Mazatlan, Mexico
May 14 - June 12 [2022]
Mazatlan was the result of an unscheduled return to the United States which was required to resolve a few issues. Hopefully, this will be the last of these surprises. The city was a scheduled stop within my master plan but not until the end of summer around the termination of a six month visa retained in January. Now that I’ve re-entered the country with a fresh 180 day clearance, I’ve created a new route that moves north to south targeting a return to South America. This plan includes the following in the order of travel - Mazatlan, San Miguel de Allende, San Cristóbal de las Casas in Mexico. Antiqua in central Guatemala.
Maztalan is a coastal city in the State of Sinola in the northwest region of Mexico. In fact, it's almost parallel with Cabo San Lucas which lies directly across the Gulf of California. Like Cabo, Mazatlan is a fishing village turned resort town that's loaded with hotels, restaurants, night clubs and the usual ammenities that attract people on vacation. Typically this is not the type of city I choose to explore but the Pacific Coast is magnetic and beach communities tend to attact eccentric wanderers. Never a dull moment.
Mazatlan can be separated into three distinct areas including the historic center around the cities western pennisula, the grand ocean walkway (the world's largest) and the gringo north where you’ll find modern residential high rises and resorts. I stayed in a traditional neighborhood near the historic center with convenient access to the ocean on three sides. Architecturally, the city doesn’t hold a candle to my previous UNESCO registered visits but there are a few buildings of note around the old town square which dates back to the mid 19th century. Unfortunately, like many other Latin American cities, the infrastructure has slowly eroded over time with multiple buildings abandoned or in dire need of repair. The charm is evident but it’s fading and potentially terminal if not addressed.
Essentially, Mazatlan is a classic Mexican coastal city with remnants of its historic hay day hidden behind the white washed walls of first world towers. The aqua blue ocean, long lazy beaches and intoxicating ocean breezes are exactly what you’d expect from a town that promotes and sells paradise to the working masses of the country's interior and neighbors to the north. If your looking for a label, I'd go with a poor man’s Puerto Vallarta.
