Visitors come to Mazatlan for the beautiful beaches and Mexican hospitality. It provides a relaxing retreat for visitors from California and further afield. Yet it is a vibrant area, full of culture and unique attractions that often get overlooked. Read on as we discuss the unique sites any visitor to Mazatlan should see.
Angela Peralta Theatre
The nightlife in Mazatlan is vibrant. It has a range of clubs and bars that nestle on the Pacific Ocean. The abundance of casinos has recently been buoyed by the influx of new players through the online casino boom. The industry has managed to grow using casino no-deposit bonuses, allowing people to try out games for free. Once they have got to grips with the many titles on offer, they often try their hand in brick-and-mortar establishments. The increase in footfall has had a knock-on effect, enhancing the food, drink, and dance scene in Mazatlan.
For those looking for a culture before the excitement of the night ahead, the Angela Peralta Theatre is a must-see venue. Angela Peralta was a soprano, harpist, and pianist loved in Mexico. However, her life was a long one of tragedy, far too complex to explain in detail. It involved failed marriages, affairs, public scorn, and crippling yellow fever that ended her career.
The theatre itself has had just as chequered a past. Built in 1874 as the Rubio, during the twenties it fell into decline. It became a cinema and showed live boxing matches. Rendered unsafe and unusable, a huge renovation in the nineties turned it back into the glorious theatre it is today.
El Faro de Mazatlan
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The port city of Mazatlan has one of the most dramatic landscapes in Mexico. The pinnacle of its winding coast is Cerro del Creston, a landmass that stretches out to sea. Atop this sits El Faro de Mazatlan, one of the highest lighthouses in the world.
Built in 1879, it uses an oil-burning lamp that magnifies its light using mirrors and a fresnel lens. At first, it was created with a static signal and was often thought to be a star. In 1905 movement was added with a rotating signal. When you arrive, don’t be disappointed at the scale of the building. Its elevation is derived from the height of the rocky outcrop it sits on. The building itself is only about two stories high.
Las Labradas
Las Labradas is a short drive away from Mazatlan. It is a stretch of coast looking over the Gulf of California, littered with Petroglyphs. These are small rock art pictures that were left by civilizations from long ago.
It is believed they were put there by the Toltec empire. Dating back to the ninth and tenth centuries, they existed after the Olmecs but before the Aztecs. It is not the only site of its kind either, with plenty of others dotted along this beautiful stretch available to visit.
Mazatlan is more than just a seaside resort. It is steeped in history, much of which is overlooked. If you are visiting, take the time to enjoy some of the cultural treasures on offer and see a different, unique side to Mexico’s history.
