Things to Do in Mazatlan

The temperature averages in the 70s year-round. January through March are the cooler months, with typical daytime temps in the low 70s and 80s, while July thru Sept tends to be hot and humid, with daytime average highs in the 90s.

Mazatlán always has surprises in store. Its multiple, complex nature make boredom impossible. Wandering through the city and its historic center, sunbathing on its magnificent beaches, traveling to the islands using every imaginable form of transport, and gazing at the horizon from hills such as El Faro and El Cerro de la Nevería, enjoying one of the most elaborate regional seafood cuisines, participating in the carnival, sailing or sport fishing are some of the things that have made Mazatlán famous the world over.

Just south of the Tropic of Cancer, Mazatlán is the most important port on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Full of contrasts, this city is one of the country’s oldest tourist resorts and the site of one of the world’s three major carnivals, comparable only to those in New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro. But that’s not all. Mazatlán is an attractive, hospitable city that has everything: excellent cuisine, extensive beaches with state-of-the-art water sports facilities and an unusual degree of cultural and architectural richness for a coastal resort.

The region now occupied by Mazatlán has been populated since long before the Spanish conquest. Nuño Beltrán and Francisco de Ibarra subdued the local indigenous groups and then divided up the vast plots of land on the coast between themselves. The Spaniards called it Mazatlán Island, in honor of the three islands facing the bay. During the colonial era, it was a major port from which ships laden with gold set off for Spain on long journeys round Cape Horn. The early 19th century saw the arrival of Germans, Italians and North Americans that gave the city a cosmopolitan spirit that it has preserved to this day. Despite being overrun by pirates, gold prospectors and invaders, Mazatlán managed to retain both its pride and its hospitality.

Mazatlán, located in the south of the state of Sinaloa, on the Pacific Coast, is a city with a 17 km shoreline under a brilliant sun, with a rainy season in summer followed by a long dry period. Its marine fauna and sea birds make Mazatlán ideal for nature lovers. The islands facing the wide bay and Crestón Island, the site of the world’s highest lighthouse (157m above sea level) are two of Mazatlán’s distinctive symbols, together with its spectacular sunsets.