or having direct marina access. As you can see, there are plenty of fun activities in Mazatlan. One of the cheapest places in town to buy a brand-new house or townhome within a gated community with a pool. Being in the middle of all the action? It will feature a museum, amphitheatre, IMAX theatre, brand new aquarium, tons of green space, bike paths, picnic areas, pond, pedestrian bridges, commercial space and even boutiques. We did our airport transfers with them and we were so impressed we chose to book a separate private tour as well. around the holidays and were able to pick up a half dozen handmade tin ornaments that were a huge hit as gifts for family and friends. Read on to plan your trip to this beautiful Mexican city as we share the 21 best things to do in Mazatlan. Mazatln's gorgeous beachfront walkway spans 13 miles alongside neighborhoods, food vendors, bars, shops and resorts. (999 reviews) Families like: Kids pool, babysitting, on the beach, free breakfast for the whole family. It runs from the West gate of the El Cid gated community of town, right up until the El Cid Marina Beach Hotel. per night. I also purchased a . He's also an online English teacher and a video producer. Wear comfortable shoes, and dont worry about a plan; theres so much to do and see, and the perfect day will unfold all on its own. See Tripadvisor's 117,697 traveller reviews and photos of Mazatlan rainy day attractions . walking, eating, drinking, people-watching and shopping. The rest of the Golden Zone provides miles of walkable sandy beach, which is perfect for ocean lovers. This promenade stretches for several kilometers up the coast, making for a beautiful place to walk, jog, or cycle. Estrella del Mar and El Verde Camacho are your best bets for helping out with turtle conservation in Mazatlan. Credits: eskystudio / Shutterstock. Among our favourite places are Gaia Bistro, Angelina's, Hector's Bistro, Topolo's and Pedro and Lolas. Things to Do in Mazatlan Popular things to do Half-day Tours Cultural Tours Beaches Ports of Call Tours 4WD Tours City Tours Historical Tours Top Picks Transfers & Ground Transport Luxury & Special Occasions Food, Wine & Nightlife Spas Shopping Tours Ways to tour Mazatlan Book these experiences for a close-up look at Mazatlan. We must of sat for over an hour just taking in the beauty and workmanship of this amazing building. We have gone 4 times in a week. See Also: Puerto Escondido, Mexico The Ultimate Travel Guide. Sample 7 different foods and drinks and learn about the people and food of Mazatlan from your guide. Isla de la Piedra Details Beaches, Neighborhood/Area Type 2 hours to Half Day Time to Spend scorecard 3.5Value 4.0Food Scene 4.0Atmosphere How we rank things to do Ditch the somewhat. *Note: Seeing whales in the wild is also one of the top things to do in Cabo San Lucas! Click here for directions to the lighthouse. Connects easily to busy Golden Zone or Rafael Buelna street. Power outages and poor internet connections can be frustrating for the super connected. You'll have plenty of food options from restaurants to a market where you can buy produce and tamales to taco stands. This charming place is filled with character and history, and its easily one of my favorite cities in the region. Historic Sites Bodies of Water. Its a collection of cute beach shacks and restaurants with a few streets of homes (both old and brand new) plus a few RV parks. When visiting Mazatlan, you wont want to miss out on the stunning Angela Peralta Theatre. Another fun option to explore the old town of Mazatlan is by Segway! People who love the quieter and more authentic side of Mexico life, but still want to be a 10 minute walk to the action. Just be warned that this beach (with a name meaning High Waves) isnt the best for swimming. It was opened way back in 1874 and restored in the 1980s to once again host performances. The city is home to the Venados de Mazatlan (the Mazatlan Deer), who play in the Mexican Pacific League. Dressing up, at least a little, is encouraged (as is dancing with the street performers), so buy yourself a neon-colored wig or some crazy glasses, and plan your week of revelry. People who live in Sabalo Country love how close it is to the beach and how much quieter it is than the rest of the Golden Zone. (In front of the Miramar condos on the malecn, with the yellow building and white sign in the background.). Mazatln is blessed to have three beautiful, environmentally protected islands just offshore. The feature agave and mango items. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content. Best Activities for a Rainy Day in Mazatlan, Very friendly hosts and lots of fun well worth the price the salsa dancing was. The weather can be very hot in Mazatlan, so getting around on foot may not be the best option. No. Detached family homes area harder to find in this area. The usual Mexican souvenirs though. Youll visit some of the best family-run street food stalls in the city. Rewards. Bring water, snacks, sunscreen and anything else you might need, and remember to pack your trash.