Mazatlan Information

A trip to the center of town should be made at least once. The town itself is spotless, and a 20-block historic area around the main plaza has been restored.
Located at Av. de los Deportes 111 is Acuario Mazatlan, with more than 50 aquariums, about 200 species of fish from all over the world, and a fun sea lion show.

The Museo de Arqueologia downtown has a small but good collection of pre-Columbian artifacts and exhibits of contemporary art.
At the very southern end of town, before the malecon begins, is the actual port area. Here you can see large, modern ferry boats that ply the waters each night to La Paz, 235 miles northwest, across the Sea of Cortez. The trip takes 18 hours and sleeping cabins are available. Arrangements can be made at the ferry pier or through a travel agent.

From here, driving toward town along the water, you'll come to the fishing fleets and yacht club, where the thin strip of land connecting the lighthouse hill with the mainland provides an unforgettable landscape. For the fit, a visit to El Faro lighthouse is a pleasant 25-minute hike up a meandering path. The lighthouse is 505 feet above sea level, ranking as the second-highest natural lighthouse in the world, after Gibraltar.

Strolling along the malecon at sunset is a must. It is home to El Mirador, a tower of rock jutting out into the ocean where local boys make daring dives into the rocky crevice. The tide must be in and the wave motion correct for a successful dive.

During the winter season there are bullfights usually starting at 4 p.m. Otherwise, there may be a good rodeo scheduled. At Caliente, Avenida del Mar 48 in the Cima hotel, bets are taken on horse and greyhound races, football and baseball games, and other major sporting events.

There are comfortable city tours by bus with English-speaking guides who cover the points of interest. One of the most recommended tour operators is Olé Tours. This fully-insured, reliable agency offers group or private tours of the city and surrounding attractions.

The motorized open-air carts you see putting around town are unique to Mazatlan. They're called "pulmonias" (pneumonias) because that is what you will get if you are caught in one during a heavy rainstorm.
Renting a car in Mazatlan is a good way to see the resort. Budget, AGA, and National are the top car rental agencies.

Olas Altas, the beach where the malecon begins, lives up to its name: High Waves. It is the first swimming beach on the peninsula, but not the best, being somewhat rocky and sometimes a little rough. It is, however, an "in" spot for surfing, strolling, shopping, having a beer, or just relaxing. After sunset, it serves as a popular gathering place. The older but still popular hotels in town are on this small stretch, as are some restaurants.

The beaches get better the farther north you go. Playa Norte (North Beach), popular with local residents, is a slender strip of white sand extending for six miles beyond the coastal road.

On the peninsula near the fishing boats, harbor cruises depart daily.
Fiesta Mazatlan yacht sails Tuesday through Sunday at 11 a.m. from the lighthouse dock on a three-hour cruise.

From the beach next to the El Cid hotel, take an interesting ride on the amphibious Super Pato to Isla del Venado (Deer Island) for swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. The outfit that operates the vessel, Deportes Aquaticos (Aqua Sports Center), also offers sailboats, windsurfing, parachuting and water-skiing.

Motor launches and catamarans leave from the area near the freighter docks for Isla de Piedra and Isla del Chivo, two nearby islands whose pristine beaches are usually less crowded than the ones on the mainland.

On Isla de Piedra (Rock Island) you can take a guided horseback tour of the village, and coconut, mango, lemon, and avocado plantations by the beach, or sightsee aboard a horse-drawn carriage. Beyond the plantations, secluded beaches offer ideal spots for horseback riding, water sports and sunbathing.
Randi's Nature Ride offers excellent one- to two-hour horseback or horse cart rides on the island.

A good outfit offering excursions is Sunny Island Cruise, whose 33-foot catamaran, Renegado, takes up to 60 passengers on a six-hour sightseeing excursion.

Hobbie Cat sailboats are available on the beach by the DoubleTree and El Cid hotels, and you can always take the parachute ride at one of the popular beaches. Two other attractions available on the beaches are jet-ski rentals, by the hour, and banana boat rides.

