Mazatlán is a city on Mexico's Pacific coast in the state of Sinaloa, directly across from the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. Its name comes from the Nahuatl language meaning "place of deer." Founded by the Spanish in 1531, the city spent its early years as a base for smugglers and pirates before developing into a major manufacturing hub in the late 19th century — including the Cervecería del Pacífico brewery, opened by German immigrants in 1900 and still producing Pacifico beer today.
After WWII, Mazatlán became a tourism draw for American sport fishermen, earning the title "Pearl of the Pacific." The city struggled through the 1980s and 1990s when cartel violence devastated tourism, but has invested significantly in visitor safety and infrastructure since. Today's Mazatlán is a city in genuine renaissance — particularly the beautifully restored Old Mazatlán (Centro Histórico), with its colonial plazas, art galleries, bistros, and cafes. A growing number of American and Canadian expats have settled here, drawn by affordable real estate and cost of living.
The city has two distinct personalities: Zona Dorada (the Golden Zone) at the north end with the best beaches and nightlife, and Old Mazatlán near the cruise port with colonial architecture and cultural depth. Both are worth exploring.
Check out these excursions in Mazatlán.