Terrific beach to lay back, wander into the surf, listen to the wandering marachi bands or buy the many products tendered by beach vendors. We love the beach as mentioned previously but this one seemed to have more activity than most. Beach vendors trying to sell their wares every 10-15 minutes provided interesting moments to get out of the sun, plus the waves were very consistent and you were able to go out 50 feet, sit down, and let them wash over you.
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![Beach, Mazatlan - Mexico]()
The Story behind the picture
Vendors did ply their trade, but unless requested, did not bother most anyone. Actually they did add to the beach activities.
John`s Comments
Picture perfect beaches at Mazatlan bring in the tourists from the northern States and Canada during their winter months. Actually quite
pleased as to both the value and surroundings.
John`s Recollections
Many a day the trip was made to travel the two blocks from our accommodation complex to rest, sunbathe and play at the beach area.
There were vendors selling goods on the beach, however not in overbearing numbers and as time went on
they became part of the beach scene and rarely bothered us, unless we were the initiators.
The ocean waves were constant, but not that large, just about right for taking that dip and have them splash over you.
One thing that really impressed me, was that after a few visits the waiter began to bring down the table and chairs
to the ocean so that we could dip our feet in the water. Oh, forgot to say that the drinks arrived also.
The climb up to the lighthouse is rather strenuous however when there the views of the city and countryside are great. The trail is not wheelchair accessible and really one should make sure you are able to climb the many steps to the top of a small hill. View before you try the climb. If you attempt the trip and make it to the top, a fantastic view of the city is there, where the ocean port of Mazatlan is seen with Cruise vessels.
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![El Fero Lighthouse, Mazatlan - Mexico]()
The Story behind the picture
This picture was taken on the way down and very vividly shows the path taken.
Here there is a barricade, however in some spots they were missing.
John`s Comments
Climbing to the top to see "El Faro" is a strenuous task, however when there the
views are just terrific. Just the trip up & down is an experience that one does not forget. The pathway is
quite rough and times seems a little dangerous. The walk should NOT be taken by those that are not physically capable.
John`s Recollections
Bit of a climb but the view was worth it. One should be aware that the trail up & down the mountain does not
always have a barricade and as you can see from the video clip that it is not that great to begin with. The views
however are terrific, you can see the cruise ships from California docked in the harbor, the Sierra Madre mountain
range in the background and also the pollution in the air, all of which were not noticable at our beach location.
Lighthouse is quite basic (also NO snacks) but the view was priceless.
Going away party. Timing is everything, and appropriately as we were aproaching the end of our winter stay, Mazatlan had their beach festival that included the building of sand sculptures and music mariachi bands to entertain the crowds.
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![Beach Party, Mazatlan - Mexico]()
The Story behind the picture
Mariachi band helped to close the night down in style.
John`s Comments
A great day and at our favorite location. The party atmosphere was very evident and attended very well by both the local population
and the snowbird crowd. A long day and even a longer night!
John`s Recollections
For good times together with a great beach this will be hard to beat. Mariachi bands stroll the beach awaiting to entertain
the paying customers. Evenings are a very much a party atmosphere and for those that may not want to miss watching the super bowl,
well the local sports bars will provide that opportunity. Several good restaurants in the area will also satisfy your hunger pains,
however the weather is usually very pleasant in the 70-80F range.
Now here is a trip that will never be forgotten. Windy, narrow roads crossing the Sierra Madres coming from San Antonio, Texas to Mazatlan, Mexico. My wife has said never again will we attempt that, but really if you want a little bit of excitement with excellent mountain top scenery, then this is for you. Passing by small Mexican towns, or even pickup trucks with cows in the back are great experiences, but the views from the mountain tops are priceless.
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![Bus Trip, Mazatlan - Mexico]()
The Story behind the picture
A favorite to me does not always mean that you want to do it over and over. In fact, in this instance the likelyhood of that occurring is very rare indeed. Here it was the terrific views from the mountain top, followed by where every corner you thought about what would happen if the bus crashed. It was as if beauty and danger were together, and you were not sure as to what would occur. One thing for sure, we do remember it vividly and it is brought up in conversations often.
John`s Comments
Even though it appears to be a shorter bus ride to Mazatlan from San Antonio
than Phoenix, beware things are not always as they seem. After leaving Durango
for what appeared to be 2-3 hours by bus we encountered the most treachorous
road that I have ever travelled. It took almost 8 hours from Durango to Mazatlan
and although the hills and curves were very scenic, it seemed as if we were on
a roller coaster for the whole time
John`s Recollections
By far this is the most exciting and treachorous trip that we have ever taken. For the first time I must admit that the scenery overtook any apparent danger. By the end of the trip my stomach felt quite similar to the feeling one had after a roller coaster ride, but this trip was eight hours long. Besides the obvious scenery of the mountains, seeing a cow tied up in the back of a travelling pickup truck and being able to view both sides of the mountain range from the summit created many other memorable scenes.
Although the standard of living is quite different than north of the border, we experienced totally the culture to it`s fullest. The old city does not have the new resorts, but our stay of a couple of days there allowed for an open air market experience ( with lunch and no bad experiences ), a trip to their lighthouse ( El Farro ), and a walk on the waterfront promenade to see the cliff divers. In the golden zone ( six week stay ) we had great restaurants, beaches, and parties around our hotel pool. A great winter vacation.
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![City Sights, Mazatlan - Mexico]()
The Story behind the picture
John`s Comments
Mazatlan, Mexico, where some say it is Christmas every Day. I for one cannot
disagree as the weather, the people, and the beaches are more than you can
expect. Just a super place to spend the winter and economically it was quite
good also.
John`s Recollections
From the hosts who provided a truly authentic mexican dinner to the beautiful beaches this was a superb snowbird winter vacation. Mazatlan has the Golden zone where most of the tourist crowd stays and the old city where historic buildings are the norm as well as the city market.
El Farro, the lighthouse is an unique visit as well as some of the buildings in the old city.