Undoubtedly Mazatlan's biggest single attraction is its superb fishing. Eight fleets of charter boats stand ready all year long. About 8,000 to 9,000 marlin and sailfish are hauled in annually. The sailfish bite from May to November and the marlin from November to May.

Three-time world record breaker Bill Heimpel is an area expert at Star Fleet, a sport-fishing outfit with sleek yachts and excellent crews. They organize fishing trips daily. Another leading sport-fishing outfit is Aries Fleet.

Since Mazatlan is situated on what's known as the Pacific Flyway, meaning it is on a major southward migratory route for ducks and doves, hunting is another popular sport. The hills nearby are home to deer, wild boar, mountain lion, rabbit and coyote. Angler's Inn, run by Billy Chapman, can arrange hunting and lake fishing excursions.

El Cid Mega Resort's 18-hole course is complemented by the addition of nine new holes built at its sister resort, Marina El Cid. The Marina Nine, as the course is called, was designed by Lee Treviño using water on seven of the nine holes. Golf Today has rated the course "an absolute winner."

Estrella del Mar is an 18-hole oceanside course located on Isla de Piedra. Designed by Robert Trent Jones II, the course marks the completion of the first phase of a development which will eventually include private villas, condominiums, a deluxe hotel and tennis club.

There are numerous tennis courts around town, with most hotels offering their own facilities.

There are day tours to the colorful and interesting villages of Rosario, Copala, Panuco, Concordia, Villa Union del Presidio, Malpica, Teacapan, Aguacaliente and the jungle-covered San Blas area. Some of these are abandoned mining towns dating back to the Spanish Conquest, and others are quaint coastal villages.

The most popular trip is to Concordia, a small town with an interesting square and church, and Copala, a quaint colonial mining town deep in the hills. Copala has attracted government officials, writers and others in search of a secluded hideaway. This is a furniture-making area and your tour will probably include a visit to see a workshop.

The San Blas jungle trip is a full-day tour that takes you into the tropical forests of Nayarit; be certain to take insect repellent. First you take a dugout up a river for lunch, then a swim, and later visit the old Father Kino Mission and the colorful town of San Blas, approximately four hours from Mazatlan via the winding road to Tepic (the turnoff for San Blas is at Km. 36).

Jose Clemente Orozco, who ranks as one of the greatest figures of modern Mexican art, along with Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, did much of his work in Guadalajara. He is perhaps the city's most famous son and a name you are likely to hear.

His works hang in some of the world's finest museums, while his murals grace such places as Dartmouth College and the New School for Social Research in New York City.

The best known and most dramatic of Orozco's murals, including the world-famous "The Man of Fire," line the chapel of the former Hospicio Cabañas orphanage (between Republica and Miguel Allende streets), now converted into the Instituto Cultural Cabañas.

The plaza outside the Cabañas Institute features wonderfully surreal bronze sculptures by Guadalajara native Alejandro Colunga, whose work also graces Puerto Vallarta's boardwalk. Resembling a living room set that Lewis Carroll would be proud of, Colunga's chairs, table and sofa have eyes, ears and feet, giving the impression they assembled there of their own accord and could at any time get up and walk away.

The Regional Museum of Anthropology and History at Liceo and Hidalgo streets, is well worth a visit. You can spend hours browsing through the many rooms and admiring the religious art, pre-Columbian artifacts, colonial paintings (including some early works by Diego Rivera), colonial furniture, portraits of governors, emperors, queens and notables, pottery, handicrafts, ethnography of the Huichol and Cora Indians, and more.

For an interesting glimpse into the lifestyle of one of Mexico's contemporary presidents (1976-1982), visit the Casa Museo Lopez Portillo, on Liceo just two blocks north of the cathedral. This mansion, once the former president's family home, houses an impressive collection of 18th- and 19th-century antiques.

The Museum of the City of Guadalajara is housed in a stately colonial building that has been adapted to showcase Guadalajara's history, urban development, customs, art and traditions from pre-Hispanic times through the 20th century.
At Morelos 217, between Maestranza and Degollado, is Guadalajara's Wax Museum. Opened in 1994, it displays the figures of 120 prominent individuals, including Hernan Cortes, Emperor Cuauhtemoc, Cantinflas, Madonna and Bill Clinton.

