Mazatlan Year-round

Taking a vacation to Mazatlan is a rewarding experience, but you'll need to take several vacations to fully enjoy Mazatlan. There are several major events throughout the year that are worth experiencing, so after your first trip, plan on coming back!

One of the best times of year to go to Mazatlan is in the wintertime, roughly between November and February. This is particularly true regarding the weather - it is fairly comfortable: about 80 F for the highs and about 50 F for the lows. It can get pretty chilly at night, so be sure to bring a coat and some warmer clothes, particularly for the evening and night. The ocean water is cool, but still comfortable enough to dip in. This is the time of year when some of the sand from the beaches disappears, particularly at Olas Altas in the older part of the city. The natives don't frequent the beaches as much this time of year due to the water's colder temperatures so there is not much activity on the beaches, which is great if you don't like the crowds.

The wintertime in Mazatlan is, of course, full of holidays and special celebrations. November 2nd is Dia De Los Muertos (All-Souls Day) during which all of Mexico celebrate their deceased. Christmas is a major holiday in Mexico, but it's the days leading up to Christmas that are also special. Many businesses, families, and whole neighborhoods have "posadas" which are basically very festive Christmas parties with food, music, dancing, and some gift exchanging, throughout most of December leading up to Christmas. Right after Christmas, of course, is New Years, which is a major celebration for all families as well. To fully experience and appreciate these holidays in Mexico, it is best to stay with a family living in Mazatlan that celebrates these holidays, although many of the hotels in Mazatlan will host related festivities, and certainly Mazatlan's nightlife scene will draw you in to the excitement!

After New Years, On January 6 is Dia de los Reyes Magos (Day of the (three) Kings, or Day of the Magi) in which young children get additional gifts or candy, and round cakes called "roscas" are consumed. The "roscas" are special in that small plastic figurines are inserted into the "roscas" and when the cake is divided up and the pieces distributed. According to tradition, whoever gets a figurine has to make tamales for the others, although many don't follow through. :)

Perhaps the greatest festivity in Mazatlan is the "carnaval," which takes place for one week sometime around February or March of each year (depending on the Roman Catholic Liturgical Calender), and is the week right before lent in the Catholic faith. For carnival week Mazatlan puts on two long, extravagant parades along the "malecon," two fantastic "ship to shore" fireworks displays, several coronation ceremonies for the carnaval "royalty" which bring several big-name music artists to perform at the festivities, and a major all-night party along Olas Altas. Mazatlan during carnival week is the place to be for great fun and celebration.

"Semana Santa," or Holy week, in Mazatlan is also a festive time, and is also an important religious celebration in Mexico. It takes place between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, which usually falls in April, and like carnival time, it attracts tourists and brings out the native population onto the streets. Much is happening along the beaches and throughout the major plazas in Mazatlan. Right after Holy Week, bike week takes over the city in which thousands of motorcycles are roaming the streets and several exhibitions and a motorcycle parade attract the crowds.

From May through October the city-wide festivities stop although there is plenty of activity on the beaches. It gets quite hot and humid (upper 90s +) so it makes sense to go the beach and dip into the water (since you can't really get relief from the heat at home anyway, unless you have AC. The rain season, however, does run from June until September, so there aren't as many days available to go to the beach during the summer months.

These are the main events that take place throughout the year in Mazatlan, apart from the many other things that one can do any time (beach, golf, dance, etc.). Actually, being in Mazatlan always feels like being on vacation, regardless of what time of year or what you're doing. After vacationing in Mazatlan, you'll want to come back again at a different time of year to experience the different festivities, and then just come back for the events you've been to since each event is always special year after year! Mazatlan has much to offer year-round.