Mazatlán boasts the longest stretch of uninterrupted beach in Mexico. Since it is located along a main migratory route, Mazatlán is a haven not only for sun-worshippers, but bird-watchers as well. Nature lovers will like Acuario Mazatlán (Mazatlán Map E-5/6), home to over 250 species of fish. The aquarium, which is committed to conservation of endangered species, houses an auditorium, botanical gardens and an aviary. A sea lion show is held three times daily.
Sportfishing draws visitors from around the world for marlin, mahi-mahi, swordfish and tuna, with peak months being March through December. You can arrange for a charter through your hotel or at El Cid Marina Aries Fleet. Bass anglers head for the foothills of the Sierra Madre and the freshwater lakes there.
Golf is available at the El Cid (Mazatlán Map D-2) and at Estrella del Mar (Mazatlán Map G-5), located near the airport. For baseball fans there is the Teodoro Mariscal (Mazatlán Map E-5). The season runs from October through January. On Sundays bullfights are held at 4:00 in the Bullring (Mazatlán Map E-4) from Christmas until Easter. Charreadas (rodeos) are held year-round.
Save enough time to visit the historical sights of Mazatlán. In Old Mazaltán see the beautiful restored Italianate Teatro Angela Peralta. Try to catch a performance, and you will marvel at the acoustics as well as the talent. Both the Catedral, with its baroque interior, and the older Iglesia de San José are worth a visit. The Iglesia is built on the side of Cerro de la Nevería (Ice Box Hill), so named for the imported ice stored there in a carved tunnel during the 19th century.
Plaza Machado is the city's historic center and the site of the annual Carnival Celebration-a festival likened to Rio's Mardi Gras. Be sure to visit this stately plaza that attracts artists and intellectuals alike.
Stop in at Mercado Central, originally built as a bullring in 1895, to purchase local market goods, regional crafts or a selection of spices as gifts. The architecture is classic fin de siglo.