Mazatlan - On our own, Taxi rides

[Blanco1]

Just returned from a Mexican Riviera cruise and Mazatlan was the only city we didn't set up an excursion for.

 

When we left the boat we were met by many taxi drivers, tour operators and timeshare tours.

 

So, we actually took up the timeshare tour which included full use of the resort and 3 free taxi rides. One ride there, one ride to a destination of our choosing and one ride back to the boat. But, we had to do the tour.

 

Since the resort was about 20 miles or so from the port, the taxi cab driver showed us variuos Mazatlan areas, monuments and sites. We saw the poor side to the new areas where they are building up an exclusive resort location.

 

The timeshare resort was very beautiful, lovely private beach, amazing grounds and spacious rooms. But, we don't do timeshares. The best thing about it was the tour over to the resort, the free cab rides and the chance to see mexican life from the lower economic side to the more fortunate.

 

After the tour, we took the taxi to the shopping areas. He said the better deals were in the old mazatlan area (mercado), so we went there instead of the Golden Zone. And actually, the shopping was only ok, but it was an area where all the locals shop, work and live. There was a large open market with beef and different foods out in the open, families, mothers strolling through doing their marketing. Had a good local feel to it.

 

We bought a few items after dealing with a couple merchants and went back to our taxi driver, who waited while we shopped. Then he took us to an open air restaurant right at the port called La Puntilla. This restaurant is all seafood which we enjoyed it very much. Good time here.

 

So, we tipped the taxi driver $20, purchased some inexpensive souvenirs and the day was a pretty affordable day. Oh and we actually thought the souvenir shopping at the pier was nicer than the old town market shopping.

 

Mazatlan was my husbands favorite place. I liked Puerto Vallarta. I just didn't find Mazatlan very interesting, but we did have a good day.

[BC Gal Ann]

Thank you for sharing your information with us.

It sounds like you had a very enjoyable day.

 

Ann :)