Surf, Sun, and Seafood in the Golden Zone of Mazatlán

Mazatlán can romance you with its Old Town and excite you with its excursions of adventure, but for many it’s simply the surf, sun, and seafood. And Mazatlán’s Golden Zone offers all three.

Surf Class in the Golden Zone

I always wanted to surf Mazatlán. I road tripped once form Mazatlan to San Blas to surf the waves of Nayarit, but never the paddled out to enjoy the offering of the Golden Zone. That was all about to change.

surf boads on the sands of Mazatlan

We showed up for our surf lessons, picked up our boards, and met our instructor. Surf Class was about to begin.

For a many it was the first time out. For me, well I’ve been surfing almost 15  years, but not much in the last five. My prime, years earlier on the coast of Costa Rica seemed eons ago, so the refresher helped.  We all enjoyed the basic on land instruction of how to ‘pop-up” and stand on the board.

Then we paddled out and I passed the break first and dropped into a few waves. Some good rides put a smile on my face. Then, after a few hours and a dozen plus waves, I decided to paddle into one last wave and head back to the beach. Lunch time. And time for a cerveza (beer).

Mazatlán Seafood

In the pacific coast city known internationally for its shrimp industry, visitors can find “camarones” on every menu in town, but you can also find fresh Oysters. Remember it’s nicknamed the ‘Pearl of the Pacific.’ And where do you find pearls? Oysters.

Oysters are delicious.

So after the satisfying surf, I headed to the main street to pick up an ochito (an 8-pack) of Pacifico and to compliment it, we ordered two dozen oysters. At first, people hesitated. Are they fresh? Are they safe? But as I learned back when I discovered Mazatlán and its oysters for the first time they are delicious. I ate more than my share.

So the seafood is safe. Are the Beaches of Mazatlán Safe?

Safety seems to always be the question when discussing travel to Mexico. And I always share my experience. On my third visit to the city in as many years I didn’t have any issues on the beach or really anywhere. I never felt threatened or concerned for my safety in any activity or at any location. Everyone I met was warm and welcoming.

the perfect surfing moment...

In fact, when surfing, we left our valuables, including numerous smart phones and digital camera with our bags on the beach. Originally, we thought they would be locked in the van, but we needed photos and “needed” connectivity. Plus, everyone didn’t plan to surf. But, plans changes and the waves the conditions proved perfect to learn, so we all left shore to enjoy the surf.  I thought someone was keeping an eye on our belongings, but if so, it was not one of us.

Again no issues. I felt as safe as a beach in the States.

Mazatlán offers more offers more than surf, seafood and cervezas, but sometimes and some days that is what makes a perfect day in Mexico. It did that day.

stay adventurous, Craig

We Visit Mexico provided passage to Mazatlan as part of a social media/blogger trip to explore the destination of Mazatlán.