Home > Travel > Travel Mazatlan beach walk journey of discovery

Travel Mazatlan beach walk journey of discovery

September 8th, 2011 Leave a comment Go to comments

Mexico Take a walk down Mazatlan’s seductive coastline, but be sure to wear comfortable shoes and a hat. And it might be a good idea to carry along a canteen of water as well, because Mazatlan’s nearly 8-mile-long, uninterrupted stretch of beach is the longest in Latin America. Mazatlan’s beaches may not be as beautiful as those in Puerto Angel or Zihuatanejo but they are now much easier to get to from San Antonio thanks to a new package deal offered by Universal Destinations.

And if deep-sea fishing or relaxing by a beach with a margarita is your goal, Mazatlan’s charm could get you hooked.

My recent four-hour walk along the coast of Mazatlan began at one of the city’s finest hotel, the Camino Real, an isolated haven at the very northern stretch of shoreline.

Built upon a rocky promontory, this five-star hotel is worth the extra money. With an immaculate private beach and fabulous seaside restaurant/bar called Chiquita Banana, visitors may not want to ever leave the grounds.

Determined to walk the length of the coastline, I applied half a bottle of sunscreen and headed south on a clear, cool morning.

With a population of 500,000 and more than 140 hotels, Mazatlan is nothing like the tiny fishing village that Spaniards found here in 1531. Located due east of the southern tip of Baja California and directly south of El Paso, the name Mazatlan is from the native Nahuatal language meaning “land of the deer.”

Tourism is the second largest industry now behind fishing and 30 minutes into my stroll, I entered tourists’ heaven (or hell, depending on your perspective).

Mazatlan’s Zona Dorado, or Golden Zone, is a bustling jumble of newly built hotels, shops and sunburned Minnesotans that is indistinguishable from Cancun or Acapulco.

Unfortunately for many first-time tourists, this is all they will ever see of Mexico.

Restaurants, bars and shops have adopted ridiculous names to appeal to the tourists. After strolling past Gringo Lingo Bar and Grill, El Mr. Baby Taco and The Happy Tourist, my brain was telling my feet to pick up the pace. Then I saw the Aleluyas Republic steak house which advertises: “No Ugly Broads Allowed.” That turned my walk into an all-out foot race to flee the Zona Dorado.

While the tourists in the Zona Dorado seemed to be enjoying themselves, many never get to see the “real” Mexico and how Mexicans spend their day-to-day existence.

Escaping the Golden Zone, I climbed atop Punta Camaron, a rocky bluff with a beautiful view of the ocean and the city.

It was about 10 a.m. and the city was still recovering from is raucous 94th annual Carnaval celebration, the world’s third largest Mardi Gras party, after New Orleans and Rio de Janiero.

From my vantage point on the bluff, I could see hundreds of workers sweeping up tons of confetti, broken egg shells and thousands of discarded beer cups from the dusk-to-dawn partying of the night before.

Nearly 300,000 Carnaval-goers dance to countless live bands and watch parades during the six-night celebration. The annual, pre- Lenten party is a great reason to visit Mazatlan, just don’t plan to get much sleep.

While scanning the city’s skyline, I also spied the baseball stadium, home of the Mazatlan Naranjeros (Orange Growers).

Stopping for a cold Tecate at a beachside bar, I asked the bartender if the baseball team was in town.

Smiling, he politely explained that the Pacific Coast League finished its season in December. “But we are very excited because next February, the Caribbean Series will be played here,” he said.

Baseball fanatics should mark Feb. 2-7, 1993, on their calendars. Teams from Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Mexico will battle in the annual, six-day tournament that draws scouts from the major leagues.

Swallowing the rest of my morning beer, I followed the bartender’s directions to Mazatlan’s aquarium, a delightful collection of 52 exhibition tanks and sea lion shows.

Children and adults will enjoy the acuario with its huge outdoor exhibit of crocodiles and alligators.

Back along the oceanfront, I strolled for two more hours beside the crashing waves before deciding to leave the beach and head into an older neighborhood.

Determined to find the “real Mexico,” I left the beachfront and walked up Calle Sixto Osuna.

Handsome colonial buildings, some in renovation, lined the narrow, clean-swept streets.

Tall palm trees swaying in the distance drew me to the beautiful Plaza Machado, the small town square that is the heart of Mazatlan.

The ocean is not visible from here, but one can see life as it has been lived for centuries.

I stopped in at the Cafe Pacifico on the corner of the plaza. The sounds of Lola Beltran and Muddy Waters poured from the sound system and there was not a tourist in sight. I told the bartender of my latest quest to find the best ceviche in all of Mexico.

He directed me to Bahia Mariscos, small, plant-filled courtyard restaurant, that, as the bartender had said, has the coldest beer and best ceviche in Mexico.

Open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., the restaurant is located at 203 Gen. Mariano Escobedo. Take along a book and stay awhile.

After lingering for a couple of hours at Bahia Mariscos, I headed back into the heart of downtown for an hour of wandering through the city’s enormous market. Every visitor to Mazatlan should spend an afternoon here. Forget the Golden Zone. This is place to find bargains on everything from guitars to guayaberas.

Confident that Mazatlan has its own hidden treasures, I stumbled in search of a taxi to haul my weary body back to the hotel.

Staggering in the mid-afternoon sun, I walked into a humble, working-class neighborhood of brightly painted, one-story stone and adobe homes.

Incoming search :


www.fastbet99.org- master agen betting | agen judi bola no.1 di indonesiawww.fastbet99.org - master agen betting | agen judi bola no.1 di indonesia
Categories: Travel Tags: ,
  1. No comments yet.
  1. No trackbacks yet.