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Mazatlán
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Mazatlán, Mexico — the Pearl of the Pacific
A real working port with a resort's beaches: miles of golden sand, a lovingly restored colonial Old Town, the longest seafront promenade in Mexico, and sunsets that stop the traffic. This is your Mazatlán travel guide.
Book your Mazatlán stay
Start with the two big hotel marketplaces — beachfront resorts in the Zona Dorada, character hotels in the Old Town, and everything in between.
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Mazatlán
Hotel deals plus package savings when you bundle your stay with flights — a good second price check before you book.
Mazatlán travel guides
Six local-style guides to plan the trip: where to swim, what to do, where to stay, when to come and how to get here.
The coast
Mazatlán Beaches
Surf at Playa Brujas, golden sand in the Zona Dorada, historic Olas Altas and boat trips to Stone Island and Deer Island.
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Sights & fun
Things to Do in Mazatlán
The Malecón, the El Faro lighthouse climb, cliff divers, the great aquarium and a spin in a pulmonía.
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Centro Histórico
Mazatlán Old Town
Plazuela Machado's café terraces, the cathedral, the Ángela Peralta Theater and the market streets behind them.
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Sleep
Mazatlán Hotels & Areas
Zona Dorada, Old Town, Cerritos or the Marina — who each neighborhood suits and what the beach access is like.
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Seasons
Best Time to Visit
Dry-season sunshine, Carnival's big week, the warm rainy summer and a month-by-month planner.
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Arriving
Getting to Mazatlán
Flights into MZT airport, the ferry from La Paz, long-distance buses and the mountain drive from Durango.
Read the guide →Why Mazatlán is different
Most Mexican beach resorts were built for visitors. Mazatlán grew up as a port — one of the great shrimping and commercial harbors of the Pacific — and the tourism grew around a city that already had a life of its own. That is the whole charm of the place. In the morning you can watch the fishing fleet come in; in the afternoon you are on a golden beach in the Zona Dorada; by evening you are in a colonial plaza listening to banda music drift from a café terrace while the cathedral bells ring.
The city strings along the coast in three acts. At the south end sits the Centro Histórico, the Old Town, with its nineteenth-century theater, market and plazas. The Malecón — roughly 21 kilometers of seafront promenade, among the longest in the world — runs north past the old surfing beach of Olas Altas and the fisherman's shore of Playa Norte. Then comes the Zona Dorada, the Golden Zone of beach resorts, restaurants and nightlife, and beyond it the quieter developments of Cerritos and the Marina. Our where to stay guide helps you pick your act.
The Mazatlán essentials
First, the sea. Mazatlán faces due west, so the day ends with the sun sinking straight into the Pacific — gather on the Malecón or at Olas Altas for it. Second, the food: this is a shrimp capital, and aguachile, ceviche and grilled fish are served within sight of the boats that caught them. Third, the music. Banda sinaloense was born in this state, and its brass-and-drum sound pours out of beach bars and plaza bandstands. Fourth, Carnival: for a few days each February or March, Mazatlán throws one of the largest carnival celebrations on earth, with parades along the Malecón and fireworks over the bay. Timing matters here, so check our best time to visit Mazatlán guide before you fix dates.
Getting around is part of the fun. The city's signature ride is the pulmonía, an open-air golf-cart taxi named — so the story goes — because drivers joked the cold night air would give you pneumonia. Flag one down for a breezy run up the Malecón; agree the fare before you climb in. For arrivals and departures, from the airport to the Baja ferry, see getting to Mazatlán.
21 kmof Malecón seafront promenade
157 mEl Faro, among the world's tallest lighthouses
1800sthe Old Town's golden-age port era
Top 3Carnival — among the world's largest
Frequently asked questions
Is Mazatlán safe for tourists?
The areas visitors actually use — the Zona Dorada, the Malecón, the Centro Histórico and the main beaches — are lively, well-patrolled and walked by families late into the evening. Use the normal big-city awareness you would use anywhere in Mexico, stick to well-lit streets at night, and Mazatlán feels like what it is: a working port city that loves its visitors.
What is Mazatlán known for?
Mazatlán is known for its long Pacific beaches, one of the longest malecóns (seafront promenades) in the world, a beautifully restored colonial Old Town, Carnival — among the largest in the world — and seafood fresh off the boat, especially shrimp. It is also the home of banda music and the pulmonía, its signature open-air taxi.
How many days do you need in Mazatlán?
Three to four days covers the essentials: a beach day, an Old Town day, the El Faro climb and a boat trip to Stone Island or Deer Island. With five or six days you can add the aquarium, a day in the Zona Dorada beach clubs and a slower pace — which suits this city very well.
What is the best month to visit Mazatlán?
November through April brings the driest, sunniest weather, with warm days and cooler evenings. February or early March adds Carnival, the city's biggest party. Summer is hot, humid and rainy, though it is also when the sea is warmest and prices are kindest. Our best time to visit guide breaks it down month by month.
Do I need a car in Mazatlán?
No. The pulmonía open-air taxis are everywhere, cheap and part of the fun, regular taxis and buses cover the rest, and the main visitor areas — Old Town, the Malecón and the Zona Dorada — are each walkable in themselves. A car only helps if you plan day trips into the Sierra Madre foothills or along the coast.