Mazatlan

Casa Medrano

Coffee inside a small art gallery housed in a beautiful building.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

This lovely building was finished in 1899 and is being gently restored to its original beauty, although to a visitor it is already beautiful to behold. Its exterior displays a beauty that needs no extras or frills, its inner beauty is juxtaposed to its outside. With all interior light coming through stained glass, it takes on a lovely color, and its reflection off gold statues and other images is quite something. A unique detail is that, at the time of the construction, there was a Jewish family living in Mazatlan, and they donated money towards the construction. People were so happy that they decided to set the Star of David in the top windows of this cathedral. One of the only Catholic churches with this Jewish symbol.

Classico Mazatlán

The Mazatlán location of the popular Classico nightclub chain.

Fri-Sat 22:00-04:00

Cliff divers

El Clavadista

These daredevils do something similar as in Acapulco, but it is lower and more shallow. The rock formation that they climb up is about 13 m (45 feet) high and it is only 2-3 m (5-6 ft) deep. They wait for the right wave to make the dive. They are there all day long, but the best time to see them is in the morning.

Cotorritos

A bit cheaper than the bars nearby and so attracts a younger crowd.

14:00-04:00 daily

Dinner Theater or Comedy Club

The newest evening time passers are the murder mystery dinner theater put on by Murder in Mexico, at Las Flores Beach Hotel on Tuesday nights.

El Pargo y La Vaca

Excellent service and a great spot to stop after a long walk on the beach.

13:00-22:00 daily·M$200-400 mains

El Presidio Cocina de México

You can't tell from the outside but you must visit this amazing restaurant in Centro, the courtyard is in a 100+ year old building that has been amazingly restored. Mexican food.

08:00-12:30, 13:00-22:30 daily·M$200-400 mains

El Velero

Seafood restaurant with a lovely tranquil location on the Isla de la Piedra (Stone Island).

08:00-18:00 daily·M$150-300 mains

Estadio El Encanto

Catch a professional soccer game at this stadium, home field for the Mazatlán Futbol Club, a top-tier pro team playing in the Liga MX. They play two seasons so a game could take place at almost any time of the year. The stadium is a modern, state-of-the-art facility built in 2020 to seat 25,000 rabid soccer fans.

Estadio Teodoro Mariscal

Mazatlan's hometown baseball team, the Venados, have been playing in Mexico's winter leageu (Liga Pacifica) since 1945, though the stadium itself dates from 1960. There's really not a bad seat in the house and prices are cheap (and so is the food and beer). If you're planning to go to a game, it might be better to take a bus or a taxi because there is no parking lot and street parking is tight.

Estrella Del Mar Golf Course

Rated one of the best courses in Mexico, Estrella Del Mar is a challenging 18-hole championship Mazatlan golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. It is 10 minutes from Mazatlan airport. The course is laid out alongside the ocean, fronts 5.5 km (3.5 mi) of beach and offers tropical landscaping, beautiful lakes and truly spectacular scenery.

Estrella Del Mar Sea Turtle Sanctuary

The largest privately funded sea turtle preservation and adopt a sea turtle program in Mexico. Established in 1998, the sanctuary was created with the goal of protecting and conserving olive ridley sea turtles.

Gus Y Gus Restaurant Bar and Grill

Gus Y Gus (pronounced Goose-E-Goose) is a great little restaurant/bar in the Golden Zone. It is located across the street from the Hotel Costa De Oro. The food is very reasonably priced. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In the evening, the house band "Chameleon" plays classic rock and roll music. When it is busy, people will get up and dance. It has both open air and air-conditioned sections. Normally, the open air sections are where people sit. Gus Y Gus is the place to go to have a good evening out: dinner and dancing.

Hector's Bistro

A high end European restaurant with some amazing food in Centro.

