Planning a Trip

Getting There & Departing

By Plane -- A number of airlines operate direct or nonstop flights to Mazatlán, though charters predominate. From the United States, AeroMéxico (tel. 800/237-6639 in the U.S., or 01-800/021-4000 in Mexico) flies from Los Angeles, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Tucson, via Mexico City. Mexicana (tel. 800/531-7921 in the U.S.) has direct service from Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Antonio, most connecting through Mexico City. Alaska Airlines (tel. 800/252-7522 in the U.S., or 669/985-2730) serves Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Within Mexico, AeroMéxico (tel. 669/914-1111) has flights from Hermosillo, Durango, Monterrey, Puerto Vallarta, Tijuana, and León, all via Guadalajara or Mexico City. Mexicana (tel. 669/982-5666) offers service from Mexico City and Los Cabos. Aero Calafia (tel. 669/985-4300; www.aereocalafia.com.mx) offers direct service from Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos. Check with a travel agent for the latest charter flights.

By Bus -- First-class and deluxe buses connect Mazatlán to Guadalajara (7 hr.; $35 first class one-way) and Mexico City (16 hr.; $85/£47 first class one-way) almost hourly, and less often to other points within Mexico. The bus terminal is located on Highway 200 N. Km 1203; tel. 669/982-1949.

By Car -- To reach Mazatlán from the United States, take International Highway 15 from Nogales, Arizona, to Culiacán. At Culiacán, change to the four-lane tollway -- it costs about $40 but is the only road considered safe and in drivable condition. On the tollway, total trip time from the United States to Mazatlán is about 10 hours. Consider an overnight stop, because driving at night in Mexico can be dangerous. From Puerto Vallarta, the 560km (347-mile) drive is not easy -- the road winds through the mountains, but is in generally good condition. Take Highway 200 north to Las Varas. There it becomes four-lane Highway 68; follow that until you see a detour for Highway 15. Take 15 north to Mazatlán.

Orientation

Arriving -- The Rafael Buelna International Airport (airport code: MZT) is 27km (17 miles) southeast of the hotel-and-resort area of town. The following rental-car companies have counters in the airport, open during flight arrivals and departures: Hertz (tel. 800/654-3030 in the U.S., or 669/985-0845), Budget (tel. 800/472-3325 in the U.S., or 669/913-2000), and National (tel. 800/227-7368 in the U.S., or 669/982-4000). Daily rates run $65 to $145 (£36-£80). A car is desirable if you want to explore the surrounding coastline and villages, but it is not essential in Mazatlán.

Taxis and colectivo minivans run from the airport to hotels; the expensive airport-chartered taxis cost $40 to $50 (£22-£28), about twice as much as the colectivo, which runs $20 to $28 (£11-£15), depending on the location of your hotel. Only taxis make the return trip to the airport, which costs $20 to $30 (£11-£17). The Central de Autobuses (main bus terminal) is at Río Tamazula and Chachalacas. To get there from Avenida del Mar, walk 3 blocks inland on Río Tamazula; the station is on your right. Taxis line up in front of the bus station.

Visitor Information -- The extremely helpful and professional City and State Tourism Office is on Calle Carnaval 1317, corner of Mariano Escobedo, at the Plaza Machado (tel. 669/981-8886 or -8887; fax 669/981-8884; www.sinaloa-travel.com). The office is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm; the staff speaks English. To preview what's going on in Mazatlán before you arrive, check the website of the local English-language newspaper (www.pacificpearl.com), or pick up a copy of their very helpful publication upon arrival for a complete schedule of current activities. Three other very helpful guides in English are the Welcome Digest (tel. 669/913-3628), Viejo Mazatlán (tel. 669/985-3781; www.viejo-mazatlan.com), and Mazatlán Interactivo (tel. 669/981-8435; www.mazatlaninteractivo.com.mx).

City Layout -- Mazatlán extends north from the peninsula port area along Avenida Gabriel Leyva and Avenida Barragan, where the cruise ships, sportfishing boats, and ferries dock. Downtown begins with the historic area of Viejo Mazatlán (Old Mazatlán) and Playa Olas Altas to the south. A curving seaside boulevard, or malecón, runs 27km (17 miles) along the waterfront, all the way from Playa Olas Altas to Playa Norte, changing names often along the way. Traveling north, it begins as Paseo Olas Altas and becomes Paseo Claussen parallel to the commercial downtown area. The name changes to Avenida del Mar at the beginning of the Playa Norte area.

