As the ship sailed into the port of Mazatlan, I was so surprised by the large number of containers and cranes that were lined up along the dock. While it is not the prettiest of sights, in the distance, we could see the colorful homes climbing up the hillside. From the ship, the center of town seemed so far in the distance.
There were not many tours available from the ship, so my friend Dani and I decided to explore the nearby plaza for shopping and then enjoy an authentic Mexican lunch. Since Mazatlan is known as the “shrimp” capital of the country, I was excited to try one of their local specialties, Mexican antojito, a dish which includes shrimp stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon.
Instead of boarding the complimentary shuttle into town, we decided to walk the short distance to the shopping plaza. We had six hours to explore the port town of Mazatlan and continued on through the walk way which was highly guarded with military soldiers holding automatic machine guns. The scene reminded me of my cruise ship days while visiting Playa de Carmen in the Yucatan.
A few of the excursions available for this port were (1) City Tour, Scenic Drive of Malecon, Cliff Divers and Scenic Harbor Cruises; (2) Panoramic Hike to Faro Lighthouse and Scenic Drive of Downtown; (3) ATV, Mexican Village, Tequila and Lunch; (4) Top 10 Best of Mazatlan; (5) Bar Hopping Tour. Unfortunately, we had waited to long to book one of these tours and they were sold out.
We strolled the cruise ship terminal where we found a few shops with colorful crafts to purchase. To be honest, it was quite disappointing but we found a taco stand and searched for souvenirs before heading back to the ship. I wished we would have booked a tour here….maybe next time…
Old Town Mazatlan is only a mile from the cruise ship, so it would have only taken about 25 minutes to reach the town. In hindsight, I wished we would have made the most of our time here, but I was surprisingly unprepared.
It has been my experience that when Americans visit Mexico for the first time, they are fascinated by the over the counter products that are available without a prescription. From Cipro to Z-Pacs, this is typical of the pharmacies in Mexico.
After lunch, we walked back to the ship, took more photos of the military men and relaxed on the deck with a Miami Vice (mix of pina colada and strawberry daiquiri). We had plenty of time to watch the sun begin to set as a rainbow appeared in the distance.
It was a relaxing day and we enjoyed strolling the port, agreeing that if we were to return, we would book an excursion, take a third party tour or walk the 25 minutes into town.
Have you been to Mazatlan? What did you see and which attractions did you visit? I would love to hear from you if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below. Many thanks for reading about my simple visit to Mazatlan, and if you have any suggestions for a future, visit that would be great! Wishing you many Happy Travels.
What to See and Do:
Old Town Mazatlan is a 25 minute walk from the port of Mazatlan and well worth a visit.
Where to Stay:
Casa de Leyendas
Venustiano Carranza, Centro
82000, Mazatlan, Sin., Mexico
Telephone: +52 669 981 6180
Where to Eat:
Restaurant La Puntilla
Cruise ship terminal
We ordered chips and salsa and a shrimp salad with a couple of coronas.
What to Eat:
- Camarones: shrimp, prepared in a large number of ways.
- Damiana: an alcoholic drink made from the Damiana plant
- Empanadas de fruta: mini fruit pies usually filled with pineapple, pumpkin and guava
- Jamoncillo: milk candy
- Tacuarines: corn and flour cookies usually in the shape of doughnuts
- Tamales de camaron: tamales with shrimp, wrapped in corn husks
- Mangos: more than 30 varieties of mango can be found in the province of Sinaloa
Books to Read:
- Sweet Spot: A Novel About Mazatlan Carnival, Dirty Politics and Baseball, by Linton Robinson
- Hotel Belmar: The Ghost has a Key, by S.K. Carnes
- (Baja) The Pearl, by John Steinbeck
Photo Guide to Mazatlan:
- El Faro Lighthouse for stunning views
- The Fiesta Land for history and culture
- Clavadista Divers Rock Point to see local cliff divers
- Angela Peralta Theatre
- Continuity of Life Fountain
- Solar Eclipse set for April 24, 2024, visible from Mazatlan
Disclosure: Please refer to our blog disclaimer tab for more information.