5 Best Beaches in Mazatlan: Mazatlan has been one of Mexico’s top tourist destinations for decades. The city attracts vacationers from all around the world who flock there to enjoy the nightlife, great weather, authentic Mexican food, and beautiful Pacific beaches. Mazatlan has miles of yellow sandy beaches bordering the cool, blue Pacific Ocean. The beaches in Mazatlan have plenty to keep visitors busy, including sunbathing, swimming, boating, kayaking, fishing, horseback riding, and more. If you are planning to visit Mazatlan, here are the 5 beaches that you should be sure to check out.
Stone Island Beach
Despite its name, Stone Island is actually not an island, but a peninsula located to the south of Mazatlan. One of the most popular locations in the area, Stone Island is accessible by water taxi across the channel or by car. The beaches on Stone Island are beautiful, with long, soft sands, and calm waters that are well worth the short trip to get to. Due to Stone Island’s location in a sheltered cove, the waters are generally stiller and warmer than the waters in the rest of Mazatlan, and the waves are much smaller and less frequent.
This makes the Stone Island beaches ideal for swimming, snorkeling, and watersports like banana boat rides, kayaking, and paddleboarding. There are plenty of stores and vendors along the beachfront that will rent out equipment for you to use in the water, and you can also rent ATVs to ride up and down the beach.
The beaches at Stone Island are also in close proximity to plenty of great restaurants and bars, where you can try the local cuisine or order some beers and margaritas to enjoy on the beach. Stone Island has everything you need for a day trip, and is a great place to spend time while you’re in Mazatlan.
Playa Brujas
Playa Brujas, or Witches Beach in English, is a relatively secluded beach located on Mazatlan’s northern end. The beach’s name is said to come from a witch who used to live there and use the beach to perform rituals. Today, the beach is a popular spot for surfers and other water sports enthusiasts, who like the big waves that are common in the waters off Playa Brujas’ shores.
The scenery around the beach is stunning, with beautiful rock formations jutting out of the water and small islands visible just offshore. Crowds rarely form on the beach, and there is a good chance you will have plenty of room to yourself if you choose to spend the day on Playa Brujas. A word of caution though–the beach does not always have lifeguards on duty and the waves and undertow can be very dangerous. It is recommended that only strong and experienced swimmers and surfers enter Playa Brujas’ water.
Just off the beach, you can find a couple of restaurants and bars, although not nearly as many as you will find near more crowded beaches in the city.
Playa Sabalo
One of the best beaches in Mazatlan, Playa Sabalo is a beautiful and somewhat secluded beach located on Mazatlan’s northern end. The beach is located in front of a couple of resorts, so there are always people on it, although it rarely gets overcrowded.
The beach is long with calm waters and a laid-back atmosphere. Popular activities on Playa Sabalo include swimming, bodysurfing, sunbathing, going for walks, parasailing, boating, snorkeling, and horseback riding.
The beach is at the end of Mazatlan’s Golden Zone, so there are plenty of great restaurants and shops in the area, although you may need to walk a little to get to them, as some locations on the beach do not have direct access to the main road.
Playa Norte
Mazatlan’s longest beach, Playa Norte is well known for its natural beauty, great ocean views, and long soft sands. The beach is not considered a swimming beach, but it is a great place to relax, bird watch, go for a walk or jog, and go fishing.
Watersports are also popular at Playa Norte, and fishing, boating, and jet skiing are common activities. Playa Norte also has some of the best beach fishing in the entire city, and you can often see many local fishermen coming and going with their catches.
Despite being centrally located and one of the more popular beaches in Mazatlan, Playa Norte is rarely crowded, and is a great place to spend the day. There are plenty of excellent restaurants and bars just off the beach serving fresh seafood, authentic Mexican food, and great local beers and margaritas made from local tequila.
Playa el Verde Camacho
A remote, wild beach a short drive north of Mazatlan, Playa el Verde Camacho is a beautiful, pristine beach that is one of the most important wildlife refuges in the country. The beach is the major nesting ground of the olive ridley sea turtle, the world’s second smallest sea turtle species.
The beach is also a feeding, breeding, and migration ground for other species, including the hawksbill turtle, leatherback, and black turtle, and a variety of birds and fish, including red heron, peregrine falcons, and red snappers.
There are eco tour guide companies in Mazatlan that will be happy to take you to Playa el Verde Camacho, show you the wildlife, and give you a tour of the beach.
See Also:
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