Mazatlan has a long string of beaches running north from the old town along the Malecon and into the hotel zone. Olas Altas is the original tourist beach, small and tucked under the headland; Playa Norte runs the longest stretch and is where joggers go in the morning; Playa Gaviotas and Playa Sabalo front the Zona Dorada and are where most resort guests end up. The water is the open Pacific — usually swimmable, but the surf can build and there are no lifeguards on most stretches.
Stone Island (Isla de la Piedra), reached by a five-minute panga ride from the south end of town, has the longest and quietest beach in the area — palm-fringed, far less developed than the city beaches, and lined with simple seafood palapas.