In the nearby suburb of Zapopan, in a side room of the basilica, is the Huichol Art Expo Hall, a small museum devoted exclusively to colorful and fanciful yarn "paintings," woven goods, embroidery, and intricate beadwork by the Huichol and Cora Indians of Jalisco state.

The Degollado Theater, at Degollado and Morelos streets, on Plaza de la Liberacion, is the home of the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra and the center of the city's cultural activities. Unless it's in the United States or Europe for a command performance, the Ballet Folklorico of the University of Guadalajara is a "command attendance" for you. It's a colorful and thrilling presentation of the songs and dances of Mexico, Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Degollado. For reservations, call 614-4773.

Guadalajara is a city of parks. The largest, Parque Agua Azul, at Gonzalez Gallo and Independencia, has been renovated and boasts an orchid house, aviary, butterfly sanctuary housing 160 varieties, and an acoustic shell seating 9,000. The Toonerville-type train, which whizzes around the park, is constantly filled with children when in operation.

Not to be missed in Agua Azul is the Casa de las Artesanias (House of Handicrafts). Operated by the state, it contains some of the finest examples of blown glass, colonial and modern furniture, ceramics, pottery, tin work and textiles, all produced in Jalisco. Most of the items are on sale at fixed prices.

Libertad Market, at Calzada Independencia and Juarez, is said to be the biggest public market in the Western Hemisphere. Whether it is or not, it will keep you busy for a while. In addition to aisles of scrubbed and artistically-arranged fruits and vegetables, fish and meat stands, small restaurants, bird vendors and flower stalls, there's a great variety of shoe shops, toys, clothes for children, lamps, onyx, and acres of sombreros. It's a great place to buy leather goods, unpainted chairs, stools and big flower pots. It's also a place to bargain.

Apart from the cathedral, there are other interesting churches in Guadalajara. Santa Monica Church, on the street of the same name, is located in an authentic colonial neighborhood, and its facade is one of the finest examples of early 18th-century Mexican baroque, a breathtaking wealth of carved stone.

The Gothic Expiatorio Church, just behind the University of Guadalajara, is fun at noon or at six in the evening to watch the clock in the steeple as 12 figures representing the 12 disciples march forth.

Located at Corona and Prisciliano Sanchez streets, the Templo de San Francisco de Asis is a colonial monument of great beauty. It dates from the first years of the conquest and was finished in 1684. The facade is plateresque with many ornamental details.

A very small Gothic-style church located on Hospital Street, between Calzada Independencia and Alcalde, merits a visit. Take a close look at the carved figures on the facade -- these celestial musicians are mariachis!
The Basilica of the Virgin of Zapopan, home of the "little virgin," is located in a large suburb in the northwest end of town. The interior is decorated in the blue and white colors of Our Lady of Zapopan, who is the patroness of Guadalajara and offers protection against storms and plagues. The Virgin, which measures only 13 inches from head to toe, was donated to the local Indians by a Franciscan missionary in 1542 and now stands above the altar, the object of many pilgrimages.

Each year there is a great celebration when the "little one" returns home October 12 from her yearly trek to all the churches in the diocese. Accompanying her, strolling, dancing or riding the nearly five miles from the cathedral to Zapopan, are some 400,000 of her faithful adherents. For a week after, Indian dancers perform twice daily in the courtyard of the basilica.

The renovated Ex-Convento del Carmen, at Juarez 638, is the site of continuous art and cultural exhibits, along with concerts, plays and poetry readings.

