Mazatlán....who knew?

June 21, 2024

Mazatlán....who knew?

We had never heard of Mazatlán. After a few months in Guadalajara, we were looking for a Pacific Coast beach town to spend a few months. Puerto Vallarta seemed too big and too expensive. The bohemian surf town of Sayulita certainly popped up on the radar, but as we had spent a few months in similar Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca and Montañita in Ecuador in recent years, we kept searching. We also thought about reliving the glory days of the Hollywood stars of the 1940's in Acapulco, but a recent hurricane had almost destroyed the beachfront.

I forget all the other reasons, but the major tourist destination Mazatlán, it was to be.

The Malecón seawall stretches 13 miles along the coast of Mazatlán. The name is derived from the Spanish malacosta or bad coast, probably dating back to the times when the Spanish developed Mazatlán as a port to import equipment and export product from for the nearby gold and silver mines.

The Malecón begins in the Zona Dorada, the high end, heavily touristic high rise hotel zone and ends at our favorite beach, Playa Olas Altas. We went there almost every day for kinda of safe bike riding, beach time or sunset. All the locals and tourists sit on the seawall for happy hour (no open container laws in ole Mexico) and a dramatic sunset every night.

As the Malecón winds along the coast, it follows what was a dirt path in the 19th century. The Malecón has been constantly upgraded and improved over the decades as tourism increased.

Doesn't look very green here, but our blog in-house geologist noticed this deposit of olivine while riding by one day. During yesteryear, when this area had mucho volcanic activity going on, olivine was formed when green crystals from deep within a volcano were trapped in basaltic lava flows. It reminded me of the olivine cinder cone at Hawaii's Green Sand Beach

The Malecón continues on to a lighthouse on that pyramid outcrop in the distance.

Go the other way a few miles and you end up at the Marina. It is the home of a multitude of expat gringos, mainly Canadian it seems. This is where you can hire chartered catamarans, booze cruises and boat taxis out to the various islands

They talk about the cliff divers of Acapulco. They say they do it in Mazatlán from this promontory as well, but it is kind of lame. I guess the old divers are not being replaced by the young people. The young'uns are probably more interested in being influencers.

This picture of a street in the historic center of Mazatlán looks like it was an AI creation, but .....NOT!

There was a big drop off about 10 short feet off shore from Playas Olas Altas. The swimming was enjoyable although it seemed kind of dangerous at times and it was best to remain present.

Giant sea turtles would occasionally wash up on the beach.

Ladies and Gentlemen: The Shows You How Wrong You Can Be Award goes to me for being a Judgey Judy one day at Olas Altas.

The same lifeguard was there everyday. He was late middle-aged and about 30 pounds overweight. I would ponder him puttering along the Malecón on his antique and rickety assed bike and then climb precariously up the antique and rickety assed ladder to his lifeguard stand. One day I remarked to Lilly that there was no way in hell that ole pappy could swim out into those turbulent Pacific waters and save even a goldfish.

Was he just a beach prop or a watchman nearing retirement that would radio first responders if someone really got into trouble?

Well, one day a teenager did get into trouble about 150 yards out. Vendors, tourist police and beach people gathered about and yelled and waved for the boy to swim to shore. He stayed in place with his exposed head disappearing in the trough between the waves. Sure enough, damn if Pappy didn't strap on a flotation device connected to a long cord and enter the surf. A few tense moments later, we gawkers could see that the boy had grabbed the float and Pappy was towing him in to safety.

Goes to Show How Wrong You Can Be.

We would see Pappy almost every day, blowing his whistle at wayward swimmers. We always exchanged a few pleasantries when he was sitting on the wall of the Malecón instead of the lifeguard stand. A few months later, when it was time to move on, I, out of profound guilt, gave him both of our almost brand new bicycles.

Old school fishermen meet the new school hi-rise development cranes.

Along the Malecón they have many whimsical look out points. Here I be jammin' with Cab Calloway.

Another thing to do here is cruise the Malecón in the iconic Pulmonias. These are basically souped-up golf carts with unique designs. They cart tourists up and down the Malecón, blasting the regional tuba/drums/bass heavy music called Banda The tourists, young and old, families and lovers, scream and sing with abandon as they enjoy the no open container laws and lackadaisical seen it all cops.

They say it is quite a sight to behold at night, with the pulmonias flashing their colored lights like miniature individual Mexican discos. Rolling down the Malecón like Pharaohs down the Nile.

Who knew shrimp were a thing in Mazatlán? They are served every which a way: ceviche on tostadas, coconut, diablo or garlic shrimp, skewers etc. A thing to do is visit the Shrimp Ladies and the take the shrimp to little restaurants for them to clean and cook them as you like.

Statues of the Beatles walking across Abbey Road.

A recreation of the Cavern Club in Liverpool, where the Beatles' popularity started. Lennon and McCartney started there ~1958 with a Skiffle band called the Quarrymen. The Beatles, now with Ringo aboard, established themselves as a signature act there in 1961.

Alas, I digress.

We happened to hit town when there was a lot going on. Here some players get ready for the Carnaval parade, this year February 8-13. They say there were over 1 million visitors. Evidently it is the third largest carnaval in the world, behind Rio and New Orleans.

Equally as busy was Easter week, attracting another million visitors. Luckily we had booked our Airbnb, because there was not a extra hotel room to be had.

Then there was an annoying motorcycle rally weekend. Not as big as the one in Sturgis, North Dakota but annoying just the same.

But the real population explosion was the eclipse on April 8, 2024. Again, we had no idea that Mazatlán was going to be the first land stop as the eclipse made its way across North America. Another million or so visitors?

Not a hotel room within miles.

It was mostly sunny with light, fast moving clouds. We went up to the Malecón about an hour before the noon event. People were swimming, kids building sand castles.

As the moon began to eclipse the sun, it slowly got colder and darker. There was a 360 degree sunrise on the margins of the eclipse path. A few stars and planets appeared. People went nuts.

Some birds got a little confused. As it got chillier, I pondered what would have happened if the moon just got stuck in totality. Another Ice Age?

Totality was four minutes long. Half hour after that, it was back to a bright and sunny beach day...people swimming, kids building sand castles. Ho-hum.

After a few months, we moved down to the Historical Center. 523 Vincente Guerrero had a compound with four cool apartments behind that steel door. Most of the other guests were Canadians.

From our breakfast nook on the upper patio in the apartment, I could get a glimpse of the funnel of the cruise ships. Every Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, one or more ships disgorged thousands of pink people for a day shore visit. Mainly Canadians it seemed.

The Gran Acuario Mazatlán is one of the largest in Latin America.

Nice cool, dark and peaceful place to while away a non beach day.

There are a few islands off the coast of Mazatlán that are popular to visit. There are several ways to access them, including the not for the faint of heart swimming out there.

Alas, gentle reader, it was time for our six month Mexican visa to expire and therefore time for us to wander on.

First stop, the Washington DC area to visit Owen and family. Gave everyone a Mazatlán Venados baseball shirt. Then took them back because I needed them for a photo op with another grandchild.

When Giles and Lauren were working, I would bike around the DC area. I started going to DC's museums and such when I was about eight. Later I went to high school and started my family in the area, so there was lots of old stomping grounds to explore.

After ~ a month's visit, it was time to head down to Orange, Virginia to visit grandchild #3 Cooper Lee. Actually, the Airbnb was near Madison, Va. Where was that turnoff again? Oh yeah, left on 603, continue on 609. We got this.

The front porch overlooks the Shenandoah National Park; somewhere between Old Rag Mountain and White Oak Canyon. It has been a decade or two, but I have been visiting these two places since I was around fifteen.