Why Canadians should ditch Cancún and head to Mazatlán this winter

Whether you’re a thrill seeker, an animal lover, or just want to unwind on the beach, there are plenty of activities in Mazatlán, Mexico, for any traveller.

As Canada descends into the depths of winter, you may be looking for a warm getaway. Cancún is usually the first place that pops into Canadians’ heads when thinking of a winter escape to Mexico. However, I think Mazatlán — a coastal town located in the Sinaloa state along the Pacific Ocean shoreline — is an underrated, must-visit destination.

I joined the town’s tourism board, Visit Mazatlán, for a week filled with beautiful views, exciting activities, and delicious food. The trip was well-timed in the last week of October — the weather in Toronto was getting chillier, and I wasn’t quite ready to leave summer behind.

It was my first visit to Mazatlán, aka “the Pearl of the Pacific,” and it happened to coincide with Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) festivities in Mexico.

We stayed in Centro Histórico (the town’s historic district downtown) at Pueblo Bonito Vantage, a colonial mansion that was restored into a gorgeous boutique hotel.

As a Torontonian, I love a walkable city. I had only ever stayed at big resorts in Mexico, where travelling by golf carts inside and tour buses for excursions outside of the resort was the norm. It was refreshing to be able to walk the cobblestoned streets of the historic centre and be taken back in time, surrounded by the colourful colonial buildings.

On our first day in Mazatlán, I decided to walk to the Malecón, one of the world’s longest oceanfront boardwalks, to catch the sunset at the beach. It took me less than five minutes to get there from the hotel.

I sat on the ledge of the boardwalk and watched the sky explode into orange, purple and yellow hues as beachgoers splashed around in the soft waves of the Pacific Ocean. I relaxed into the feeling of the warm 30-degree breeze surrounding me. It was certainly the perfect start to a week filled with amazing experiences in this coastal town.

Here are some must-do activities Canadians should add to their itinerary for a fun-filled winter getaway in Mazatlán, Mexico.

Check out the Grand Aquarium of the Sea of Cortez

If you’re looking for an interactive, family-friendly activity, look no further than a visit to the largest aquarium in Mexico.

We spent a whole afternoon at the aquarium, looking in awe at giant tanks filled with sharks, humongous red snappers, and sea creatures in all shades of the rainbow.

What made our visit particularly unique was the opportunity we got to not only look at, but also touch and handle some animals.

The aquarium has two touch tanks — one where you can gently pet puffer fish and another where you can feed and touch excitable sting rays.

Two animals I never thought I would get close to in a million years are penguins and capybaras. We got to interact with Humboldt Penguins — pet them, feed them, and even play with them.

The newest members of the aquarium are baby capybaras. I’ve only seen capybaras from afar at the High Park zoo in Toronto (yes, the ones that made their great escape back in 2016), so I was overjoyed when we got to pet baby capybaras at the aquarium. They truly are just chill guys. Most of them were munching on tree bark or lounging in the shade. We also got to hold an owl, a snake, and feed white-tailed deer.

On top of getting close and personal with your fave animals, the building itself is an experience.

Designed by renowned architect Tatiana Bilbao, the aquarium is built to look like it just emerged from the depths of the ocean.

Explore the Observatorio Mazatlán

If you want amazing views of the Mazatlán coastline, it’s worth taking a funicular ride up to the summit of Cerro del Vigía to explore the Observatorio Mazatlán. Originally built as a military lookout, the observatory has been beautifully restored.

Inside, you’ll get a sneak peek at what a house would have looked like in the 19th century, during the time of revolution. Outside, there are spectacular views of the Pacific on terraces that are home to agave gardens.

We got to have brunch on the patio, taking in the scenery as a live band played in the background.

After our stomachs were full, we visited the bird sanctuary located on the grounds of the observatory, where we were able to walk among parrots, flamingoes and tucans.

Ride the Farolesa Zipline

If you’re a thrill seeker who wants a more exciting route to the Observatorio, then you may want to ride the 1,265-metre-long Farolesa Zipline.

At 160 metres above the Pacific Ocean, it is the longest zipline over the ocean in Mexico. It allows visitors to take a quicker commute from the El Faro Lighthouse to Observatorio, lasting one to 1.2 minutes at speeds of 70 to 100 km per hour.

We woke up bright and early to avoid the long lines for the zipline. Just a warning — the only way to get to the zipline is to hike up Crestón Island, so make sure to wear breathable clothing, a hat, and bring a water bottle.

The trail is well-maintained, but it is 325 steps and a 152-metre elevation gain, so it’s no walk in the park. But the trek is worth it, not only for the ride to the Observatorio, but also for the amazing lookout at the top of the mountain.

The older I get, the more I fear for my life, so I was actually really nervous as we were harnessed and strapped in for the one-minute zip over the Pacific Ocean.

The scariest part was the beginning when they slid us back and pushed us off the platform to gain speed. It was like the initial drop on a roller coaster — my stomach did back flips, and I let out a little scream, but the rest of the zipline was a breeze.

I took in a 360 view of the mountains, the shoreline, and the crashing waves below me — it was breathtaking. Before I knew it, I was on the other side, and just like riding a roller coaster, I wanted to go again.