Visits to nearby tequila plantations and distilleries make great side trips.
You can tour the haciendas of leading tequila distillers Casa Cuervo and Sauza in the town of Tequila, and see how the national drink is made. The Panoramex travel agency offers tours to Sauza Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (810-5057/5005). You can also go on your own; tours of Sauza's agave plantation, production plant and 18th-century hacienda are offered Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tequila Herradura, another leading distiller, is based in the town of Amatitan, located between Guadalajara and Tequila. Their splendid hacienda, San Jose del Refugio, offers guided visits Monday through Thursday and Saturday, at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. and noon. In Guadalajara call 613-9585, or call (374) 5-0531 in Amatitan.
On Saturdays, you can take a train to Tequila as part of a day tour to a distillery that also includes tequila tasting on board, mariachi music, folkloric dancing and a typical regional meal. Operated by the Guadalajara Chamber of Commerce, the Tequila Express departs from the train station, at Washington and Independencia, at 10:30 a.m. and returns at 7 p.m. Tel. 122-9020.

They say that scarcely a day passes when one cannot play golf in Guadalajara. This is attested to by the number of courses in and around the city, many of which may be played for a green fee with a letter of introduction or proof of membership in your home club.

The 18-hole Guadalajara Country Club is the oldest and a traditional favorite. But it has stiff competition now.
El Palomar Country Club serves an upscale planned community located high above the city, at Paseo de la Cima 437. There's an 18-hole championship course, golf school, pro shop, gym, pool and restaurants. Golf packages are available that include lodging at the deluxe Quinta Real hotel. Tel. 684-4436.

The Club de Golf Atlas is an 18-hole championship course designed by Texan Joe Finger and is located on the Chapala highway between the El Tapatio hotel-spa and the airport.

The Club de Golf Santa Anita is about four miles south of the city on Highway 80, the road to Colima. In addition to a beautiful 18-hole golf course, the club grounds comprise one of the most popular residential areas for Americans in Guadalajara. Tel. 686-0386.

Another beautiful course is part of a luxurious residential development just a few miles north of Guadalajara on the road to Zacatecas. Called Las Cañadas, it is in a large valley surrounded by mountains, with hot mineral springs, riding trails, and a professional 18-hole golf course. Tel. 685-0412.

The Camino Real, Presidente Inter-Continental, Fiesta Americana, Holiday Inn and El Tapatio hotels have tennis courts.
Club Deportivo de Guadalajara is a tennis and swimming club, and home of one of the city's crack soccer teams. On most Wednesday and Saturday evenings you can watch professional soccer (called futbol) at the Estadio Jalisco on Calzada Independencia Norte, near the Plaza Monumental bullring.

Bullfights are generally held one or two Sundays a month at the Plaza Nuevo Progreso. At fiesta times, cockfights are also scheduled.

Rio Caliente, about 17 miles from the Minerva Fountain, is a top-of-the-line spa where you'll find steam baths, massages and even yoga. Vegetarian food is served in a peaceful setting of pine trees and thermal pools.

About 11 miles out on the Saltillo highway, deep in a valley, lie Los Camachos thermal pools. This is a beautiful spot for swimming, picnicking and relaxing -- except on crowded weekends.

In the opposite direction, on the road to Barra de Navidad, you may bathe in the waters of Chimulco. Here one pool is so hot that you move to progressively cooler ones; the last pool is for swimming. Nearby, Agua Caliente offers every imaginable water park diversion for children, including a pool with artificial waves.

The Guadalajara Autonomous University's International Language Center (Centro Internacional de Idiomas) offers seven levels of Spanish that can be studied in four-week intensive courses. Tel. 641-7051, ext. 2251.

The University of Guadalajara's Centro de Estudios Para Extranjeros (CEPE) offers 10 levels of Spanish, plus advanced grammar and courses in art, economics, film, history and literature for college -- and in some cases, graduate school -- credit. The five-week sessions can be combined to form semesters. Tel. 616-4382.

Cultural Experiences Abroad offers university-level language study for all stages of learning and total-immersion courses. Optional workshops are available in crafts, music, dance and cooking, as well as volunteer and internship opportunities. Tel. (800) 266-4441; www.travelabroad.com.

A trip to Guadalajara would not be complete without a visit to Tlaquepaque. This suburb of Guadalajara, just five miles from the city center, is probably Mexico's largest and most important arts and crafts center, offering a wide variety of handicrafts, from dresses and ceramics to blown glass, furniture and original art from all corners of the country.

