Mazatlan

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Mazatlan
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Mazatlan, meaning “place of the deer” was founded in 1820. A large group of immigrants arrive from Germany soon after and developed Mazatlan into a thriving commercial seaport.

Mazatlan is an important tourist destination. The beaches are lined with resort hotels and the area is served by a car ferry across the Gulf of California from Mazatlan to La Paz, Baja California Sur.

Carnival is celebrated annually during the week of Ash Wednesday including festivals, balls, and election of a Queen. The festival is second only to the celebration held in Rio de Janeiro.

Until the influx of immigrants in the 19th century the city was only a collection of huts used by local peoples whose primary occupation was fishing. The city has since seen some turbulent times. Torn by wars Mazatlan soon fell under the control of the French under Maximilian.

During the Gold Rush, American fortune hunters sailed form the East Coast to Mexican ports in Gulf of Mexico. They would leave that transportation and trek inland to Mazatlan to leave from that port to move on to San Francisco.

El Fara, Mazatlan's lighthouse was ignited in 1879. It had been crafted in Paris and featured a big oil lamp with mirrors and a Fresnel lens to enhance the light. The light was static and from a distance was often mistaken as a star. In 1905 and revolving lamp was installed and the 1000 watt bulb in use today can been seen from 30 nautical miles. The famous divers perform daring jumps for tips just near the lighthouse.

Many celebrities came to Mazatlan for sports fishing. In the 1970’s many tourist ventures fell into decline as other newer venues opened on the expanses of beach. One of the largest timeshare providers in Mexico, Mayan Resorts was founded in 1975.

As the 21st century begins and renaissance of restoration and entrepreneurial endeavors has been spurred by renewed interest in history. Many once fine homes that had fallen into ruin have been restored.

Visitors are drawn to the Teatro Angela Peralta which is located on the Plazuela Machado. It has been completely restored to 19th century splendor with a concert hall, galleries and an art school with a conservatory of music and dance. The Machado Orchestra and the Sinaloa Symphony perform there regularly and local productions offer a divers e program of touring artists.

The Plazuela Machado seves as a central hub. It is located in Centro Historico and features open air restaurants, pageants, public art exhibits, and a weekly craft fair and nightly entertainment. The only through street is closed to vehicle 2 evenings Thursday through Sunday.

One of the largest celebrations of Carnival in the world culminates on Fat Tuesday. Visitors from all over the world come to experience this bacchanal with parades, cultural events and partying.

For religious history buffs the remains of the foundations of Jesuit missionaries are found all along the banks of the Sinaloa River. In El Nino a life sized figure of San Ignacio is carved out of stone in the El Nino church. The body of the sculpture is gray but the head is of many colors. It is a dressed figure but worshippers cover the body with capes like an embroidered shawl over it.

Locals take the statue and bathe it in the river when they want rain. “When he does not want it to rain he does not allow himself to be carried”, says historian Ramon Hernandez.

The Jesuit’s arrived in 1591 establishing was a sad reminder of the failed Spanish attempts to conquer the area. Gonzalo de Tapia began preaching in the area. He had a gift of languages and in just one month, he was able to make himself understood in two indigenous languages. His preaching of the Gospels, catechisms and hymns created unrest among the local shamans. One of them killed De Tapia and ate him for supper. This could not stop the movement and a big church and school were built by the Compania. Little remains of what the Jesuits did there but the solidity of the work of the Compania with the nearby mineral wealth created a prosperous economy.

The Villa de San Felipe y Santiago was not only a mission town it was a Spanish villa. Nearby Bamoa has colonial houses and buildings but lacks ancient atmosphere.

The last mission village in the region is Tamazula. Tamazula is one of the oldest permanent settlements. The mission was built in the 1600’s. There is nothing left of the mission here except the stories handed down through the centuries.

What do you want from your trip to Mexico? Do you wish to enjoy boat rides from a golden beach or tours of historic sites, such as an Italian style opera house or a stroll through an open air market complete with meat handing from hooks? Would you enjoy a stroll along the boardwalk, an early morning jog, sunning on the beach, or watching the sunset with someone you love? You can have it all in Mazatlan.

Shifting back and forth between the historic and the modern is made easy by the bus transportation system. The fare for a pulmonia from the south end of Mazatlan to the Zona Dorado runs about $7 one way. Pulmonia is the individual transportation of choice. These are souped-up golf carts with a Volkswagen engine. Taxis are a bit cheaper but make certain that you make a deal for price before you get into the cab. It is best to first plan your day so that you are not distracted and miss out on what you really want to experience.

A good place to start is at the south end of the strip, making the 443 foot climb to El Faro, the second highest lighthouse in the world. If you would like to pass on that 45 minute trek a traveler can get the lay of the land from Cerro del Vigia (Lookout Hill). This is the part of town where many of the docks for the sport fishing boats take tourists out for deep sea fishing.

New Mazatlan is a modern area built for the tourist trade. Most of these new resorts have shuttles to take you back and froth between the Golden Zone and their locations.

Playa Los Altas us a small pebbled stretch of surf that attracts teens with boogie boards. There is a shortage of lifeguards however and there is a red flag warning of the danger posed by waves that take boarders into the rocks. Many have died right there.

There are many friendly open-air cafes serving enchiladas, tortas or morning coffee.

One of the better lodging bargains is next to the Shrimp Bucket in Hotel L Siesta. This is a historic building with three levels facing an open courtyard. There are no elevators but the climb is worth it. The large ocean front room had large glass doors offering a beautiful view of the sunset on the ocean.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception dates to the 1800’s. The public market called Centro Mercado introduces newcomers to the fine are of bargaining. As you walk along each beach has its own personality. At Zona Dorado Dairy Queen and Burger King are there as well as endless vendors selling plaster statues of mermaids, puka shell necklaces and bracelets of pastel plastic dolphins. It is here that you can find the effortless place to kick back with food, drink and water sports within a few feet of your beach chair.

Late afternoon you might settle into a hut for beer and oysters. The same tables that you eat burgers and fresh oysters on later become surfaces for dancing until 2 AM and then on to other hot spots to dance and party until 4 am.

Mazatlan is one of those destinations that you leave knowing that you will have to come back to see it all.

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