Mazatlan, on Sinaloa's Pacific coast, is a working port city rather than a resort enclave, and its cruise terminal sits right at the edge of the old town. More about Mazatlán →
October 2026 · from today · all times local (Mexican Pacific Standard Time)
Showing 5 of 5 calls in October
Today and the next 7 days · all times local (Mexican Pacific Standard Time)
Thousands of people in port, guests plus crew. Crowd level compared with a typical Mazatlán day.
The crowd calendar shows every ship and how busy the port is, hour by hour, plus the quietest and busiest days for the next 90 days.
Cruise ships berth at the commercial quays of the ASIPONA Mazatlan port on the south side of the city, below Cerro del Vigia. Passengers cannot walk along the working quays; free open-air trams take them from the gangway to the cruise terminal building on Avenida Emilio Barragan, where taxis, pulmonias and tour buses wait.
From the terminal gate it is about 1.2 km (15–20 min) on foot to Plazuela Machado in the Centro Historico and about 2 km (25 min) to the Malecon at the Mujer Mazatleca monument. The Zona Dorada is about 7 km north and the airport about 23 km south-east.
1 km · 5–20 min by car
The old town is a flat walk of about 1.2 km from the terminal gate along Avenida Emilio Barragan and into the grid of Centro; pulmonias and taxis cover it in about 5 minutes.
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
Pulmonias (open-air carts unique to Mazatlan), aurigas (pickup trucks) and taxis wait outside the terminal gate; fares are negotiated, so agree the price first. An hourly pulmonia tour of Centro, the Malecon and the Zona Dorada costs about MXN 500–600. The Malecon at the Mujer Mazatleca monument is about 2 km (25 min) on foot from the terminal. Water taxis to Isla de la Piedra leave from the embarcadero near the port.
1 terminal
The cruise passenger terminal of the ASIPONA Mazatlan commercial port at Avenida Emilio Barragan 517. Ships berth at the working cargo quays and free trams carry passengers to the terminal building, where taxis, pulmonias and tours depart. A rebuilt 'Home Port' terminal on the same site has been proposed but is not funded.
Mazatlan is a port of call; passengers leave the cargo quays by tram to the terminal gate, and private cars can't reach the quays. No cruise parking was found.
Pick the area first. Typical nightly prices, approximate.
Historic centre near the port
Typical hotel
Inns and small hotels around Plazuela Machado and the Olas Altas seafront, minutes from the terminal.
Beach resorts and nightlife
Typical hotel
Beachfront hotel strip along Avenida Camaron Sabalo.
Port times are measured by car to the cruise terminal.
Prices are approximate. Tap water isn't generally drunk; buy bottled water.
Terrace cafes and restaurants a short walk from the terminal.
Seafront restaurants and snack stands along the promenade.
Hotel-strip restaurants along Avenida Camaron Sabalo.
Mazatlan, on Sinaloa's Pacific coast, is a working port city rather than a resort enclave, and its cruise terminal sits right at the edge of the old town. The restored Centro Historico has pastel 19th-century buildings, the cathedral and the cafe-lined Plazuela Machado, all within a 20-minute walk of the ship. West of the centre, the long seafront Malecon runs north past monuments and the Olas Altas cliffs towards the Zona Dorada, the hotel and beach strip about 15 minutes away by car.
Above the harbour, the El Faro lighthouse crowns Cerro del Creston, reached by a steep 745 m trail and 336 steps. Open-air pulmonia taxis, unique to Mazatlan, are the classic way to get around, and water taxis cross to the beaches of Isla de la Piedra.
Walk 15–20 minutes from the terminal into the restored old town, with pastel 19th-century buildings, the cathedral and the tree-shaded Plazuela Machado, ringed by cafes and the Teatro Angela Peralta. The Pino Suarez market is a few blocks north. Free and flat.
Climb Cerro del Creston at the harbour entrance on a 745 m trail and 336 steps to the lighthouse, 157 m above the sea, for views over the city and coast. Trail access is free (06:00–17:45); the glass-floored Mirador de Cristal costs MXN 30. Go early to avoid the midday heat. The breakwater behind Cerro del Creston has been closed since an August 2026 rockfall; the summit trail remains open.
Stroll or ride a pulmonia along the seafront Malecon from Olas Altas north past monuments such as the Mujer Mazatleca towards the Zona Dorada. It starts about 2 km from the ship and is best late in the day for the sunset.
Take a short water taxi (about MXN 30 return) across the harbour to the long, palm-backed beach of Isla de la Piedra, with simple palapa restaurants serving fresh seafood. A relaxed beach half-day close to the port.