A rich pre-Hispanic and colonial history coupled with a privileged natural environment that includes one of the largest bays on the Continent, the port of Mazatlan (Land of Deer) is one of the most important tourist attractions of the Mexican Pacific.
In recent years, this destination, which has always been characterized by domestic tourism, has experienced a notable boom in international visitors after the accelerated development of its hotel infrastructure and the sophistication of its fine dining restaurant offer that adds to the traditional restaurants established for decades in the city.
This resort has a Historical Center that visitors can tour to admire the ancient colonial architecture of Old Mazatlan, including neoclassical buildings such as the Cathedral and the iconic Angela Peralta Theater, as well as the famous Machado Square. On this site, restaurants, craft shops, and museums are located for tourists to enjoy, including a good number that goes up during the cruise season.
"We have a historic center, festivities, and traditions that make this place unique. When getting off the cruise, these are the differentiators of what passengers can experience in this destination," tells Estrella Palacios, Minister of Tourism of Sinaloa, the state to which Mazatlan belongs.
Mazatlan has a Historical Center that visitors can tour to admire the ancient colonial architecture. (Photo Credit: Valentín Fuentes)
She says one of the most important tourist attractions of the moment is the Gran Acuario del Mar de Cortez, a facility of 188,000 square feet, the largest in Latin America. "We also have the 1873 Observatory, located above a mountain and from where you can see the Mazatlan Lighthouse that will join with a zip line. The Museum of the Whale is about to be inaugurated in this place, and an Archeological Museum,".
It is worth noting that the port terminal is located very close to the Historic Center, which makes it easy for cruisers to take tours of the city without wasting time. "We also have the Golden Zone, where cruisers find craft shops, jewelry stores, bars, and other attractive places to spend the day. One is the new Beach Club, which includes temazcales (pre-Hispanic baths) and places for fun with the family or the couple."
Explains that Marina Mazatlan is a modern spot where visitors can find shops and restaurants of international class and luxury amenities such as Spas and extraordinary golf courses, of which there are four in the city. In this area, says the Minister of Tourism of Sinaloa, critical infrastructure is being developed, including the construction of about twenty new hotels.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Mazatlan has grown exponentially, maintaining a world-class level in the hospitality industry with hotels of the stature of El Cid Marina Beach Club. This All-Inclusive resort hosts hundreds of tourists from the United States and Canada, the leading international visitors to this destination.
"Tourism in the United States and Canada began in the 1950s because the westerns' film studios were in Durango and the actors were taking their breaks in Mazatlan in hotels such as the Belmar, Freeman, and later La Siesta, in the 1960s," explains Julio Birrueta, a former member of the Sinaloa Tourism Board and current Sales Director of Viaggio Resort.
In addition to this offer, there are options for adventure tourism and ecotourism, where visitors can be part of the release of various species of turtles. “They can also go to places around Mazatlan, in Rural Tourism and Magical Towns. We have El Rosario, El Quelite, La Noria, Las Labradas, a unique archeological area in the country, located in San Ignacio,” says Estrella Palacios.
Regarding the gastronomy of the region, Palacios explains that the cuisine of Sinaloa is famous worldwide for its recipes based on seafood, such as aguachile, a dish made with raw shrimp finely sliced and ceviche. “The success of the dishes is based on the freshness of the ingredients. Mazatlan has the largest tuna and shrimp fleet in Latin America. There are very talented Sinaloan chefs who, in their restaurants, show this great gastronomic richness,” says Palacios.
World-Class Cuisine
Mazatlan's restaurant offers a wide range of options, ranging from those who prepare the most traditional dishes to those who present sophisticated menus of creative cuisine with fusion of flavors of the region with international.
Panamá, with more than 40 years of activity, is among the most recognized and popular restaurants. It is led by the renowned chef Luis Osuna, who offers a family menu with traditional dishes and a wide variety of cakes. In addition, Osuna owns Cayena Restaurant, a sophisticated culinary option located in the city of Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa.
Casa 46 Restaurant, which is also a museum, is another of the most important in the city for the quality of its dishes aimed at reinterpreting the recipes of Mazatlan and Mexico with influences of Spanish, German, French, Asian, and American cuisines. These cultures migrated to Mazatlan throughout history.
Another great option is Water's Edge Bistro, located in the Historical Center and run by Alastair Porteous, a Canadian entrepreneur. It offers an extensive menu focused on farm-to-table and street food that visitors can accompany with an excellent choice of international wines. Another highly recommended restaurant is El Presidio, housed in an old historical building, which offers a menu created from traditional Mexican food made with innovative ideas from a thriving new generation of internationally recognized Sinaloa chefs such as Luis Osuna, who is joined by Diego Becerra and Mariana Gómez, to name a few.
Paola Osuna, a culinary curator and creator of Tomatl, a project focused on Mexican culinary experiences, says the taste of Mazatlan’s seafood is unique because 11 rivers in the region reach the ocean with nutrients that develop extraordinary, export-quality shrimp. “We have several types of shrimp: deep water, estuaries, bays, and cultivated,” says the specialist who offers gourmet cooking courses to small groups, focused on creating the most representative dishes of Mexico and publicizing the various ingredients and the rich gastronomic culture of the country. In addition, Mazatlan is an excellent producer of Blue Weber agave drink (equal to tequila) in production plants such as Los Osuna Distillery, which has grown this product for 103 years.
The size of the Mazatlan Aquarium is one of the top 10 in the world (Photo Credit: Valentín Fuentes)
Sea of Cortez Aquarium
The scale of the Gran Acuario de Mazatlan Mar de Cortez is equivalent to the top 10 on the planet and has, almost exclusively, marine animals from the Sea of Cortez. “In terms of area, it is the largest in Latin America, and I consider it the most iconic because of the main exhibitions that are presented,” says Simon Norris, CEO of the Gran Acuario Mazatlan Mar de Cortez and an expert who has 35 years operating aquariums in more than 60 countries.
Norris explains that the aquarium has the highest standards of operation and technology in the world, including electronic controls on various filtration systems and water recycling systems that can be digitally monitored by phone.
“We don't want to return water to the sea to avoid pollution, so we take the water from the ocean, treat it, sterilize and recycle it, generating zero environmental impact,” says Norris, who adds that they also have a laboratory, a veterinary facility, and a hospital for abandoned animals that are treated until they return to the wild. However, those who do not meet the conditions stay to live there. “The standards are the best in the world, similar to Disney and SeaWorld, which is why they brought me here. This is not only in the aquarium but also in the service, with our guides, staff, and the people who serve visitors,” he says.
Moreover, Mazatlan is a very attractive destination for the meetings industry, as evidenced by the recent Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association Conference, attended by representatives of 25 shipping companies and more than 500 players in the industry. On the other hand, it has attractive sports venues trendy for national and international tourism, such as El Encanto, a modern Soccer Stadium, and the wholly renovated Teodoro Mariscal Baseball Stadium, with a capacity for 16,000 fans and the house of Venados de Mazatlan.
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