Mazatlan

Cityscape: Pacific pearl

Mazatlan is a sprawling city of about 350,000 that sits on the Pacific Ocean just parallel to the southern tip of Baja California.
It is known by many names: “Shrimp Capital of the World”, “Pearl of the Pacific” and “Land of the Deer” - literal translation of Mazatlan from an Indian language called Nahuatl.
Many visitors venture to this town for the pristine beaches, resort hotels and great restaurants.
No doubt the pearl of Mazatlan is a district in the old town called “Centro Historico,” perfect to dine, shop, check out nearby museums or just sit in the sun and soak up the sense of community.
With its open-air cafes, art galleries, crafts shops and museums, Mazatlan’s chic, revitalized town square Plazuela Machado operates in much the way it did more than a hundred years ago – as the heart of Mazatlan. The plaza is ablaze with strings of lights draping trees and shrubs.
The air hums with conversation, most in Spanish, but some in English, as tourists join locals dining alfresco and knocking back icy margaritas from Goliath-sized glasses rimmed in lime and salt.
The Golden Zone is Mazatlan official tourist Mecca. It sits along a beach lined with hotels that range from new and luxurious to quaint and “mature.”
Restaurants serve Mexican, Greek, Italian and Japanese cuisine; trendy shops offer jewelry, upscale clothing and the fine pottery crafts for which Mexico is known, and at night, neon lights illuminate huge disco clubs where revelers bailan (dance) to the wee hours.
Mazatlan is an irresistible combination of tropical paradise and historical elegance that exists in few other cities in Mexico.