Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest
Mazatlan, Mexico, is one of the most popular destinations for vacation. Its name, Mazatl, means place of the deer. However, it has been nicknamed the Pearl of the Pacific through its growing attraction of being the second largest coastal city in Mexico.
Geography of Mazatlan
Mazatlan is situated right by the Pacific Coast of Mexico and across from the Baja Peninsula. It is also at the foot of the Sierra Madre Mountains. Because of its scenery and closeness to the coast, it is a popular resort and vacation site.
Inside Mazatlan, there are two sections. In the southern section is the El Centro, or downtown. This is the heart of the city. It stretches for about four miles. It is then linked to the northern section by the Avenue Del Mar or Malecon. This is a scenic beach front avenue. The northern section is the Zona Dorada or the Golden Zone. This is where the majority of hotels and restaurants are located. In the Zona Dorada, the hotels quickly turn into resorts, which are still expanding. The northern limit of Mazatlan is land marked by the Los Cerritos, or Little Hills.
Tips for Travel
Despite the time of year, Mazatlan is always a good place to go for good weather. Its temperatures fluctuate from the mid-60s to the mid-90s.
It is best to drink bottled water while there. The Zona Dorada has filtered water and is good to use, but the rest of the water is not good for drinking.
Sight Seeing
1. Isla De Venados This natural area is a great place to visit right outside of Mazatlan. It is also known as Deer Island.
2. Acurio Mazatlan C This is the aquarium in Mazatlan. It is one of the largest in Latin America. It is joined by a botanical garden and small zoo. It offers sea lion and exotic bird shows three times a day.
3. Historical Downtown C Downtown has several older building and cathedrals that were built in the 19th century, including the main cathedral in the middle of the town.
4. Cerra Del Creston C This is the lighthouse used in Mazatlan, and is the second highest natural lighthouse in the world. If you hike up to this area, you can see the entire view of Mazatlan.
5. The Malecon C This is the seaside walkway in Mazatlan. It is filled with monuments and entertainers as well as food stands.
6. Fiesta Land C This is located in the Zona Dorada and holds much of the nightlife.
Beaches
1. Isla De La Piedra C This is also known as Stone Island. There are cruise ship docks, open air restaurants and deserted beaches. You can take a roundtrip ferry or go horseback riding.
2. Olas Atlas C This means high waves and is located near the old town. The beach area is small, but is visited by many of the locals.
3. Punta Camaron and Playa Sabalo C These are located in the Golden Zone and attract many surfers and tourists.
4. Playa Bruja and Punta Cerritos C These beaches are also fairly isolated. They have open air restaurants and horseback riding.
Shopping
There are several locations for shopping in Mazatlan. There are also many vendors that stay around the beach front and in Zona Dorada. It is always important to check prices at different locations before buying something. Negotiating the price is traditional for these vendors by beginning with half of what they are asking for, then moving up.
1. La Gran Plaza and Comercial Mexicana C These two plazas have boutique style shops, restaurants, and movie theaters.
2. Plaza del Mar and Ley C These are large stores located in three or four different sections of Mazatlan.
3. Soriana and Gigante C Two of the largest grocery stores in Mazatlan.
4. Central Market (Markado) C This market is located downtown. There are a variety of small shops, food vendors, and juice bars.
5. Juarez Market & Sunday Flea Market C These are both located next to the central markado. The Juarez market daily produce, but is taken over on Sundays by the Flea Market.
Events
The Mazatlan Carnival is one of the largest carnivals in the world, next to Rio De Janerio and New Orleans. It lasts for six days in February, right before Ash Wednesday. It is a century old pagan festival and lasts for six days. There is a large parade, games, masquerades, naval battles, fireworks, dancing and music.
The Charredas is a Mexican tradition that is practiced regularly in Mazatlan. It includes doing several tricks with horses and bulls. Bullfights are offered on a weekly basis for visitors throughout the winter seasons, and rodeos are offered in the summertime.
Transportation
If you are staying in the Zona Dorada, everything is mostly walking distance from each other. However, if you plan on seeing attractions outside of this area, there are several ways to get around.
1. Pulmonias. These are open air cabs and are found almost everywhere in Mazatlan. It is important to negotiate a price before taking a Pulmonia.
2. Eco-Taxis C These taxis are similar to the ones found in the United States.
3. The bus. This is significantly cheaper then pulmonias and eco-taxis. The buses usually ride from 5 AM to 10:30 PM and stop in the major locations in both the Zona Dorada and the El Centro. While there are certain stops for buses, you can always stop a bus by flagging them down like you would a taxi.
Mazatlan has several places to visit and things to see and do. No matter what type of interests you may have, Mazatlan will have something for you.
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