Over the Edge in Mazatlan
Tara A. Spears
An interesting side trip when you’re staying in lovely Guayabitos is to visit the sea port of Mazatlan. Approximately 3.5 hour drive north, located in the state of Sinaloa, its 740 miles from the Arizona USA border. Mazatlán is Mexico’s second largest coastal city and it boasts of Latin America’s largest fleet of commercial shrimp vessels. Or, for those driving north after their winter vacation, it is a great place to spend a day.
Although Mazatlán definitely is a more relaxed place than some other resort cities on the Pacific coast of Mexico Study the (more than a million tourists visit here every year), there is a certain amount of glitz that’s inescapable, particularly in the Zona Dorada, the beach-front “gold zone” which is a prime tourist destination. My favorite three things to do are ride the tricked out golf carts, watch the cliff divers, shop and dine along the malecon.
The Mazatlán version of Acapulco’s famous La Quebrada, has divers plunging into a turbulent sea. But what is great about the Mazatlan cliff diving is how easily accessible it is for the viewer. Twice a day, just line up on the Malecon around the dive spot and you’ll get a great show. Many guided tours from cruises and other vacation packages will be timed to take in one of the performances. Even in rougher weather, the more experienced divers will take the leap. The divers are not paid, and it is expected that most spectators will give them a small tip. During high season (winter months) and on weekends, these brave divers perform at around 10:00 am and again at 4:00 pm.
According to the Mazatlan newspaper, Mazatlan cliff diving has been something for daring boys and young men to do for generations, but it has only become a popular spectator sport for visitors since the early 1960s. As a bet with a friend, Mario Gonzales Aguilar began the tradition of leaping off a stone platform that is 45 feet high into a small area of water (less than 45 square feet) in depths sometimes a low as only five feet. This young man continued to make the dangerous leap well into his 60s! The photos do not capture the extreme conditions involved as clearly as watching in person.
They dive every day of the week. Many city tours will bring people here to watch the cliff divers. The Cliff Divers are located at ‘El Clavadista’ which is at a plaza along the Paseo Claussen portion of the Malecon. This is a family-friendly attraction. The plaza where the cliff divers dive is only a short walk to Olas Altas with its many restaurants and bars. On Sundays and weekend evenings, there are a bunch of food and novelty vendors in the plaza where the divers dive.
Besides the wondrous ocean views there are many fabulous monuments such as the ‘Continuation of Life’ and ‘Monument to Women’ along this portion of the malecon. Another must see is the Devil’s Cave, almost across the street from the cliff divers.
The cave has various legends that surround this popular visitor’s attraction. The cave is 200 years old and is located on the slopes of Cerro de la Nevería, just above Paseo Claussen. One of them says that this space was used by pirates to store magnificent treasures, another legend tells that a man had contact with the devil himself. The later legend is the most common tale, hence the name. At first the cave was not closed, but later the authorities decided to close it with a vibrant red gate, which they named “La Cueva del Diablo” and the figure of a devil with horns.
Lastly, don’t miss out on the fun activity of taking a ride on the wild side in a Mazatlan pulmonia, a souped-up vehicle that looks like a golf cart that speeds down the Avenida del Mar with boom box blaring. Most operators are characters that complement the door-less, open-air taxis converted for street use. These unique vehicles are called pulmonias for the locals’ joke that one can catch pneumonia in them. Many taxi drivers installed a sound system whose primary purpose is to blast his favorite musical playlist.
A trip to Mazatlán is one of those things you can do over and over like a goofy ride in a tricked-out golf cart, precisely because it has that appealing combination of the unique and fun combined. Mazatlan offers sparkling water and beaches, fishing and water sports, history and culture, dining and night life of Mexico— but there’s enough of a real city beneath the tourist traps to warrant repeat visits to the place that has been dubbed the “Pearl of Paradise.”
