Mazatlan, Mexico đ˛đ˝ Gringo's Guide
Laid-back beach lifestyle for pennies on the dollar + insanely good nightlife...
Pacific coast beaches. Decent surfing. Even better sunsets. With few other gringos around.
Here youâll find a laid-back beach lifestyle for pennies on the dollar, insanely good nightlife on the weekends, and some of the best seafood youâve ever eaten.
Good pizza? Hell no. Great ceviche? Everywhere.
Not to mention the best beach boardwalk outside of Rio de Janeiro Iâve ever seenâŚ
This might be my top ânon-Brazilianâ beach town recommendation in all of Latin America.
Where is this Hidden Gem city in Latin America? Keep on reading to find out.
Mazatlan, Mexico đ˛đ˝
Population:Â
600K population in the metro area
Weather:Â
Mazatlan has damn good weather almost all year.
While the summer months can get a bit too hot and there is a 2-3 month rainy season, Mazatlan has the best weather out of any beach city in Mexico year around. Itâs not even close.
While I would dip out during July through September if living here all year, you could make those months work.
Itâs not way too hot and it generally rains in the late evenings, the daytime is still nearly rain-free.
From October to early July, the weather here is ideal. Perfect beach weather in the afternoons. Cooling off in the evenings where you can feel comfortable wearing jeans and a dress shirt â without sweating your balls off.
Why Visit Mazatlan, Mexico?
So I went to Mazatlan, Mexico twice. Spent about a year in the city.
Why?
Well, the second trip was during peak âCovidâ retardation and Mazatlan was the only city in LatAm that still had gyms fully open and nightlife pumping.
It worked out well.
But why would you want to visit Mazatlan?
First offâŚ
The beaches.
If you like Pacific coast beaches with waves that are ideal for surfing, body surfing, and frolicking in the sun â then youâll love this beach town.
Thereâs solid surfing and body surfing in some of the most popular areas in town.
You can surf in Zona Dorada near Valentinos. You can body surf anywhere on the beach in Zona Dorada.
Olas Altas is a charming colonial area with a beach thatâs perfect for body surfing and boogie boarding.
Thereâs some great surf spots just outside the city too.
Which brings me to the next pointâŚ
This is a solid Mexican beach city for surfers.
If youâre looking to get some uncrowded surfing in â while living in a decent sized city in Mexico â this may be the best spot.Â
Lots of waves, very few foreigners crowding them. Not world-class waves of course, but waves nonetheless.
NextâŚ
Nightlife is great here.
You can find big clubs, techno clubs, beach bars, after-hours, and everything in between.
Mazatlan is home to one of the biggest beach clubs Iâve ever been to in LatAm â Joeâs Oyster Bar. Itâs not a fancy spot, but usually is a good time.
Overall, if youâre looking to live by the beach and party hard on the weekends, youâll love it here.
However, there are a few caveatsâŚ
Mainly there is absolutely NO nightlife during the weekdays in Mazatlan. The clubs only get packed with tourists during the weekend â dead during the week.
Oh, and of courseâŚ
Mazatlan is cheap as hell.
You can get an ocean-view two-bedroom apartment on the Malecon for $1,100-1500 a month. Thatâs a fucking steal.
Youâll need about $2,000-3,000 USD a month to live a good life here.
How to Get to Mazatlan, Mexico
I wouldnât recommend busing or driving to Mazatlan from anywhere in Mexico â outside of Culiacan, Tepic, and Durango.
The city is a bit far from everywhere else in the country, so youâll probably want to fly in.
Luckily, the Mazatlan airport has pretty good connections from all over Mexico and a few direct flights from the USA.
Mazatlan currently offers direct flight each week from:
Dallas
Houston
Phoenix
Los Angeles
San Francisco
Minneapolis
So youâve got some pretty decent direct flight options to get here from the USA. Flights that are usually less than 3 hours long.
Domestic flights come in from all over the country, including CDMX, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
Domestic flight round-trips can be found for under $100 USD on occasion.
Best Neighborhoods
This is one of the biggest issues with MazatlanâŚ
The neighborhoods kind of blow.
See, this is a fairly touristy spot. Not international tourists, but Mexican tourists coming in from all over the country.
So on the weekends, the nice beach neighborhoods are a lot of fun.
During the week, these areas are dead. Legit ghost-town, as most of the locals donât live next to the beach. Even a lot of the restaurants and bars close down for a few days during the weekdays. Not fun.
