Mazatlan, Mexico - Malecon, El Faro, Cerritos (December 2024)

Mazatlan has the Malecon or boardwalk that is claimed to be one of the longest in the world. It stretches 21 km or 13 miles along the beach. It ends at a small plaza pictured above. People run, jog, walk, and hang out on the Malecon, while others stroll the beach on bare feet. It is definitely one of the landmarks of Mazatlan.

At this small plaza is a white building that looks like a small castle, but it is a discotheque called Terraza Valentino. For a while, it was out of business, but it is now open for business with bright lights at night.

Almost every morning, I took a Green Bus, costing 12.5 MX pesos for each ride, and went down to the State of Fisherman on the Mazatlan Malecon. Nearby was a plaza where people gather for yoga, ocean swimming, aerobic dancing, and body workout. 

From there, I jogged for 15 minutes northbound and walked all the way to El Cid Granada where I took the Green Bus again to return to El Cid Marina. It was a fairly good routine that lasted for 90 minutes, It helped keep my body rhythm. On the way, I enjoyed seeing the oceanview as well as a few monuments I passed by on the way up north.

Almost every Saturday, there was a marathon or a bicycle race like this one. Roads were closed and bus routes were detoured, but I was able to walk anyway.

One morning, Chester joined me on this morning routine, but he preferred not to continue the workout. 

One day, Kristin and I made out to the Malecon for a sunset view along with other people. We hung out at one of many beach-side bars and enjoyed the view and watching people. It was fun. 

Another day, I bumped into another guest at El Cid Marina and we took the same Green Bus and I decided to climb El Faro to the top. His name was Yuri, originally from Slovakia and he and his wife now live in Canada. I enjoyed te panoramic view of Mazatlan from the top of the mountain. There was a newly developed Zipline to the Observatory, but I deferred the ride until next year.

Mazatlan started from a small fishing village where the port is located now. As the population grew, the first beach town was developed at Olas Atlas. The city expanded to the north and formed Zona Dorada or Golden Zone where many hotels and commercial shops were established. This Golden Zone was up to El Cid Marina where we stayed. Afterward, further developments were made in an area now called Cerritos. Some hotels and resorts have been built and several are still under construction. But, I could not find many commercial infrastructures. I took a bus and got off at the last destination called Punta Cerritos. There were several shops by a small beach. I walked back and made a stop at Vacation Internationale Torre Mazatlan, a timeshare resort. It was cozy and quiet. Perhaps we will explore it next time. 

Our three-week stay in Mazaatlan ended with a week-long without all-inclusive plan. Kristin cooked two meals a day for a week and we enjoyed this time as well. Since we will return to this place for several years at least, we feel a lot closer to this city than in the past. But, for now, farewell, Mazatlan! - Jeffrey

Mazatlan, Mexico - Observatory (December 2024)

 

Charlene and Chester bought memberships with El Cid Vacation Clubs and received a few perks, including the tour to Mazatlan Observatorio. The tour included several points of interest, but the highlight was the sunset at the end of our tour. It created several beautiful sceneries from different angles.

Even before the sunset, the view was panoramic, particularly the view to the El Faro.

While we were waiting for the perfect moment for the setting sun, we observed a few interesting objects such as this peacock and the iguana land or Tierra Iguana.

The actual observatory was an old building used not for space observation but to watch out for invaders. The inside was exhibited with a few artifacts of interest, but not quite impressive.

The Observatory housed a bird sanctuary where several species of birds had been rescued from danger. They included flamingos, toucans, and parrots. They were quite friendly and flew to land on people. 

A small garden full of desert plants was quite unique to the overall surroundings in Mazatlan. 

The Observatory Tour also included a tour of MUNBA or Museo Nacional de Balleta or Whale Museum. The museum exhibited several species of whale skeletons and interesting facts about these marine mammals. The evolution theory was somewhat unrealistic, but who knows.

 

Our tour ended with a short ride to the street level by a funicular. We rode a van to return to El Cid Marina.

This tour was informative about their interest in and commitment to conserving nature. - Jeffrey