For a few pesos, daredevil divers leap from the 40 foot El Mirador view tower on the malecon. To the north, gigantic figures of fishermen form a monument to the force of the sea. To the south is the colorful harbor with docks for fishing vessels, cruise ships, freighters and tankers, the daily ferry to La Paz, and finally, the yacht and sport fishing anchorage.
Big game fishing developed Mazatlan. Not only do marlin and sailfish swarm in the waters, but the pursuit of these fish is expert and businesslike. Fleets of sleek cruisers cluster at neighboring piers at the docks. Normally as many as four persons fish from a boat fully manned and equipped with everything needed for "bill fishing" except muscle. All you need to carry aboard is your camera and a box lunch from your hotel. Make fishing reservations well in advance for March and April.
Local fishermen who catch their fish from dugout canoes hold a market on the beach at the southern end of Plaza Norte.
Other outdoor activities center around the north end of the malecon and the district of on the beach hotels (some of them new), condominiums, and recreational vehicle facilities. This is where parachuting, water skiing, swimming, and sunning take place. Here you can rent bilingual horses who take commands in both Spanish and English to ride on the beach or along a secluded trail.
You can take a boat cruise around the bay, travel through a jungle by inland waterways, or visit an island offshore. Isla de Piedra (Stone Island), only a 10 minute boat trip from downtown Mazatlan, offers one of the most beautiful beaches on the entire west coast of Mexico. You can find someone at Mazatlan's downtown dock area ready to take you across to the island at almost any time of day. (Reach a firm understanding about the cost of a round trip voyage before you leave the dock, or you may find that the price of the return trip has suffered a sudden inflation.) You won't need a guide on the island; just follow the one and only road past the stick and mud houses of the islanders, through tall groves of coconut palms, and over to the beach. Even at a deliberate, sightsee as you go tempo, the walk across the island takes less than half an hour.
At the beach a thatched roof pavilion features picnic tables, a juke box, and a refreshment stand. On weekends families from Mazatlan frequently bring picnic lunches over to the island beach, spreading their holiday meal across a rough table in the pavilion. Often jovial, noisy affairs, these gatherings are characterized by much singing and dancing. Beyond the pavilion is the fine white sand of a gently curving beach, uncluttered except for an abundance of large sand dollars.
Tennis and golf are available year round; check with your hotel for locations and other details. Bullfights usually take place from January to April, but events are also scheduled during the rest of the year. The bullring is right downtown.
Check with your hotel or the excellent Department of Tourism for formal tours to outlying areas. You might want to arrange a private tour with an English speaking guide. You'll get a look at green and forested back country valleys and mountains on a daylong excursion to Copala, a picturesque former silver mining village. Along the way you might stop at tidy little Concordia to see furniture makers and other craftsmen at work, and to view the richly sculptured small church.
Accommodations range from huge resort hotels to motels and recreational vehicle facilities. Reservations are a must during the Mardi Gras celebrations and are suggested for the winter season.
Festivals range from the weekly Friday Fandango (a street party on Olas Altas sponsored by local merchants) to the Annual International Mardi Gras celebrated during the 5 days before Ash Wednesday. During Mardi Gras you'll see parades, official receptions, colorful floats, dances with exuberant mariachis, and fireworks. Forget sleeping and be prepared for a steep hike in prices.
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Long ago Mazatlan overgrew the small peninsula on which it was originally founded and spread northward along a series of crescent shaped beaches that extend for miles. The main shopping centers, some of the best restaurants, and the older hotels are located in the downtown area. New subdivisions and hotel developments are strung out along the beaches running north.
Connecting it all is the boulevard along the sea wall (malecon) which starts at Olas Altas Boulevard and runs for several miles with several changes of names. In other Mexican cities the evening promenade takes place in the park or plaza; in Mazatlan, it is along the malecon.
Life in Mazatlan is leisurely. Quaint, two wheels, horse drawn carts called aranas can be hired for sightseeing trips. A three wheel, three passenger pulmonia (because you can catch pneumonia riding in one) is an open air taxi similar to a fast golf cart. Benches in the several quiet, shady plazas invite you to sit and surrender yourself to the Mexican sense of manana. Palms, bananas, papayas mangoes and flowers give the town a tropical aura.
Shopping is centered around the southern beach ' Olas Altas, the public market, and the northern hotel area. At the city market (Mercado Municipal) visit seemingly endless fruit and vegetable stalls and appetizing displays of pineapples, mangoes, bananas, and other tropical delights. Buy curios, try on huaraches, toss a lacy shawl over a shoulder, and bargain to your heart's content.
To watch artisans at work carving, braiding, weaving, or molding, visit the Mazatlan Arts & Crafts Center in northern Mazatlan. The Center is crammed with items from all over Mexico and prices are reasonable. Bring along the children; there's a free zoo with alligators, peacocks, and other native animals behind the Center.
Landmarks include the usual town plaza with old fashioned bandstand, a yellow towered cathedral, and some grandiose hills. Atop one of the hills is the El Faro Lighthouse, a rewarding climb for the rugged; underneath, a blue grotto entices visitors in small boats. An ancient observatory on another hill welcomes guests. Farther north, Icebox Hill's tunnels were once repositories for blocks of ice brought by boat from San Francisco and delivered by mule carts to stores and homes.
