Fiesta Land

Mazatlán

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The ostentatious white castle on Punta Camarón at the south end of the Zona Dorada is the undisputed epicenter of Mazatlán’s nightlife. Inside its walls are a half-dozen clubs, including several of the city’s most popular dance spots.

Valentino’s draws a mixed crowd to three dance floors throbbing with hip-hop and Latin music; Bora Bora is popular for its open-air dance floor and lax policy on bar-top dancing; and seasonal Sumbawa Beach Club is the perfect after-hours spot for dancing on the sand, lounging on an oversized mattress or cooling off in the pool.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Rows of shoe shine booths at the Plaza Republica square outside the Church of Immaculate Conception in the historic old town of Mazatlan, Mexico.

    Old Mazatlán

    3.06 MILES

    Mazatlán's restored old town is a picturesque compendium of noble 19th-century buildings and pretty plazas. It's set back from Playa Olas Altas, a small…

  • Plaza Machado

    Plaza Machado

    3.13 MILES

    Surrounded by splendid 19th-century buildings, this gorgeous tree-lined plaza comes alive in the evening, when market stalls pop up, couples stroll hand…

  • Playa Bruja

    Playa Bruja

    5.33 MILES

    North of the Zona Dorada and marinas, 'Witch Beach' was once serene but has seen a flood of high-rise development in recent years. Still, it's one of…

  • Isla de la Piedra

    Isla de la Piedra

    4.09 MILES

    A popular half-day escape from the city, this peninsula (not an actual island) is just southeast of Old Mazatlán and boasts a beautiful, long sandy beach…

  • Teatro Ángela Peralta

    Teatro Ángela Peralta

    3.16 MILES

    Named after a 19th-century soprano and constructed between 1869 and 1874, this 1366-seat theater just off Plaza Machado was a thriving center of local…

  • Museo Arqueológico de Mazatlán

    Museo Arqueológico de Mazatlán

    3.17 MILES

    This absorbing museum focuses on pre-Hispanic Sinaloan civilizations. Among obsidian tools and ceramics, standout exhibits include beautiful Aztatlán…

  • Onilikan

    Onilikan

    0.63 MILES

    This tiny distillery is the only one of its kind, specializing in brewing up mango liquors, which can be sampled here in their pure form or as part of a…

  • El Faro

    El Faro

    4.36 MILES

    At the Mazatlán peninsula’s southern end, a prominent rocky outcrop is the base for this lighthouse, which is 135m above sea level. Join the locals either…

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Nearby Mazatlán attractions

1. Playa Las Gaviotas

0.33 MILES

Many of Mazatlán's hotels are on this long strip of sand. Sheltered by picturesque islands, the waters here are generally calm and ideal for swimming and…

2. Onilikan

0.63 MILES

This tiny distillery is the only one of its kind, specializing in brewing up mango liquors, which can be sampled here in their pure form or as part of a…

3. Playa Sábalo

1.27 MILES

One of Mazatlán's better beaches, Playa Sábalo extends north of the Zona Dorada and is backed by several luxury hotels.

4. Acuario Mazatlán

1.35 MILES

One of Mexico’s largest aquariums has tanks with hundreds of species of freshwater, pelagic and reef fish, a display of skeletons, and birds and frogs in…

6. Playa Norte

2.5 MILES

Flanked by a broad malecón (beach promenade) popular with joggers and strollers, the golden sands of Playa Norte begin just north of Old Mazatlán. Fishing…

7. El Clavadista

2.87 MILES

Although not as famous nor as spectacular as Acapulco's cliff divers, local clavadistas cast their bodies from a couple of platforms at the eponymous…

8. Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción

3.03 MILES

At the center of the old town is this striking 19th-century Romanesque and neo-Gothic melange of a cathedral with yellow twin towers. The dramatic…