Just a few minutes farther on is Tonala, the home of artisans for centuries. It's smaller, but growing, and offers some of its own specialties, including much of the fine dinnerware sold throughout Mexico.
Once a town in its own right, Tlaquepaque still retains its unique character. It's a bit of Mexico of yore, of cobbled streets and quaint plazas with tiny outdoor cafes tucked under the arcades.

Today the number and variety of shops in Tlaquepaque seem limitless, but it all started with glass factories. At Contreras Medellin 173, opposite the El Refugio Cultural Center, is a small glass factory (657-5775), one of the few left in the village where you can still marvel at the traditional art of glass blowing.
The heart of Tlaquepaque is El Parian, a popular place to relax, enjoy a cold beer or soft drink and enjoy the passing scene. It's lined with restaurants, cafes and bars, all facing a center courtyard with the traditional bandstand. Mariachis stroll about playing guitars among the lovely Mexican-tiled arches.

The area around El Parian has been completely closed to traffic, making strolling the center of the village a delightful, vehicle-free experience. In keeping with a leisurely pace, local police, well-trained and helpful to visitors, calmly patrol the village on foot or bicycle. For tourist information, you can phone 635-5756.
One block from El Parian is the beautiful main plaza of Tlaquepaque, Jardin Hidalgo, remodeled in 1995 with handsome landscaping, fountains and a kiosk. Concerts, mariachi performances and folkloric events are often presented here on Sunday afternoons, in the shadow of the parish church of San Pedro.

Almost all the major stores in the village are located either somewhere along Independencia or on Juarez Street, one block to the south. All six blocks of Independencia, running west from the plaza, have been closed to traffic.
At Independencia 237 is the Regional Museum of Ceramics with its impressive collection, spanning more than a century, of handicrafts from the entire state of Jalisco, including extraordinary folk art by Huichol and Cora Indians.

A trip to the center of town should be made at least once. The town itself is spotless, and a 20-block historic area around the main plaza has been restored.
Located at Av. de los Deportes 111 is Acuario Mazatlan, with more than 50 aquariums, about 200 species of fish from all over the world, and a fun sea lion show.

The Museo de Arqueologia downtown has a small but good collection of pre-Columbian artifacts and exhibits of contemporary art.
At the very southern end of town, before the malecon begins, is the actual port area. Here you can see large, modern ferry boats that ply the waters each night to La Paz, 235 miles northwest, across the Sea of Cortez. The trip takes 18 hours and sleeping cabins are available. Arrangements can be made at the ferry pier or through a travel agent.

From here, driving toward town along the water, you'll come to the fishing fleets and yacht club, where the thin strip of land connecting the lighthouse hill with the mainland provides an unforgettable landscape. For the fit, a visit to El Faro lighthouse is a pleasant 25-minute hike up a meandering path. The lighthouse is 505 feet above sea level, ranking as the second-highest natural lighthouse in the world, after Gibraltar.

Strolling along the malecon at sunset is a must. It is home to El Mirador, a tower of rock jutting out into the ocean where local boys make daring dives into the rocky crevice. The tide must be in and the wave motion correct for a successful dive.

During the winter season there are bullfights usually starting at 4 p.m. Otherwise, there may be a good rodeo scheduled. At Caliente, Avenida del Mar 48 in the Cima hotel, bets are taken on horse and greyhound races, football and baseball games, and other major sporting events.

There are comfortable city tours by bus with English-speaking guides who cover the points of interest. One of the most recommended tour operators is Olé Tours. This fully-insured, reliable agency offers group or private tours of the city and surrounding attractions.

The motorized open-air carts you see putting around town are unique to Mazatlan. They're called "pulmonias" (pneumonias) because that is what you will get if you are caught in one during a heavy rainstorm.
Renting a car in Mazatlan is a good way to see the resort. Budget, AGA, and National are the top car rental agencies.

