The Plazuela Machado is the centre of the old town and the place to start an evening in Mazatlan. The square is small, wrapped by arcaded buildings painted ochre, pink, and pale blue, and shaded by enormous laurel trees. The cafes and bars set tables under the arcades and out into the square itself; on Friday and Saturday nights, mariachi bands and trios cycle from table to table.
The square was Mazatlan's original heart but had collapsed into near-dereliction by the 1990s. The restoration of the surrounding buildings began in 2001 and is the reason the Centro Historico has come back to life. Pedro Infante, Casa Machado, and the Beach Hotel all face the plaza; the Teatro Ángela Peralta is half a block away.