Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Mazatlan has a wonderful layout.  It was set up in such a way that you could walk or drive all over to see the sites and not have to go into the 'commercial' part of the city.  There is a roadway that boarders the 'Malecon', or boardwalk, that goes for miles right beside the beach and ocean, it was spectacular.  You can travel along here from the Hotel Zone, all the way along, past Old Mazatlan to El Faro. 

This photo is along that Malecon, near Old Mazatlan on the way to 'El Faro', the lighthouse that you can just barely see atop the mountain in the distance.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Along the Malecon...
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

One day we decided to climb up to El Faro.  It was quite a great climb, especially since we did not stick to the main path and took what we thought was a more direct and shorter route.  We ended up having to literally climb back down a cliff to get back on the main path.  However, some of the pictures we got from the 'off the beaten path' part were just gorgeous.

Mazatlan's El Faro is supposedly the second highest lighthouse in the world. 
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

The next number of pictures are of the gorgeous view as we climb up to El Faro.  This is the entrance to the harbour.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

This was one of the pictures we took when we were 'off the beaten path'.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

If you look way off in the distance you will see three other people that went off the main path also...Even further in the distance you can see the City of Mazatlan.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

And here is El Faro, the lighthouse, at the top of the hill.  The view up here was outstanding!
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

This is a great shot, it shows a lot of the City of Mazatlan, the coast on the left and the harbour and marina on the right.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

When we got to El Faro we found these two relaxing in the shade.  Mom chewing on her bone while Junior takes a nap.  Very cute puppy, very scary looking, but friendly Mom.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Ok, we admit, going down was sure a lot easier than climbing up.  It was worth the effort though as you can see from the pictures.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

We are now back on level ground, you can see El Faro in the distance.  We took our scooters and continued our tour, we are now over by the inner harbour, along another boardwalk.

This area is where small tour boats, the ferries to Baja and the cruise ships dock.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

We get such a kick out of all of the vendors.  They sell all kinds of food, from ice cream, to coconut (right out of the shell) to fruit drinks and more.  Aren't their carts neat?  The one you see in the foreground is a three wheel bike with a table and canopy on it.  These vendors are all over ,selling all kinds of things, we really enjoyed seeing them around.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Along the Malecon again heading away from El Faro and along the edge of Old Mazatlan.  This particular bay and beach, called Playa Olas Atlas, is where the original tourist development occurred in Mazatlan with hotels and cafes lining the strip.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

We took this picture for all of our fellow Canadians out there!  This was a Restaurant and Bar along the Malecon, with a gorgeous view of the ocean and harbour.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

This is a great shot of the Malecon, you are looking back towards El Faro and Old Mazatlan.  Do you see why we like it here?
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

This is looking in the opposite direction towards the city.  Take note of the tall rock outcrop to the left of the flag pole and see the next photo.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Timing is EVERYTHING!!  This young man is a cliff diver.  He has to time his dive very carefully with the waves below.  He also has to dive way out, over and away from the cliff below, AND he has to swim ashore without getting swept into the rocks below.  Incredible!
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

We are not sure what this building was, however, we thought it was just beautiful, so we took a picture of it.  Notice the domes and the wonderfully bright colours.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Walking along the beach in front of the RV park was just gorgeous.  Most of the tourist zone was between the RV park and the Malecon to the south.  It was great for strolling both on the beach and on the street.  And we had lots of  people watching opportunities. 

Swimming was very popular here, and the water was so warm and clear.  We just loved it.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Sunset from the RV park.  Soooo beautiful!
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

While walking along the street in the hotel zone we saw this huge tree trunk.  We walked up to the entrance of the hotel to check it out.  What you are seeing here is the upper half, the tree goes all the way down to the lower, street level of this hotel.  It was just HUGE!  We asked if it was real, and much to our surprise, it was not.  It sure looked real, they did a great job, and it really grabbed our attention.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

There were all kinds of 'tourist' type things to do in Mazatlan, parasailing, jet skiing and riding the tube behind a boat just to name a few.  It was a great place and had something for everyone.  We quickly felt like we were on vacation, so we decided that we would pretend to be on vacation and have some fun.  The only difference is that we could stay and eat in Mazatlan for a fraction of the price that we would have paid for any other type of vacation in Mazatlan.  It was so neat to be able to experience everything, at our leisure.  That's why we ended up staying for a month.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

On the beach, along the hotel strip.  Some of the hotels were just gorgeous.  The one to the immediate right and forefront of the picture was one of our favourites.  We got into this great habit of going for an evening walk along the street, through the lobby of a hotel and back up the beach to the RV Park.  Over a number of weeks we slowly worked our way through most of the hotel lobbies, bars and pool areas that were near the RV park.  It was a neat thing to do, and we got to see a number of really beautiful places.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Here are a couple more 'tourist' type things to do.  You could rent a catamaran, with captain, or take a ride on this amphibious vehicle, the one with the teeth in the foreground. 
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

We are not sure if we could come up with the right words for 'Old' Mazatlan.  The square was one of the very best we have seen, the church was gorgeous, the town itself was very quaint and the market was unbelievable.  It is so hard to describe.  Enjoy the next series of pictures of wonderful, Old Mazatlan.

This was a part of the 'Zocalo' or square.  A Dad and his children feeding the pigeons.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

This is the magnificent  'Catedral Basilica de la Purisima Conceptcion' (in English, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception), dating from 1856 and located right beside the town square.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

The Cathedral...
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Inside the Cathedral.  Marble tile floors, floor to ceiling pillars, gorgeous ornate finishing and paintings.  Magnificent height and size...how do we even begin to put into words what we saw.  Please look closely.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Outside the church in the courtyard, feeling very small after being in and around the Cathedral.
 

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Also in the courtyard, outside of the church across the street from the square. 

In May, Part 2 you will see many more photos of the magnificent square with trees, fountains, benches, and some more shots of Old Mazatlan.  Stay tuned...

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