Mazatlan -- Vacation Mecca or Tourist Trap?
May 22 '01
The Bottom Line Mazatlan is a timeshare waiting to be sold. Unless you have good willpower or enjoy their drivel, stay out of the golden zone.
Ah Mazatlan. I had never been there. So when I was offered a free week's stay in the "Golden Zone" (The US tourist zone), how was I to say no.
On getting off the plane in the airport outside of town, you are immediately grabbed by as many different timeshare hawkers as can reach you. They will offer you cab fare (at the time of our visit it was about $23 American) into the city, cash or restaurant gift certificates, and various commercial tours that are available for sitting through their 90ish minute presentations. They all want you, because they get a commission on everyone who attends their presentations. If you are on a very very tight budget, you might concede to one of them, but if you are a sucker and likely to sign away for a new mortgage, I would avoid them like the plague.
We were staying at the Inn at Mazatlan in the heart of the golden zone. On arrival, they had misplaced the reservation, but quickly made up for it all. The porter took us up to a junior suite in the new tower, opened only a few years ago. (The Inn is mostly timeshares and is claimed to be 100% American owned, mostly by middle age and older adults).
The room was awesome on entry. All marble floors, two beds, two sofas, a small kitchen, the shower big enough for a small horse. But looks can be deceiving. The marble floor is cold - all the time. And the air conditioning is a swamp cooler that took about 4 hours to cool the room to a reasonable temperature (and we were on the lowest floor of rooms in that wing). If you like candles, after the next day it was almost impossible to strike a match. The covers on books curled and your clothes, even when freshly removed from the closet, always felt damp.
I felt like every time I exited the shower I was going to fall on my behind. The marble floor was very slippery to damp feet and I am surprised no one has ever been seriously hurt there.
We allowed our hotel, since we were not owners, to present its timeshare demonstration. Of course we didn't buy. But we did get $100 to use in the restaurant (and a free small breakfast). It made it worth our time.
After the first night, we knew we would not be sleeping well. While the bed was a mattress and box springs, it was easily the hardest bed in which either of us had ever slept. I would have taken the bedclothes to the floor had it been carpeted. At various points, we both napped on the small couch which was much more comfortable than the beds. All in all the rooms were beautiful, but very very uncomfortable.
The pool area is fairly small. On the tour we were told there were plans for another larger pool and were shown where it was too be. Listening to an owner later, I learned that they had been saying this for several years. The hotel does not own waverunners like the ones on either side, nor any type of boats for the guests to enjoy. They do have an espresso bar by the entrance to the beach.
The hotel restaurant, Papagayo, serves mostly American or Americanized food. One of the lunch items is actually called "Taco Bell Tacos". I rolled my eyes. Their best breakfast is a buffet where you can usually get enough to eat. They do make an excellent garlic shrimp, the only one with enough garlic that I ate in the week we were there.
I would never stay there again.
We decided to go on the search for the best shrimp in Mazatlan. Little did we know that three of the earmarked places had the same owners. We dined the second night at the Guadalahara Grill, walking distance from the Inn. We ordered a shrimp platter for two. It boasted boiled, grilled, breaded, battered, stuffed and coconut shrimp. The food was excellent with salsa made fresh at your table. The coconut shrimp was easily the best I have ever eaten. The stuffed shrimp was my companions favorite, filled with cheese and bacon and grilled. If you dine there, be sure to order desert. It was worth the entire experience. Deserts are made at the table and are a work of art as well as delicious. All are flamed and will have an unknowing crowd ooo'ing and ah'ing.
We ate another night at El Shrimp Bucket. It is "downtown" in old Mazatlan in an older hotel. It had little ambiance. We ordered the same as we had at the Guadalahara Grill and were somewhat disappointed. It's most redeeming factor was instead of salsa with the chips, it served a sort of shrimp pate' that was out of this world good.
Not to be undone, we had to eat at Senior Frogs. We went on Saturday night, PARTY TIME! If you like music and mayhem, you will love the place. From the balloon hats, to the jello shots, to the conga lines....... and by 930 or so, the locals had come out to party. The line outside when we left was several hundred people long. As for the shrimp, it was not as good. I had a mint shrimp, he had a bbq'd stuffed shrimp. His was much better. Try the chocolate chicken for a dare.
So on our last night, we returned to Guadalahara Grill where we ate and relaxed and enjoyed our shrimp.
We also did a few of the commercial "tours" that were available. We first did the City Tour as this was our first visit to Mazatlan. There are several tour companies in the city. Ours was Ole' Tours who drove air conditioned vans and took out small groups (preferable to the larger buses). They get an A+ in our book. The driver/guide was friendly and helpful and we enjoyed seeing the Cathedral with its Star of David windows, the opera house, the cliff divers, the market, and just the city in general. I would not hesitate to book another tour with them.
We also decided we wanted to go to Stone Island. You are supposed to have several options of 'activities' to do there. The tour company was Iguana Tours. It appeared as if each tour company had their own "restaurant"/gathering area. This one did not impress me at all. It was dirty and did not have a good atmosphere. We walked up and down the beach and saw others that looked cleaner and much more hospitable. I would never book with them again.
We also attended the Mexican Fiesta at the Hotel Playa Mazatlan. It served a more "traditional" faire of beans and rice and beef and chicken and marlin tostadas. It did have something very tasty and unusual -- pineapple tamales. If you go, don't hesitate to try one. They were awesome.
The dining area reminded me of attending a Las Vegas show. Lots of tables, waiters to keep your beverages full and a stage in center. The description was that the entertainment was to be "traditional" Mexican music and dance. I was disappointed when the disco music started and attendees were dancing on the stage. (Disco is big there, i have not heard "YMCA" so many times in a long long time.) Eventually the 'true' entertainment started and it was nice. Afterward the disco music started again and people danced on the stage, especially a group of young local women who were celebrating something. I would go at least once. It is worth it.
Then, of course, there is shopping. As you walk down the beach, you will be hit on by the beach vendors selling trinkets of 'silver' jewelry, hats, beach wraps, and other items. If you haggle well, you might get some good deals although it is difficult to tell if you are getting real silver or not.
As you walk along the street, you will come across silver shops, shell shops, trinket shops, clothing shops, all sort of things to buy. Some of the merchants haggle, a few do not. If you are into silver, look at your budget and what you really want before you buy. The heavier pieces sold by the 'silversmiths' are much more expensive than the lighter beach merchandise, but are more likely to be real pure silver and not plated.
But at least on the beach you don't have the timeshare hawkers. These guys don't take no for an answer and are the most annoying thing in all of Mazatlan. We were hit up not only by the vendors with their tables scattered throughout the streets, but by waiters in restaurants, cab drivers and merchants in the street side shops.
Would I return to Mazatlan again? Since I just got home last night, I would have to say no for one primary reason, the timeshare hawkers. If they stuck to the areas around their hotels and the waiters and cab drivers left you alone on the subject I might have a different opinion. I had a good time and a good traveling companion, but they really spoiled the trip.
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Epinions.com ID:
ladykyna
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Location: Inland Empire California
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