But Iâve found a few ideal spots to stayâŚ
Letâs first dig into where not to stay:
Do NOT stay in the âMarinaâ area. This area is dead as hell. Itâs boring, isolated, and where the rich locals stay. Not ideal for an expat looking for walkable, lively neighborhoods.
Do NOT stay too far from the beach. Almost all the best restaurants, bars, and nice apartments are near the beach. These areas are also safer.
Ok, so where should you stay?
Zona Dorada
Classic tourist neighborhood in Mazatlan. Dead as hell during the week. Insanely full on the weekends.Â
Decent restaurants and bars around here. Some fun clubs too. Probably the best place to stay on your first trip to the city.
The issue?
On the weekdays, itâs super boring here. Thereâs legit no one here. Dead as hell. On the weekends, traffic is horrific and it can be borderline unbearable to stay in this area due to the amount of traffic.Â
Pick your poison.Â
El Malecon
For long-term living in Mazatlan, Iâm a fan of the northern âEl Maleconâ area.Â
Here youâll find some super nice apartments with great amenities and ocean views.Â
Youâll also have easy access to the malecon, which is incredible for morning walks and evening strolls.Â
The beaches are better in Olas Altas and Zona Dorada, but neither is as peaceful as this area.
The issue?
Thereâs not many, if any, restaurants, bars, or even coffee shops along this area. Making it unwalkable to most things.Â
Great ocean views, high-rise amenities, and malecon access â but itâs not really a âneighborhoodâ so to speak.
Olas Altas
Really nice beach here. Great little malecon area. Tons of great restaurants and a few bars.
HoweverâŚ
Most of the apartments suck in this area. Most donât have ocean view and are not modern.
Itâs also far from the best nightlife in the city, along with BJJ and boxing gyms.
Where to Stay in Mazatlan?
So this is the biggest issue with MazatlanâŚ
Where should you stay?
Iâve lived there for over a year and I still donât have the perfect answer.Â
It really depends on what you wantâŚ
For the best logistics in the city, meaning you can walk to the malecon, the nice beach in Zona Dorada, bars, clubs, and restaurantsâŚ
This is a fantastic option.
If you want to live cheap and close to the beach, options are somewhat limited in Zona Dorada.
But this one would work well.
I personally prefer apartments in Mazatlan over hotels. However, for a short trip, there is one perfect hotelâŚ
Hotel Emporio Mazatlan
This hotel has the best location in the city. On the beach in Zona Dorada, but less than a 3-5 minute walk to the malecon area.
The rooms are solid too. Highly recommended.
Cost of Living
Mazatlan is fairly cheap for a popular beach city, but going up in price.
Itâs not as cheap as some of the other options weâve discussed in Colombia and Bolivia.Â
However, if youâre basing up here for months on end, you can still live on less than $2,000-3,000 USD a month.
You can get a nice ocean-view apartment here on a six-months lease for $1,000-2,000 a month. Airbnb prices here are way higher due to the nature of tourist season in the city.
Hereâs a full breakdown of costs in Mazatlan:
Airbnb Apartment in Best Area: $1,000-2,000 a month
Hotel in Best Area: $1,500-4,000 USD a month
Maid: $300-600
Grocery Store: $300-600
Eating Out / Delivery: $300-600
Gym: $20-50
BJJ / MMA: $25-50
Partying / Dating / Social: $300-700 USD
Cell Data: $20
Certainly not as cheap as some spots, but still a good value for a beautiful beach town.
If youâve got a budget of $3,000 USD a month and plans to spend 3+ month here, you should enjoy a very high quality of life.
Is Mazatlan, Mexico Safe?
WellâŚ
This is Sinaloa. This is home to the Sinaloa Cartel. I was robbed here.
People I know have been in stores where two thieves shot the owner of the store and robbed them, while customers were in the store.
Mazatlan is consistently on the list of the most dangerous cities in the world.Â
However, the city has been improving in recent years and seems to be safer than in the past.
While I wouldnât consider this city to be 100% safe, itâs also nothing like a âwarzoneâ either.
You can walk around outside and use your phone.
You can stumble around drunk without issues.
However, you need to speak some Spanish and have some street smarts to make it work here long-term.Â
Dating in Mazatlan, Mexico
NowâŚ
The women tend to look good here, especially at the nicer nightclubs. Itâs Sinaloa.
HoweverâŚ
