We travelled on the Norwegian Star leaving San Pedro on April 6, 2014
The itinerary was Los Cabos, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta. We'd been to Los Cabos numerous times and were familiar with PV. It had been 30 years since I was in Mazatlan, well before the recent troubles in Mexico.
Mazatlan was our favorite port. We spent most of our day wandering through the Centro Historico (old town) that was quite close to the Cruise Terminal. An abundance of Volunteers in blue shirts answered many of our questions about the city when we got off the ship Most were Canadian and US ex-pats living in the Mazatlan area, all excited about sharing information about their adopted home. They provided free maps and guides for walking tours and historic sites. The Blue Line is painted on the sidewalks and streets to take you from the Cruise Terminal for an easy 20 minute walk through residential areas and past local shops to the Plazuela Machado, a pleasant shaded square in the center of the district, with lots of character. The Cathedral and adjacent square is about a block away, which is elegant and shows the wealth of this city's history. From there, the Central Market is an easy two block walk. We wandered through displays of beautiful fruits, vegetables, fresh baked Mexican pastries, past stall of butchers plying their trade with beautiful cuts of meat, and we always were greeted with courtesy in response to our curiosity. We ordered some tacos from a small stand and watched the owner-cook prepare the tortillas, grilled the meat and assembled our meal, with wonderful condiments. They were delicious, inexpensive and clearly she was happy to have us there.
From the market, we followed the maps and walked to the Malecon, or seafront, about 6 or 8 blocks away. The residential area was very colorful, reminding me of certain areas in old San Juan. after another meal at a seaside cafe, we returned to the ship. Overall, a very pleasant visit.
Clearly the Mazatlan authorities are making efforts to assure visitors that their city is secure. The Tourist Police were stationed at nearly every other corner in the area we visited. The Municipal Police provided crossing guards across busy streets and had lots of cruisers on the streets themselves. The Norwegian Star was escorted into and out of the harbor by Naval Patrol craft as well as while at the pier. Overall it felt very safe, and we were glad to visit this historic, beautiful city. Not only were the people warm and inviting, but it felt very "real": much less crowded and less showy than PV, and far less built-up and more Mexican than Los Cabos. It actually felt like we were guests of the city.
Will Mazatlan ever be a stop?
in Carnival Cruise Lines
Posted
We travelled on the Norwegian Star leaving San Pedro on April 6, 2014
The itinerary was Los Cabos, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta. We'd been to Los Cabos numerous times and were familiar with PV. It had been 30 years since I was in Mazatlan, well before the recent troubles in Mexico.
Mazatlan was our favorite port. We spent most of our day wandering through the Centro Historico (old town) that was quite close to the Cruise Terminal. An abundance of Volunteers in blue shirts answered many of our questions about the city when we got off the ship Most were Canadian and US ex-pats living in the Mazatlan area, all excited about sharing information about their adopted home. They provided free maps and guides for walking tours and historic sites. The Blue Line is painted on the sidewalks and streets to take you from the Cruise Terminal for an easy 20 minute walk through residential areas and past local shops to the Plazuela Machado, a pleasant shaded square in the center of the district, with lots of character. The Cathedral and adjacent square is about a block away, which is elegant and shows the wealth of this city's history. From there, the Central Market is an easy two block walk. We wandered through displays of beautiful fruits, vegetables, fresh baked Mexican pastries, past stall of butchers plying their trade with beautiful cuts of meat, and we always were greeted with courtesy in response to our curiosity. We ordered some tacos from a small stand and watched the owner-cook prepare the tortillas, grilled the meat and assembled our meal, with wonderful condiments. They were delicious, inexpensive and clearly she was happy to have us there.
From the market, we followed the maps and walked to the Malecon, or seafront, about 6 or 8 blocks away. The residential area was very colorful, reminding me of certain areas in old San Juan. after another meal at a seaside cafe, we returned to the ship. Overall, a very pleasant visit.
Clearly the Mazatlan authorities are making efforts to assure visitors that their city is secure. The Tourist Police were stationed at nearly every other corner in the area we visited. The Municipal Police provided crossing guards across busy streets and had lots of cruisers on the streets themselves. The Norwegian Star was escorted into and out of the harbor by Naval Patrol craft as well as while at the pier. Overall it felt very safe, and we were glad to visit this historic, beautiful city. Not only were the people warm and inviting, but it felt very "real": much less crowded and less showy than PV, and far less built-up and more Mexican than Los Cabos. It actually felt like we were guests of the city.