Things To Do in Mazatlan

Mazatlán may be best known for its wide, sandy beaches and sporting activities, but visitors who neglect to sample the city's cultural events and attractions are missing out on a multidimensional destination.

Special Events in Nearby Villages

The weekend of the first Sunday in October, Rosario, a small town 45 minutes south on Hwy. 15, holds a festival honoring Our Lady of the Rosary, with games, music, dances, processions, and festive foods. From May 1 to May 10, Rosario holds its Spring Festival.

In mid-October, the village of Escuinapa, south of Rosario on Hwy. 15, holds a Mango Festival; call the Escuinapa Tourism Office (tel. 695/953-0019) or the State Tourism Office (tel. 669/981-8886) for details.

Architectural Highlights

Two blocks south of the central plaza stands the lovely Teatro Angela Peralta, Carnaval 1024, Centro (tel. 669/982-4444; www.culturamazatlan.com), a national historic monument. Built between 1869 and 1874, the 841-seat Italian-style theater has three levels of balconies, two facades, and, in true tropical style, a lobby with no roof. The theater was named for one of the world's great divas, who, along with the director and 30 members of the opera, died in Mazatlán of cholera in an 1863 epidemic. Some city tours stop here; if you're visiting on your own, the theater is open daily from 9am to 6pm and allows tours for a nominal charge. It regularly schedules folkloric ballets, along with periodic performances of classical ballet, contemporary dance, symphony concerts, opera, and jazz. This theater is the home of Delfos, one of the most important contemporary dance companies in Mexico.

The 20-block historic area near the theater, including the small square Plazuela Machado (bordered by Frías, Constitución, Carnaval, and Sixto Osuna), abounds with beautiful old buildings and colorful town houses trimmed with wrought iron and carved stone. On weekends, the streets surrounding the plaza close to cars, giving artists, musicians, vendors, and street performers a chance to set up shop.

The Plaza Principal, also called Plaza Revolución, forms the heart of the city, filled with vendors, shoeshine stands, and people of all ages out for a stroll. At its center lies a Victorian-style wrought-iron bandstand with a diner-type restaurant underneath. Be sure to take in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, at Calle 21 de Marzo and Nelson, with its unusual yellow-tiled twin steeples and partially tiled facade.

Mazatlán shopping runs the gamut from precious stones to seashells -- with plenty of T-shirts in between. Most stores are open Monday through Saturday from 9 or 10am to 6 or 8pm. Very few close for lunch, and many stores are open on Sunday afternoon. There's also an art walk to a number of galleries from 4 to 8pm on the first Friday of the month between November and May; for details visit www.artwalkmazatlan.com.

La Zona Dorada (the Golden Zone) is the best area for shopping. There are a number of quality silver shops along Avenida Playa Gaviotas, including Pacific Jewelry (tel. 669/913-3754), at Av. Gaviotas 413. It's open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 8:30pm, and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. For more fine jewelry, seek out Rubio Jewellers, in the Costa de Oro Hotel, Av. Camarón Sábalo 710 (tel. 669/914-3167; www.rubiojewellers.com). It's open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm, and Sunday from 10am to 1:30pm.

Sea Shell City (tel. 669/913-1301), at Av. Playa Gaviotas 407, is exactly what the name implies -- more shell-covered decorative items than you ever dreamed could exist, from the tacky to the sublime. It's open daily 10am to 7pm. Michael Gallery (tel. 669/916-7816; www.michaelgallerymexico.com), at Av. Las Garzas 18 off Avenida Camarón Sábalo, has an excellent selection of Tlaquepaque crafts, art, diamonds, and fine silver jewelry. It's open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5:30pm. Señor Frog's, which has its main store located next to El Cid resort at Camarón Sábalo s/n (tel. 669/985-1110; www.senorfrogs.com/mazatlan), is the most popular souvenir store in town, selling Señor Frog's signature shirts, hats, handbags, and beachwear. There are about a dozen branches of Señor Frog's around town. They're open daily from 9am to 11pm.

The Centro Mercado in Old Mazatlán is another kind of shopping experience. Here you'll find women selling fresh shrimp under colorful umbrellas; open-air food stalls; and indoor shops stacked with pottery, clothing, and crafts (mostly of lesser quality). The market opens around 6am and stays open until sundown.

Small galleries and shops are beginning to appear in Old Mazatlán; one of the nicest is NidArt Galería, Av. Libertad 45 and Carnaval (tel. 669/981-0002, or 985-5991 for after-hours appointments; www.nidart.com), next to the Teatro Angela Peralta. It features changing exhibits of contemporary art. Open Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm or after hours by appointment.