Mazatlan Vacation Rentals   (10 Vacation Rentals)

MEXonline.com Online Guide to Mexico: Mazatlan is a destination with a split personality. Despite the importance of its visitor industry, Mazatlan remains very much its own city. It nicely balances its double indentity as Mexico's largest commercial port while being one of the country's most popular beach resorts. Mazatlan is Mexico's second largest coastal city (after Acapulco), with nearly 600,000 inhabitants. It has the largest port facility between Los Angeles and the Panama Canal, and is home to Latin America's biggest fleet of commercial shrimp vessels (over 800 boats). Nearly 40 tons of shrimp are processed each year, making Mazatlan "the shrimp capital of the world". Mazatlan has many events and festivities during the year. Carnival, in February, brings the cities colorful lifestyle to the forefront as thousands of costumed celebrants throng the resort's streets & beaches making Mazatlan's mardi gras the third largest in the world. Fishing and other sporting tournaments, as well as cultural events and various Mexican holidays fill out the year. Mazatlan has three distinct zones. The port and downtown area, Old Mazatlan, are at the southern end of a peninsula that separates the Pacific from an enormous saltwater estuary. To the north some four miles is the Zona Dorada (the golden zone), home to nearly all of Mazatlan's visitor attractions and beach hotels. Between the two is a long curved stretch of mostly underveloped beach that serves as a sort of buffer between the port and resort zone.This separation allows the resort community to co-exist nicely with one of Mexico's busiest commercial ports. Since the 1950's Mazatlan has been a major cog in Mexico's visitor industry. Cancun and Ixtapa were deserted sandbars when Mazatlan began earning a reputation for affordable and friendly fun-in-the-sun. The resort grew up hosting weary American motorists who found it a welcome oasis on their journey south. As air service improved, the resort became a mainstay of Mexico's burgeoning tourism industry. In fact, Mazatlan has probably introduced more Americans and Canadians to Mexico than any other resort.
About Mazatlan, Mexico: Mazatlan (Mah-Saht-LAHN), "place of the deer", is Mexico's second largest coastal city (after Acapulco). This destination nicely balances its double identity as México's largest commercial port and as one of the country's most popular beach resorts. A long curved stretch of mostly underdeveloped beach separates the resort community from Mexico's busiest commercial port. This allows the two areas to co-exist nicely without interference. Since the 1950's Mazatlan has been a major strength in Mexico's tourism industry. This resort has probably introduced more Americans and Canadians to Mexico than any other resort.Cancun and Ixtapa were deserted sandbars when Mazatlan began earning a reputation for affordable and friendly fun-in-the-sun. As air service improved, the resort became more popular and has continued to flourish since. Mazatlan boasts miles of wide sandy beaches with rolling surf (quite similar to the beaches of Southern California). These beaches are lined with open-air bistros and bars.This resort has many events and festivities during the year. Mazatlan's Mardi Gras, in February, is the third largest in the world. Visitors can attend the bullfights every Sunday during the winter, or gaze at the second highest lighthouse in the world (Gibraltar has the highest).For the sports enthusiast, Mazatlan offers the usual variety of watersports along with some of the world's finest deep sea fishing. Surfing is excellent as is hunting for waterfowl. Mazatlan has the largest port facility between Los Angeles and the Panama Canal, and is home to Latin America's biggest fleet of commercial shrimp vessels (over 800 boats). Nearly 40 tons of shrimp are processed each year, making Mazatlan "the shrimp capital of the world". The sea's reputation as "the greatest fishing trap in the hemisphere" has made Mazatlan a premier destination for sports fishermen. Mazatlan has warm tropical weather year round. Annual average temperature: 77 degrees F or 27 degrees C. Generally, rains fall and temperatures rise from June through October, leaving November through May as the more temperate, drier season.