Learn at the National Whale Museum (MUNBA)

This was probably the most engaging and educational museum visit I’ve experienced. The MUNBA features 12 immersive exhibits and the largest collection of cetacean bones in Latin America, all housed in repurposed shipping containers.

The museum — which celebrates marine biodiversity and promotes conservation, sustainability, and education — is run by Oscar Ricardo Guzón, a marine ecologist and oceanographer with 20 years of experience at sea.

We were lucky enough to have him as our tour guide at the museum. Guzón’s passion for whales was evident in his breadth of knowledge and his commitment to bridging the gap between the gentle giants and humans.

“The museum is about us and our relationship with whales,” Guzón explained during the tour.

Some of the highlights of the museum include an interactive X-ray vision screen that shows the anatomy of a dolphin, a humpback whale song match-making game, and the skeleton of a sperm whale.

Go whale watching

We were lucky to get a sneak peek of the whale watching experience with Munba Expeditions, also led by the National Whale Museum’s Guzón.

December to March is humpback whale season in Mazatlán. These excursions offer the chance to spot not only humpback whales, but also dolphins and sea turtles just off the coast.

Although we were a little early for peak humpback whale season, Guzón and his team had caught wind of one whale already in the waters that day. We hopped on a speedboat boat and the Munba Expeditions team tracked the humpback.

While we didn’t see it, we were able to hear its whale song through the hydrophone, a mic that’s used to detect, record and listen to sounds underwater.

Immerse in the Pirate Mansion

The Pirate Mansion is a whimsical and educational activity, perfect for a family outing.

The interactive attraction is in the heart of downtown Mazatlán, taking visitors through the town’s storied past of explorers and pirates through themed rooms.

The guides are incredibly committed to their roles, making you feel immersed in the history. If you play your cards right (or wrong, depending on how you look at it), the pirate guide may throw you in jail, or “hang” you for insubordination.

Take a Tomatl food tour

As a foodie, I was incredibly excited to be able to taste the local cuisine Mazatlán has to offer.

The Tomatl food tour is run by Paola Osuna — she was born and raised in Mazatlán and used to have a restaurant in the town’s historic district. She has been running Tomatl Mexican Culinary Experiences for about six years.

The culinary adventure she took us on wasn’t just about trying the most popular or trendiest restaurants in town. Osuna stressed the importance of understanding why locals in Mazatlán eat what they eat, and why they cook it the way they do.

“Gastronomy can teach you a lot about the weather, ecosystem, religion, and culture,” the guide told us.

We got to try Lalós, a local birria tacos spot; Efrén Pescados y Mariscos, a restaurant specializing in all things shrimp; locally brewed Pacifico beer; traditional Mazatlán home cooking at Cenaduria Chayito; and Nieves de Garrafa de con Medrano, an ice cream cart that has been a mainstay in downtown Mazatlán for decades.

The highlight of the tour was going through the life cycle of the shrimp. Osuna first brought us to the fishing port to show us where all of the shrimp are caught. She explained that Mazatlán is known as the shrimp capital of the world, and is one of the largest exporters of shrimp to countries like Canada, Japan, and the United States.

We then went to a local fish market and got to browse through the buckets of shrimp sold by las changueras, or the “shrimp ladies.” Nearby, we checked out a shop that sells dried shrimp and got to see the behind-the-scenes process.

“Mazatlán’s gastronomy scene is a must-see experience — it’s not just getting food in your belly, it’s something that you feel, you taste, you remember. It’s taking in the culture and history,” explained Osuna.

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Catch a Venados game

We happened to be in Mexico during the Toronto Blue Jays’ historic 2025 World Series run, and watching Mazatlán’s local baseball team play helped make up for me missing all of the fun back home.

The energy at the Teodoro Mariscal Baseball Stadium is ecstatic, and it’s a fun experience, whether you’re a sports fan or not.

We watched the game from La Marea Venados, a sports bar located inside the stadium, enjoying Mexican beer and snacks like tortillas and guacamole, aguachile, and ceviche. We even got to take a photo with the team’s beloved mascot, Venny, and his family.

Celebrate Día de Muertos

Day of the Dead has passed, but if you happen to visit Mazatlán during the week of Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, it’s worth checking out the festivities in the historic district.

Día de Muertos is a traditional holiday in Mexico that honours friends and family members who have died. If you’ve watched Pixar’s Coco, you may know about the colourful and elaborate ofrendas (or altars), where families display photos of the deceased and place offerings like the person’s favourite food or toy.

Leading up to the day, I saw shops and homes setting up their altars on the streets of the historic district, making the town even more vibrant. Bright orange and yellow marigolds (cempazuchitl), which are supposed to help guide the dead to the altars, adorned windows and walkways.

We were lucky enough to experience Mazatlán’s Día de Muertos parade and festivities at Plazuela Machado on Nov. 1. It was a magical night where we were surrounded by extravagant costumes and people donning calavera (skull) makeup, which is a common symbol for the holiday.

The plaza had several giant calaveras displayed, but the main character was the giant La Catrina, who is a character associated with the Day of the Dead.

The parade was joyous and lively, with banda musicians wailing on trumpets and tubas, and folklórico dancers waving their colourful skirts down the streets.

It was definitely an experience I was grateful to check off my bucket list.

The author of this post was hosted by Visit Mazatlán