About 6km (4 miles) north of downtown lies the Sábalo traffic circle in the Zona Dorada (Golden Zone) near the Punta Camarón, a rocky outcropping over the water. The Zona Dorada begins where Avenida del Mar intersects Avenida Rafael Buelna and becomes Avenida Camarón Sábalo, which leads north through the abundant hotels and fast-food restaurants of the tourist zone. From here, the resort hotels, including the huge El Cid Resort complex, spread northward along and beyond Playa Sábalo. The Marina Mazatlán development has changed the landscape north of the Zona Dorada considerably; hotels, condo complexes, and private residences rise around the new marina. Although completion of the extensive project -- to comprise the marina, condominiums, and commercial centers -- is still years away, the new marina will be the largest on the western seaboard between Los Angeles and Panama, and one of the largest in all of Latin America. This area north of the Marina El Cid is increasingly known as Nuevo Mazatlán. North of here is Los Cerritos (Little Hills), the northern limit of Mazatlán.

Special Events in Nearby Villages -- On the weekend of the first Sunday in October, Rosario, a small town 45 minutes south on Highway 15, holds a festival honoring Our Lady of the Rosary. Games, music, dances, processions, and festive foods mark the event. From May 1 to May 10, Rosario holds its Spring Festival.

In mid-October, the village of Escuinapa, south of Rosario on Highway 15, holds a Mango Festival.

For more information, call the State Tourism Office at tel. 669/981-8886.

Mazatlán's Carnaval: A Weeklong Party -- The week before Lent (usually in Feb) is Mazatlán's famous Carnaval, or Mardi Gras. People come from all over the country and abroad for this flamboyant celebration, topped in size and revelry only by those in Río de Janeiro and New Orleans. Highlights of the event include parades, special shows, the coronation of the Carnaval queen, outdoor concerts, more than 150 food and beverage vendors, all-night parties, and extravaganzas all over town. For event information, check with the major hotels or the tourism office, or look for posters around town. Every night during Carnaval week, all along the Olas Altas oceanfront drive in the southern part of town, the streets fill with music from roving mariachi groups, local traditional bandas sinaloenses (sporting lots of brass instruments), and electrified bands under tarpaulin shades. The crowd increases each day until the last night, Shrove Tuesday, when musicians, dancers, and people out for a good time pack the malecón. The following day, Ash Wednesday, the party is over. People receive crosses of ashes on their foreheads at church, and Lent begins.

Getting Around

The downtown transportation center for buses, taxis, and pulmonías is on the central Plaza Principal, facing the cathedral.

By Taxi -- Eco Taxis are green-and-white cabs with posted set fares, but generally are about $3 or $5 (£1.65-£2.75) per trip. Taxis are easy to flag around town and can also be rented by the day or by the hour. Agree on a price in advance. Fares between the Zona Dorada and Old Mazatlán average $4.50 to $6.50 (£2.50-£3.60); within the Zona Dorada, you should pay about $3.50 to $5 (£1.95-£2.75). To request a taxi, call tel. 669/986-1111 or 985-2828.

By Pulmonia -- These open-air vehicles resembling overgrown golf carts carry up to three passengers. Pulmonías (literally "pneumonias") have surreylike tops and open sides. As a rule, they're slightly more expensive than taxis at about $5 (£2.75) per starting fare, but they're part of the Mazatlán experience.

By Bus -- Buses, some with air-conditioning, cover most of the city and are relatively easy to use, although knowing some Spanish is helpful. The fare is 80¢ (45p) for local routes. The SABALO CENTRO line runs from the Zona Dorada along the waterfront to downtown near the market and the central plaza; at Avenida Miguel Alemán, the buses turn and head south to Olas Altas. The CERRITOS-JUAREZ line starts near the train station, cuts across town to the malecón beside the Zona Dorada, and heads north to Los Cerritos and back. The SABALO COCOS line runs through the Zona Dorada, heads inland to the bus station, and goes on to downtown (also stopping at the market) by a back route. The PLAYA SUR line goes to the area where the sportfishing and tour boats depart. Buses run daily from 6am to 10:30pm. Fares are about 75¢ (40p) for air-conditioned green buses or 35¢ (20p) for the yellow buses.