Escape to Mazatlan

Mazatlan has literally miles of great sand beaches, so you can be in crowds or in isolation -- whatever you choose. As the shrimp capital of the world, the restaurants offer up pounds of succulent shrimp, cooked in many different ways. New Mazatlan and Emerald Bay are nothing short of gorgeous. The "Pulmonia" small taxis are cheap, quick, and FUN!! Gold is sold by the pound...no matter what the setting!

Quick Tips:

Unless you plan to think about timeshare, RUN past the timeshare people at the airport. They will offer free taxi in exchange for the "talk" and get very angry if you refuse. Don't buy from the hawkers on the beach, because Mazatlan is trying to change that practice and reinvent itself. Coupons for free margaritas get you pretty watery margaritas.

Best Way To Get Around:

The "Pulmonia." They will take you anywhere and everywhere, and they cost much less than taxis. They are always there when you need them.

Best Things Nearby:
Miles of beach, El Cid Golf Course

Best Things About the Resort:
The accommodations are luxurious and top-notch. The staff is plentiful and so very attentive. Great restaurant on the premises and an adorable bar. Two fabulous swimming pools.

Resort Experience:
This is a "smaller" timeshare with only 258 units. It is built into four colonial-style buildings that are each only four stories high, so it is not the high-rise atmosphere. The halls are all open-air walkways. There are sprawling grounds with lawns, decks, sculptures, fountains, a flamingo/swan pool, and immaculate gardens. There is an on-site fitness center and full spa that offers massages. The main pool is enormous and beautifully built, featuring a bar totally enclosed by the pool, a jacuzzi that is the same, and a shelf where lounge chairs sit submerged in water. The smaller pool is also beautiful, with its half swim-up bar. There is a large jacuzzi to the side. The restaurant has nothing short of fabulous food, and there is also room service 24/7. The food at the pool bars is also just amazing. Kelly's Bar is all decorated in something out of a Humphrey Bogart movie and is a friendly gathering place. The on-site Super Deli has everything you can possibly want, including two computers with Internet access. This resort feels like a very high-end luxury spa resort, rather than a timeshare. It is located about 15 minutes by bus from the Gold Zone, but it runs its own buses every hour, dropping guests off at the Club Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan.

• Unit Type: Studio
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Excellent

The seafood at Los Arcos is some of the best we have had in a very long time. The lobster, served cut in half, is to-die-for and not expensive. Their house specialty is marlin-stuffed shrimp wrapped in bacon. It was so good that we went back a second time just to have it again. There are Los Arcos Restaurants in Culiacan (home restaurant), Mexico City, Tijuana, Los Cabos, and several other cities in Mexico, BUT all the seafood that they serve is carefully processed through their home plant in Culiacan to ensure that it is the best and is fresh. Good enough for two visits in a week!

This beautiful restaurant has a beautiful outdoor patio, as well as a large dining room. Many people did dress casually, but it has a very fine-dining feel. They have a themed buffet every evening, but we ate off the menu. The food was outstanding. Local wine from Mexico was excellent as well.

This is the newest of the Anderson family restaurants in Mazatlan. We dined on the outside deck, where we watched the Golden Zone come to life for the evening. As with every restaurant in Mazatlan, they have excellent shrimp dishes, but they also serve wonderful barbecued ribs. The food was very good.

This is a place for FUN as well as food. A balloon man came and created headgear for us to wear as we dined. There was a birthday party going on near us. This is a great, fun place for kids. The waiters amuse as they do their work. The food lives up to the Anderson family reputation and is very good. We did not stay for the live music and late night activities, but Senor Frog's is geared for late-night parties.

This popular restaurant is on a picturesque square in Old Mazatlan. We were early and were fortunate enough to get a seat outside so we could watch the activities of people in the square. The meal was excellent, and the ambiance is wonderful.

This was a real treat! This open-air restaurant, right on Cerritos Beach, is popular with the locals. We went on a Sunday afternoon, when they have a live band. They serve huge portions of shrimp, cooked in many different sauces, and shrimp cocktails that are huge. They do have ribs and meat dishes as well. This is a festive, fun, and yummy experience, and one that we will have again if we return to Mazatlan! It is not in the guidebooks, and when we were there, we were the only Americans in the place.

This is the highest natural lighthouse in the world still in operation. The only higher natural lighthouse was Gibraltar, which does not operate. A pulmonia dropped us at the base near Mazatlan harbor. We climbed a steep but easy path, plus steps up the 157 meters to the top. The view from the lighthouse is awesome, with the natural harbor, the city, the beaches, and the three islands. It is a nice little bit of exercise and a fun diversion.

As soon as we arrived in Mazatlan, we felt the general air of fun. Tourists and locals alike just seem to be happy, relaxed, and friendly. While there are guidebook recommendations of places to eat, we are convinced that it would be difficult to have a bad meal, especially if you stick to shrimp, since it is the shrimp capital of the world. Even the beach shacks along the boulevard between Old Mazatlan and the Gold Zone look as if they have good food. You also cannot have an expensive meal, unless you go to Senor Pepper for steaks!

On this trip, we did not take the tours to the outlying villages and sites that the guidebooks discuss, because we decided that we will go back. From people that we talked with, however, we recommend renting a car and taking some of those tours yourself. The roads are good, and you will be able to stop where YOU want to stop, not where the buses stop so you can shop, whether you want to or not.

If you like walking beaches, this is the place for you, because you can literally walk for miles on the beach.

Mazatlan is trying to reinvent itself and clean itself up. It is a historic city with a long past.