Lazin' in Mazatlan

The never ending search for sun and debauchery seems to be, for lack of a better word, never ending. For North American kids on spring break, few places invoke visions of the porn version of "Where the Boys Are" than the beaches of Mexico. Dreams of beaches at places like Cancun, Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta are enough to make any teen (or teen wanna-be) salivate like some Pavlovian dog. But a resort of yesteryear is making a resurgence. Look out Vallarta, here come Mazatlan.

With a ridiculous 20km stretch of beach, Mazatlan was always blessed with easy building blocks for a tourist Mecca. 50 years ago it was the place to be. Folks like John Wayne and Gary Cooper would use the area as their stomping ground. But city planning became focused more on the port, which is Mexico's largest. In the '80s, the Old Town of Mazatlan became somehow unfashionable as the far glitzier Zona Dorado (Gold Zone) sprang up out of the sands. The once beautiful, historic centre fell into disrepair. Many of the stately homes left to crumble.

But the trend is thankfully reversing. The homes, buildings and business in the Old Town are being restored to the quasi-psychedelic, pastely glory. Restaurants and cafes overflow into the streets as tourists and locals alike begin to discover that "old" is the new "new". The seaside promenade is full of pre-coital couples eating each others faces and tourists taking pictures of the pre-coital couples eating each others faces. Odd statues of mermaids and half naked couples herding leaping dolphins litter the coast, making for interesting back lit photos. There is even a viewing platform which has been transformed into a "cliff" diving springboard. As crowds congregate in the area, locals perch themselves high above the breaking waves, waiting... waiting... SPLASH! While the "show" cannot compare to the infinitely more famous ones in Acapulco, it's still impressive. A couple Pesos are greatly accepted for the diver risking his neck.

Like most beach resorts, Mazatlan lacks any real attraction other than copious amounts of silica particles located in close proximity to massive expanses of dihydrogen oxide (aka beach next to the Ocean). I'm not much of a beach bunny (although i saw my first bikinis in 4 years.) Instead i headed to a hill sporting a light house. The start of the walk is a little nauseating, it's next to the city's waste treatment plant after all. But the views from the top are lovely. There are hardly ever any people up there, although the lighthouse keeper is more than happy to try to sell very overpriced bottles of water.

The beauty was almost lost. The whole time i was there, i didn't step foot into the Gold Zone, including the infamous Senor Frogs, which was founded in the city. Mazatlan will never make the "50 places to see before you die" list. Nor will it make the "Come here and die" list. The place might actually appeal to some.