Olas Altas, the beach where the malecon begins, lives up to its name: High Waves. It is the first swimming beach on the peninsula, but not the best, being somewhat rocky and sometimes a little rough. It is, however, an "in" spot for surfing, strolling, shopping, having a beer, or just relaxing. After sunset, it serves as a popular gathering place. The older but still popular hotels in town are on this small stretch, as are some restaurants.

The beaches get better the farther north you go. Playa Norte (North Beach), popular with local residents, is a slender strip of white sand extending for six miles beyond the coastal road.

On the peninsula near the fishing boats, harbor cruises depart daily.
Fiesta Mazatlan yacht sails Tuesday through Sunday at 11 a.m. from the lighthouse dock on a three-hour cruise.

From the beach next to the El Cid hotel, take an interesting ride on the amphibious Super Pato to Isla del Venado (Deer Island) for swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. The outfit that operates the vessel, Deportes Aquaticos (Aqua Sports Center), also offers sailboats, windsurfing, parachuting and water-skiing.

Motor launches and catamarans leave from the area near the freighter docks for Isla de Piedra and Isla del Chivo, two nearby islands whose pristine beaches are usually less crowded than the ones on the mainland.

On Isla de Piedra (Rock Island) you can take a guided horseback tour of the village, and coconut, mango, lemon, and avocado plantations by the beach, or sightsee aboard a horse-drawn carriage. Beyond the plantations, secluded beaches offer ideal spots for horseback riding, water sports and sunbathing.
Randi's Nature Ride offers excellent one- to two-hour horseback or horse cart rides on the island.

A good outfit offering excursions is Sunny Island Cruise, whose 33-foot catamaran, Renegado, takes up to 60 passengers on a six-hour sightseeing excursion.

Hobbie Cat sailboats are available on the beach by the DoubleTree and El Cid hotels, and you can always take the parachute ride at one of the popular beaches. Two other attractions available on the beaches are jet-ski rentals, by the hour, and banana boat rides.

Undoubtedly Mazatlan's biggest single attraction is its superb fishing. Eight fleets of charter boats stand ready all year long. About 8,000 to 9,000 marlin and sailfish are hauled in annually. The sailfish bite from May to November and the marlin from November to May.

Three-time world record breaker Bill Heimpel is an area expert at Star Fleet, a sport-fishing outfit with sleek yachts and excellent crews. They organize fishing trips daily. Another leading sport-fishing outfit is Aries Fleet.

Since Mazatlan is situated on what's known as the Pacific Flyway, meaning it is on a major southward migratory route for ducks and doves, hunting is another popular sport. The hills nearby are home to deer, wild boar, mountain lion, rabbit and coyote. Angler's Inn, run by Billy Chapman, can arrange hunting and lake fishing excursions.

El Cid Mega Resort's 18-hole course is complemented by the addition of nine new holes built at its sister resort, Marina El Cid. The Marina Nine, as the course is called, was designed by Lee Treviño using water on seven of the nine holes. Golf Today has rated the course "an absolute winner."

Estrella del Mar is an 18-hole oceanside course located on Isla de Piedra. Designed by Robert Trent Jones II, the course marks the completion of the first phase of a development which will eventually include private villas, condominiums, a deluxe hotel and tennis club.

There are numerous tennis courts around town, with most hotels offering their own facilities.

There are day tours to the colorful and interesting villages of Rosario, Copala, Panuco, Concordia, Villa Union del Presidio, Malpica, Teacapan, Aguacaliente and the jungle-covered San Blas area. Some of these are abandoned mining towns dating back to the Spanish Conquest, and others are quaint coastal villages.

The most popular trip is to Concordia, a small town with an interesting square and church, and Copala, a quaint colonial mining town deep in the hills. Copala has attracted government officials, writers and others in search of a secluded hideaway. This is a furniture-making area and your tour will probably include a visit to see a workshop.

The San Blas jungle trip is a full-day tour that takes you into the tropical forests of Nayarit; be certain to take insect repellent. First you take a dugout up a river for lunch, then a swim, and later visit the old Father Kino Mission and the colorful town of San Blas, approximately four hours from Mazatlan via the winding road to Tepic (the turnoff for San Blas is at Km. 36).