12:00-23:00 daily·M$300-700 mains

Joe's Oyster Bar

Joe's Oyster Bar is located on the beach in the Hotel Ramada Mazatlan (formerly the Hotel Los Sabalos). It is a palapa (grass roof) bar. It is 2 for 1 beer (about M$40) all day and night. It opens around noon and stays open until 2am weekdays and 4am weekends. During the day you can sit on the ledge over the beach and listen to classic rock music. They have a volleyball court in the bar if you wish to play. It is great for happy hour and watching the sunset. At night, it turns into a nightclub where you can dance on the chairs and tables. Many people hang out on the beach in front of Joe's just to listen to the music. It gets very busy on Friday and Saturday nights and has a small cover charge (M$60) which includes your first 2 beers or 1 mixed drink. During the day, food is served. A visit to Joe's Oyster bar is a must when you visit Mazatlan.

La Querencia Bar

Decently-priced beer, outdoor seating, live music on Saturdays.

T-Sun 17:00-02:00

Lighthouse of Mazatlan

El Faro de Mazatlán

It is now the highest natural lighthouse in the world. (Gibraltar was the highest, but now not in operation.) The building itself is quite low, but sits on a cliff, so the light is 155 m (515 feet) above sea level. You will have the best view in Mazatlan if you hike up. Don't attempt the hike up unless you're in shape.

Open now · closes 5:45 pm·M$30

Mazatlan Comedy Club

at Hotel Playa Mazatlan, which is on monthly between November and March. Approach the concierge at the hotel there to book.

Mercado Pino Suárez

A large marketplace located in the historic center of town where they sell everything from t-shirts to traditional Mexican handcrafts. In its center is the meat and fruit market that serves the local residents. It was finished in 1899.

Mi Platillo Express

A no-frills but tasty Mexican breakfast plus an instant coffee for M$90 straight up.

Miramar Condominium

Condominios Miramar

Although an otherwise unremarkable building, the beachfront condominium tower where infamous drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán was arrested in 2014 (he later escaped) has become somewhat of a tourist attraction, or at least a mildly-popular photo opportunity. You cannot enter the building.

Museo Nacional de la Ballena

MUNBA, National Whale Museum

Beautiful modern museum and observatory with an imposing seaside location. Learn about a variety of marine animals but especially whales. Many interactive displays that cater to a younger audience.

Tue-Sun 10ː00 - 18ː00, closed Mon·M$500

Olas Altas Beach

This lovely curving beach with its popular Malecon and many restaurants serves the residents of the Centro Historico. Don't miss it. It's only four blocks west of the Plaza Machado.

Panteón Municipal No.2

cemetery

There is a cemetery on Barragan, a block north of Najera. Beautiful and interesting.

Playa Isla De La Piedra

in the southern part of the city

Not a phenomenal beach but a nice break from the bustle of Mazatlán proper. To get to the island there are two docks from which you can catch a ferry: and.

Playa Norte

Along the boardwalk you'll find the Fishermen's Memorial, better known as monkeys bichis; a bronze replica of a pulmonia taxi and a monument to the Pacific Brewery. This is great swimming and has a number of palm-roofed fish restaurants right on the beach. The southern end of this beach is dedicated to fishermen and their boats.

Plaza Machado

Machado Square

The jewel of the restored Centro Histórico. The west side of the square is flanked by the Teatro Ángela Peralta. Adjacent to the Teatro is a Spanish-language exhibit explaining the history of Mazatlán. The north side has Pedro y Lola's restaurant, a favorite among locals and tourists. On the south side is a hotel restored to its original beauty. A decent (Spanish-language) bookstore is only a couple of blocks away near the Universidad Politécnica de Sinaloa on Constitución. Keep your eyes open for shops with interesting (high-end) local art. The restaurants on the Plazuela have great food, some a little nicer and pricier than others. El Patio and Café Pacífico line the northeast corner of the plaza, and regularly have a fantastic acoustic guitarist playing at night for the diners and the square. Along the north side are three great spots for lunch or dinner. With offers of cheap, ice-cold beer all day, it isn't hard to be lured in to try a little of their food. All these restaurants have both indoor and outdoor, on the sidewalk, seating.

Privé Mazatlán

Very popular and very pricey nightclub in the Marina district.

Fri-Sat 22:00-04:00

Tacos Borrachos Emlio

Fish and shrimp tacos, always good. Outdoor, definitely Mexican. Open mornings only.

07:30-12:00 daily