Warm, sunny Mazatlan, Mexico's Golden Zone - the perfect place for a beach vacation.
A nice vacation destination for both families and romantic getaways for two, Mazatlan has something to offer everyone, at an affordable price, with all the comforts of home. Portable appliances from the United States and Canada (hair dryer, iron, electric toothbrush, etc.) will work here; the electricity is 110 volts, 60 cycles, same as in the United States, differing only in that most of the outlets have only two prongs. Bring an adaptor if your appliance needs a third ground wire, but two-pronged plugs will work just fine.
Climate
Mazatlan is north of the other resorts on the mainland, so it can be cooler in summer than the others are. September is the wettest month. It's comfortable from November through May; but June through September (especially July and August) is very hot and humid, even though temperatures seldom exceed 90 degrees F (32 degrees C). January through March are the coolest months, when daytime temperatures usually are in the high 70s to low 80s and evening temperatures in the low 60s.
May to mid-October is the rainy season. Expect brief late afternoon tropical showers. Cool winds make June to October the perfect time to visit; but that is hurricane season, which affects the southern Pacific coast of Mexico more so than Mazatlan.
Dress
Casual dress works for most occasions in Mexico. Long pants and casual shirts for men and informal dresses or skirts are suitable for women at the more up-scale restaurants and clubs at night. Don't wear your bathing suit (especially women) when you're away from the beach or resort, and never wear shorts into a church. Smaller resorts and inland cities frown on flashy or suggestive clothing.
While nudity on the beach is tolerated in a very few areas, it is illegal in Mexico. Ladies, don't remove your top unless you look around and see that others are doing it. Play it safe; stay covered.
Hotels/Resorts
A myriad of hotels, motels, and resorts are available in Mazatlan, and you can spend anywhere from $20.00 a night for an "economy" room at a small motel to nearly $500.00 a night for a suite in a luxury beachfront resort, depending on the time of year you go to Mazatlan, the number of people in your party, and the proximity of your hotel or resort to the Golden Zone. An Internet search on "Mazatlan" will provide a plethora of lodging options, but below is a partial list of resorts and their proximity to the beaches. You can search the Internet for them by name to retrieve current pricing for the time of year you want to visit.
Azteca Inn - 1 block from the beach, in Golden Zone; allows small pets
Costa Bonita Condominium & Beach Resort - on a secluded beach
Costa de Oro Beach Hotel - on 11 miles of beach; in Golden Zone
El Cid Castilla Beach Hotel - on beach; along Golden Zone upscale shops and galleries El Cid El Moro Beach Hotel - ocean view
El Cid Granada Country Club - overlooks beach; linked to El Cid Castilla Beach Hotel
El Cid Marina Beach Hotel - 7.5 miles northwest of Mazatlan; ocean view
Fiesta Inn Mazatlan - northern part of Mexico's Gold Coast; 10 minutes from downtown
Hotel Playa Mazatlan - 4 miles from downtown Mazatlan, in Golden Zone; ocean view
Hotel Riviera Mazatlan - on the beach; center of Golden Zone
Hotel Suites Las Flores - on the beach; 4 miles north of town, in Golden Zone
Inn at Mazatlan - on Gaviota's beach, in the Golden Zone
Luna Palace Suites - beachfront
Oceano Palace - on beach; southern end of the Golden Zone
Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan - on the ocean
Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay - oceanfront
Royal Villas Resort - on the beach in downtown Mazatlan; .5 mile from Deer Island
There are also private homes that are available for vacation rental. Fully equipped with an eye for the tourist trade, prices range from about $70 to $125 per day during winter and much less between May and October.
There are several trailer parks in Mazatlan, some of which are on the beach. Some charge by the day, others by month. Cost runs from $270 a day to nearly $400 a month.
If you arrive in your private boat, there are three marinas in Mazatlan where you can dock: El Cid Marina, Isla Mazatlan, and Marina Mazatlan. Rates start (in USD) at about 29 cents a foot (winter) and 22 cents a foot (summer), plus power and water.
Food/Drink
Food is cheap and centers around seafood, especially shrimp. A decent dinner for two complete with drinks can run up to about twenty dollars, and sometimes includes all you can eat. Lunch can be had for ten dollars or less. Legal drinking age is 18. Dress is casual.
Beaches
Playa Olas Altas: Pounding surf; not suitable for swimming; rocky and pebbly; beautiful to see; at the western edge of downtown.
Playa Norte: Sand for several miles; north of Olas Atlas; surfing - the waves are the best at Los Pinos, north of the fort -surfers call it "the Cannon", as well as at Playa Los Gaviotas and Playa Los Sabalos.
