If you are looking to visit a coastal city in Mexico with a little more fun, culture, and tradition than other typical beach destinations like Cabo or Cancun, Mazatlán, Sinaloa is a great choice! In the following post, you will find all sorts of information from where to eat, where to stay, and what to do for your upcoming trip to Mazatlán!
Where to Stay
On our trip to Mazatlán we stayed at the beautiful Hotel Posada Freeman in the historic downtown area. At around $65 USD per night, the Hotel Posada Freeman is a little more expensive than what we typically spend for a hotel, but it had great reviews, an excellent location, and it included a buffet breakfast so we gave it a try. While the room itself was quite outdated, the rooftop views along with the AMAZING buffet breakfast made this hotel entirely worth it. The location next to Playa Olas Altas and the colonial Centro Historic can’t be beat. However, for the price we found the hotel to be a little outdated. Though it’s better if you just think that it has a lot of extra character and charm 😜 You can book the Hotel Posada Freeman by clicking here.
If you are looking for some airbnbs in downtown or the popular Golden Zone, we have compiled a list of great AirBnb options here!
Where to Eat
♦ Hotel Posada Freeman-- Whether you stay at this hotel or not, we highly recommend the breakfast buffet! Address: Paseo Olas Altas 79, Centro, Mazatlán
♦ La Calle-- No, that’s not some trendy name of a restaurant, eat some street food! On Friday-Sunday you can find all sorts of street food being sold along the beautiful Malecón near playa Olas Altas and the cliff divers. We tried both nachos and fresas con crema and both were SO delicious. The nachos were piled high with a brisket like meat, beans, cheese, salchichas, and jalapeños while the strawberries with cream came served with ice cream and chantilly and were equally as delicious. Address: Search "El Clavadista" in Mazatlán for the exact location along the Malecon.
♦ El Muchacho Alegre-- You can’t visit Mazatlán without visiting this place! Banda, Pacifico, and seafood, how much more authentic of a Mazatlán experience can you ask for!? The food here is delicious but what really makes this place so neat is the vibrant, super fun atmosphere. Address: Paseo Claussen 46, Centro, Mazatlán
What to Do
♦ Visit the colonial downtown-- Mazatlán is the only true beach town in Mexico that we have visited that has a historic, colonial downtown area. Apart from the delicious seafood and banda music, the charming, beautiful downtown really makes Mazatlán different than other beach destinations in Mexico. Address of a great place to start: Plaza Machado
♦ Walk the Malecón-- The Malecón (boardwalk) in Mazatlán is over 11 miles long! It stretches from Playa Olas Altas all the way to the Zona Dorada! Whether you are crazy enough to walk the entire thing or you just want to see a few sections of the city, walking the Malecón is the best way to truly take in everything that Mazatlán has to offer, including an amazing stretch of coastline. Address of a great place to start on the south end: Hotel Posada Freeman, Paseo Olas Altas 79, Centro, Mazatlán
♦ Visit Stone Island-- The Isla de Piedra isn’t really an island- but it is still pretty cool! Catch a ferry near the restaurant “La Puntilla” that takes you over to the peninsula of Stone Island. Once you are there we highly recommend spending some time at Lety’s restaurant/beach club-the shrimp are to die for! There are also lots of cool AirBnb options to stay on Stone Island--we are absolutely planning to do this next time as we loved this area! Address for ferry: Int. Muelle Turístico s/n, Playas del Sur, Mazatlán
♦ Hike to the Top of the Lighthouse-- If you want to burn off some calories from all of the Pacifico you have been drinking in Mazatlán, hiking to the top of the lighthouse is a great idea! The hike isn’t too strenuous and the views of the city and ocean are absolutely incredible! Address: Cap. Joel Montes Camarena, Cerro del Vigía, Mazatlán
♦ Take a Ride in a “Pulmonia"-- Forget Uber! Catch a ride in one of the most unique forms of taxis you will find in Mexico! This is sort of like an open air golf cart type taxi and is a lot of fun to catch some ocean breeze in! Address: You can find these pulmonias all throughout town. Flag them down like a regular taxi. (Pro tip: don't forget to ask the price before boarding!)
We hope that you enjoy your time in beautiful, charming Mazatlán! Should you have any more questions, feel free to email us at kinetickennosn@gmail.com.
Until next time, Have Less. Do More. Be More.
