The Golden Zone.....what a place. This is nothing like any town in the States thats's for sure. If you wanna feel how it is to live like the Mexicans do without being hassled on the streets....visit Mazatlan's Golden Zone. There are plenty of eateries, small little food corners were the prices are really cheap. The tacos are awesome! The peole are freindly....of course not everyone speaks English so make sure u know a bit of the language. A little goes a long way! There are a lot of clubs & shopping place to go. The nite life was fun...although were there after Easter week, there was still some action @ the clubs/bars. But I bet for sure this town was busy & partying in the weeks of spring break. There were a lot of motorcycle riders there that week after Easter? They were everywhere. The weather was awesome too!
If you are traveling with friends, make sure you check out Joe's Oyster bar, BoraBora, VAlentinos...Mambo Cafe (other side of town) & you have to try the local food! It was really good! Most of the bars have a $5-6 dollar cover but it usually comes with 2 beers....so it's not bad. You'd pay $1 extra if you wanted to get a mix drink instead. It seemed that a lot of the locals hang out @ Joes' Oyster Bar? We were a little bit surprised on how many "locals" there were @ the club. The music @ all th clubs we went to were fun...a lot of hip-hop, raggaeton, salsa....if you're heading to Mexico you have to like one of those music. Onw thing we weren't crazy about was the Banda music....it's hard to dance to also!
But yeah----there is defintely enoght stuff to do @ the Golden Zone! It's not as congested & touristy as PVR....but if you like to feel the culture & be away from too too many tourist spots....visit this place! Oh & it's right on the beach too!

I just returned from Mazatlan. It is really hot in September, but that meant that the water was warm enough to swim at 9:30 am or 9:30 pm.

We bought a fishing package with ProTeam Sportfishing. We were pleased that it is owned and managed by an American. The owner actually met us when we arrived in Mexico and made sure that everything went as planned. The hotel (Balboa Club) was small and intimate and right on the beach.

The fishing boat was at the new marina. There is an old port that doesn't have docks and the boats are pretty ratty. I guess that is why they are cheaper for a fishing trip. The Proteam boats are clean and organized. The Mexican crew spoke some English and handled the boat and fish like they knew what they were doing.

Our group chose ProTeam partly because they release the billfish you catch. At the end of the day, we saw another tourist group getting their pictures made beside a once beautiful blue marlin hanging on the dock. One woman asked, "Now what do we do with it?" A fine time to ask that !

The only thing more relaxing than the amazing view of a colorful sunset over the ocean would be an hour long massage at CHRISTINE'S.  Unfortunately you can't enjoy both simultaneously as the massage takes place in a small room inside what appears to be a coffee shop and internet cafe.  But just close your eyes and imagine different scenery as ISUARO works his magic fingers on your aching muscles (and believe me, he finds ALL the problem spots!)  The place is easy to miss as it sits back several yards from Ave. Del Mar in the Plaza Balboa (right next to Subway). The only clue to the delightful experience awaiting you is a sign advertising $25 FOR AN HOUR LONG MASSAGE! Compared to the $40 offered by most of the resort spas). They only have room for two people (in seperate rooms) at a time, so it's best to make an appointment.  Isuaro worked on me and it was obvious he is a master of his craft and extremely knowledgeable in muscle and tendon care.  My friend had J.P. and actually fell asleep during the massage! (I had to go in and wake her up when the massage was over!)  Both of us are
ready to fly back to Mazatlan just for the massages! You are sure to enjoy your experience at Christine's without the worries of emptying your pocketbook (just beware of the street vendors and all the beautiful hand-crafted souvenirs you'll pass on the way to your massage appt.)!

We love Mazatlan so much we just keep going back. Anywhere we go, we find the people lovely and helpful. We have gone there 3 times and can't wait to go back.