Ocean side of Isla de la Piedra (Stone Island): great day trip; small motorboats make the 5-minute trip to the island about every 15-20 minutes from 7 am to 6 pm for a modest price. If you walk through the village to the ocean side, you'll find pale-sand beaches that stretch for miles and are bordered by coconut groves.
Playa Los Cerritos: uncrowded.
Parasailing: Don't, if you're afraid of heights; there's no turning back once you're up there, and the ride lasts about 10 minutes. You'll get a great view of Mazatlan for a cost of about $25-$30. Don't try this when the wind is strong. Make sure the boat has two people in it, not just one. The second person is a spotter; he watches you while the driver maneuvers the boat.
Horseback riding on the beach is illegal in the Golden Zone.
Water Sports
You can obtain just about any piece of water sport equipment that you want from your hotel.
Sailing
Your local marina will have everything. You can choose from Jet-Skiing, Banana boat rides (not recommended if you tend to get seasick), parasailing, boating or sailing.
Scuba Diving/Snorkeling
Offshore areas of Isla de Venandos and Isla de los Chivos provide a spectacular display of thousands of brightly colored fish.
Shopping
Sooner or later, most of us get the urge to part with our hard-earned money, and the vendors in Mazatlan are there to help you. They expect you to haggle over just about everything, but they'll also be more than happy to keep the inflated amount that you paid for an item if that's your choice.
You can buy Cuban cigars and take them back with you to Canada but not to the United States. They are expensive; be careful of counterfeits.
Money
You can exchange money at exchange houses that are usually open long hours and provide fast service. Dollars are accepted in resort areas, but using pesos during your stay might be better since the hotels usually give a higher exchange rate. Exchange rates that they give you at the airport are significantly lower than what you'll get downtown, so avoid exchanging your money at the airport.
Mexico's currency is the New Peso (P), and it's divided into 100 centavos. Denominations are P500, 200, 100, 50, 20, and 10. American Express, MasterCard, and Visa are widely accepted, as are travelers checks (USD). ATMs are available in most cities and towns; but they should only be used during business hours, and never allow yourself to be observed entering your PIN (see safety section at the bottom of this article).
Most of the people in Mexico who make their living on tips work hard and earn only about $4-$5 a day, so tipping them a dollar or two makes a substantial contribution to their income. If you bring along about fifty one-dollar bills to be used exclusively for tips, it will help you to avoid confusion with other bills and make it easier for you to keep track of how much you're spending. Most services in Mexico expect tips; 10%-15% is appropriate for waiters and bar staff if no service charge has already been added to your bill. Taxi drivers get tipped only if they've helped with your luggage.
Taxes
Sales tax in Mexico is 15%, applies to most items, and is paid by everyone. You'll often find it included in the cost of excursions, restaurant bills, and store purchases.
Transportation
By Air:
Warning: Do not accept "free" rides as you exit the baggage claim area of the airport. Timeshare salesmen are the only people offering free rides, and you will be required to sit through a sales presentation in order to get your free ride.
Taxis and colectivo minivans run from the Rafael Buelna International Airport (MZT) to the hotels. Taxis cost about twice as much as the colectivo, which runs about $8 to $12, depending on the location of your hotel. Only taxis are available to make the return trip to the airport, costing between $12 and $18.
A departure tax of $8.50 USD per person must be paid in Mexico on domestic air travel within Mexico and cannot be collected in advance.
By Sea:
Ferry service for passengers runs daily between Mazatlan and LaPaz, Baja California both ways, leaving at 3 pm for cars. Thursdays are reserved for cargo and seated passengers (no cabins) only. Seats cost $20 for the eighteen-hour trip. On other days, seats are $18; tourist-class service is $40; cabin class is $59.80; special at $80. The price for a car correlates to the size of the car. Tickets must be purchased in advance either through your travel agent or at the ferry office, and MC and Visa are accepted.
Busses:
Some of the busses in Mazatlan are air conditioned, and they're an inexpensive, easy way to get around town. Since there are no official bus stops, you must wave your arm when you want to get off. They run daily from 6 am to 11 pm and travel up and down the main street and cover most of the city. While not necessary, a little knowledge of Spanish is helpful.
Taxis:
Green and white cabs that you will see about town are Eco Taxis, and you can flag them down from anywhere with little trouble. Although they have set fares posted, you still must always agree upon a price before you get in. Within the Golden Zone, you shouldn't be paying any more than $2, and an average of $3 should carry you between the Golden Zone and Old Mazatlan.
Pulmonmas (literally pneumonias) have open sides and surry-like tops; they carry up to three passengers. They're a bit cheaper than taxis, but you'll still want to establish a price before accepting a ride.
Rental Cars:
Daily rates for Budget, Hertz, and National run from about $45 to $130. Having a rental car at your disposal is nice if you want to explore, but it isn't absolutely necessary.
