Miles of Beach

Mazatlan - El Faro on Cerro Creston in distance

Malecon at Playa Olas Altas

El Faro atop Cerro Creston

Steps to El Faro

Nearing the top of Cerro Creston

Looking north from Cerro Creston over Mazatlan

We spent a day enjoying the beaches of Mazatlan and walked much of the malecon that skirts the waterfront. During the morning hours we hiked the trail to El Faro, considered the second-highest lighthouse in the world (after Gibraltar) at 515 feet above sea level. The famous lighthouse began operating in 1879 using a large oil lamp with mirrors to reflect and enhance light. Because the light was static, it was often mistaken for a star when approaching from a distance. It wasn’t until 1905 that the lamp was finally replaced by a turntable. The lighthouse itself is not of significant height but sits high above the sea on a hill overlooking Mazatlan. The trail up the mountain starts out as a dirt road and then turns into sets of stairs about half way up. It was cloudy and windy on the day of our hike but that meant cooler temperatures for the climb. Once we reached the top of Cerro Creston we were rewarded with spectacular views; we could see the entire city and neighboring islands off the coast. After studying the layout of the land, we made our way back down the mountain and walked along the malecon toward town where we discovered several rock outcroppings, each with a viewing platform. We walked out on one of the points and watched the surf crash against the rocks below. Further north at Playa Olas Alta, we found a wonderful coffee shop and treated ourselves to lattes and sweets. This playa (beach) is where tourism first flourished in the 1950’s. John Wayne used to keep a boat here and surfers later discovered its tall waves (altas olas). With renewed energy, we continued our walk north along the malecon arriving at the site where cliff divers (clavadistas) dive into the sea for a handsome tip of $20. Leonard said no amount of money could get him to dive over protruding rocks from a narrow platform atop a sea stack. Apparently, even the cliff divers didn’t want to risk their necks on a windy day, they surely would have been swept into the rocks by the strong surf. Of course that meant the platform was free for others to take a peek from above. Leonard, uncomfortable with heights, did an about face when he reached the staircase to the top; I continued up, but must admit there wasn’t much to hold on to and the steps were very narrow! We continued on our way, passing a lovely fountain with views of the next beach stretching for miles along the city waterfront. We took one of the open-air taxis that are unique to Mazatlan; they run all over town and you simply flag them down as needed. We asked to be dropped off at the palapas which line a section of the beach. These palm thatched huts literally are right on the beach and serve great food accompanied by musicians for a tip. We enjoyed an early dinner with some of the best barbeque smoked shrimp we’ve ever tasted plus enjoyed a guitarist that was singing at a neighboring table. Palapas seem to be a popular place for families to gather on Sunday afternoons and of course the kids love to play on the beach. Children were even swimming in the ocean towards evening; oh that’s right, the water is warm!