Mazatlan is one of Mexico's great Pacific coast cities — a working port with a long beach resort strip, but also a genuine old town that most visitors never bother to explore. It sits on a peninsula in the state of Sinaloa, facing some of the best sunsets on the Mexican coast.
The Centro Historico is the real draw. Restored 19th-century buildings line the streets around the Plazuela Machado, where open-air cafes fill up in the evenings. The Angela Peralta Theatre, a jewel-box opera house from the 1870s, anchors the cultural life of the old town. The cathedral, with its ornate yellow facade, is worth a look even if you are not the church-going type.
The Malecon — the seafront promenade — runs for over 20 kilometres from the old town north along the beach hotel zone. It is one of the longest in the Americas and makes for a good morning walk or run. Along the way you pass the famous cliff divers at El Clavadista, who leap from a rocky outcrop into the surf below.
Mazatlan is also one of the best sport-fishing destinations in Mexico. Marlin, sailfish, and dorado run offshore, and the fleet operates year-round from the marina. The seafood, predictably, is excellent — grilled shrimp, ceviche tostadas, and aguachile are everywhere, and the prices are far lower than in Cabo or Puerto Vallarta.
The beach zone north of the old town (the Zona Dorada) is the tourist strip — resort hotels, souvenir shops, and chain restaurants. It is fine if that is what you want, but the city has much more character south of there.