Stone Island — Isla de la Piedra — is not really an island anymore. It is a long sandy peninsula that the highway no longer connects to, but pangas still cross from the south end of the old town to a landing on the inland side. The crossing takes five minutes and costs almost nothing.
The beach on the far side is the longest in the Mazatlan area — sixteen kilometres of pale sand, palm-fringed, with simple seafood palapas every few hundred metres. The water is shallow and warmer than in the Zona Dorada, and on weekdays in the off-season there will be more pelicans than people. Bring small bills for the panga return and for lunch.