Feb 7, 2008 | We arrived in Mazatlán at 2pm on Thursday Feb 7 to a very pleasant 79-degree day. Other than fresh new paint, the Mazatlan airport looks the same as it has for years in Customs and Immigration. There were several immigration agents and the entire process went smoothly, taking only about 20 minutes to get through plus another 10 minutes waiting for our luggage to arrive and to proceed through the red light, green light screening system.
If you have not arranged for airport transfers, there are two options: either to buy from a "pirate" cab driver (one without the proper permits) or to go to the Taxi booth and pay the approved fare. You can choose a colectivo, which is less expensive (65 pesos p/person) to the Playa Mazatlan. This does mean, however, that you may have to wait for the colectivo van to fill up, and that your stop could be 2nd 3rd 4th or even 5th stop. The cab fare to the Playa Mazatlan was $26 US for up to 4 passengers. If there are more than two in your party, it's probably worthwhile to take a cab.
The Playa Mazatlan is located in the Zona Dorada, and is Mazatlan's very first hotel to be built right on the beach. Although the "Playa" has been in service since Valentine's Day of 1955 when it opened with 80 rooms, the hotel has managed to grow yet still retain its charm and attentive service. Hotel guests are made to feel like extended family. The sales manager, Delia Osuna, has been with the Playa for 28 years, but others have been there even longer. Vivid pink bougainvillea and Mimosa trees flank the cobblestone entrance, and you'll find guests rocking in typical Sinoloa rocking chairs called poltronas (known as mesedoras in the rest of Mexico). These hand-carved wood and leather rockers are made by artisans in the nearby colonial town of Concordia.
If you eat at the Playa, be sure to order panqueues for breakfast. Although pronounced like "pancakes," panqueques are more like thin crepes, rolled and lightly browned in sugar and cinnamon. You can add maple syrup if you'd like. I thought they were delicious plain. If you want American style pancakes, order the "hotcakes."
Weather
If you have any clients who have traveled to Mexico's Pacific beaches of Los Cabos, Mazatlán or Puerto Vallarta this winter you may have heard that they are experiencing the colder winter in recent memory. Nighttime lows have been in the 40's and daytime highs sometimes only reaching the 50's. This is about 20 degrees lower than average! Naturally the locals are bundled in their warm coats and scarves.
Excursions
We chose to begin with a trip to 16th century mining towns of Concordia and Copala in the mountains just east of Mazatlan, about 45 minutes. This tour includes a stop to view workers making adobe and fired bricks for construction, hand made the same way for generations. In the town of Malpica, stop by to savor its wonderful bakery and visit with floor tile makers. We had a wonderful tour guide from Pronatour.
After leaving Copala we headed toward the town of El Quelite (normally a separate tour). El Quelite (Kay-LEE-tay) is a tidy little pueblo of about 2,000 residents whose primary commerce is cattle ranching, fruit growing, dairy products and - if you're not an animal activist - roosters bred for cock fighting. The best known restaurant here is Meson de los Laureanos serving only locally grown products. The owner and charming host is known as the "Doctor" who holds a medical degree but never practiced.
Dining
My favorite seafood restaurant in Mazatlán remains Costa Marinera. What I didn't know is that the owner also owns Daniel's Restaurant in Copala so you can sample or even purchase the famous banana coconut cream pie made in Copala. Costa Marinera is right on the beach and features singing waiters and some of the best "Pescado zarandeado" (whole fresh fish baked over mesquite wood).
We tasted some amazing, thin crust, brick oven pizza at La Mona in Old Mazatlán, and our favorite pulmonia driver, Ramon Gomez, claimed El Mexicano serves the best tacos al pastor in town.
Old Mazatlán
The historic center of Mazatlán began its renovation with the refurbishment of the Angela Peralta Theater almost 20 years ago. With the real estate market boom in the US, many baby boomers have purchased historic homes in Old Mazatlán and remodeled them to showcase their former grandeur, leaving this area looking better than ever. More exciting still is the number of new boutiques and galleries, garden tours, and the fact that the streets surrounding the Plaza Machado are closed off on weekends. This allows the surrounding cafes to set tables on the sidewalks and streets, and to showcase live musicians who perform free on the streets surrounding the Plaza. There is a vibrancy, and enthusiasm that never before existed downtown.
Why Mazatlán
There are several things which combined make Mazatlán a special place. One, it is a traditional Mexican town whose identity is tied to fishing more than to tourism. Most places you chose to dine will have as many locals as tourists, and the mazatlecos is the travel industry always come back to Mazatlán; they can't stand being gone too long. The other is the openness of its residents. Our pulmonia driver, Don Ramon, told us all about his 40 years as a fisherman in the fishing coop. Although he traveled as a fisherman from the waters of Magdalena Bay in Baja, to the beaches of Chiapas, and the Gulf of Campeche, his pride in Mazatlán was unmistakable. After touring us around Mazatlán for two hours, he took us home to meet his wife. Only in Mazatlán is this a routine occurrence.
