Mazatlan, Mexico: Restored Historic Centro, Pacific Beaches, and Malecón Life

El Centro Histórico is the oldest part of Mazatlan and the neighborhood that has benefited most from the city's restoration program, begun in the 1990s and still active. The Ángela Peralta Theater — a nineteenth-century opera house of considerable architectural quality, fully restored to operating condition after decades of abandonment — is on Carnaval Street and gives guided tours when not in performance. The cathedral on the main plaza was begun in 1856 and completed in two phases; its twin Moorish-Gothic towers are the city's most recognizable landmark from the harbor approach. The pedestrianized lanes around the market and the plazuela Machado contain the highest concentration of cafes and independent restaurants in the city.

The Malecón, Mazatlan's seafront promenade, extends for 21 kilometres along the shoreline — the longest Malecón in Mexico — from the historic center north through the Hotel Zone to Sábalo Country, linking the Olas Altas beach area, the old lighthouse (El Faro, reachable by a 15-minute climb and one of the highest lighthouses in the world on a natural promontory), and the continuous strip of beachfront hotels, restaurants, and beach access points. Olas Altas, at the southern end near the historic center, is the city's original resort beach — a crescent of darker Pacific sand with consistent swell and a row of palapa restaurants facing the water.

The Mazatlan market (Mercado Pino Suárez), four blocks from the cathedral, is a working municipal market with a seafood section selling the shrimp, oysters, and fish from Mazatlan's fishing fleet. The city is one of Mexico's major shrimping ports, and the large Pacific white shrimp (camarón blanco del Pacífico) available at the market and at restaurants is frequently cited as among the finest in Mexico; preparations range from grilled whole to the aguachile (raw shrimp cured in lime and chili) for which Sinaloan coastal cooking is known. The birria de res, goat, and beef tacos at the market stalls are a morning staple.

Isla de la Piedra — Stone Island — is a narrow peninsula with a long Pacific beach accessible by small boat from the tourist pier, a 10-minute crossing. The beach is quieter than the Malecón and has a row of beachfront palapa restaurants serving the same Sinaloan seafood at lower prices than the hotel zone. Horse rental is available for riding the length of the beach. The beach clubs at the northern end cater to day-trippers from the cruise ships; the southern sections are more local and less organized. The Sierra Madre Occidental mountains rising behind Mazatlan are visible from most points on the coast on clear mornings.