Culinary Travelers Can Discover Vibrant Flavors of Authentic Mazatlán, Mexico
Courtesy of: Go Mazatlán
Visitors to the Mexican coastal city of Mazatlán savor award-winning cuisine amid a scenic backdrop.
Mazátlan has been known as the “The Pearl of The Pacific” and renowned for its fresh seafood straight from the deep blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Now, Mazatlán’s rich culinary tradition spotlights authentic flavors with gourmet flare, and is being served up by acclaimed chefs and world-class restaurants.
Travelers can also explore the region’s diverse culinary landscape with visits to colonial town haciendas and tours of Mazatlán’s brewery and a century-old blue agave distillery.
Culinary Tours Whet Travelers’ Appetites
For hands-on gastronomic adventure, a variety of new tours please the palate while serving up unique glimpses of Mazatlán’s history. One of the most popular is the Vintana de los Osuna, where visitors explore the 130-year-old Los Osuna Blue Agave distillery and plantation. Located in the mountain village of La Noria, the expansive estate was settled by the Osuna family soon after their arrival from Spain in 1864. Daily walking tours take guests through the agave fields, where plantation guides explain the growing process and demonstrate how the blue agave is harvested. Visitors then tour both the ancient and modern distillery, sample agave juice, visit the estate’s wine cellar and enjoy final tastings of blue agave at the Los Osuna Bar.
Mazatlán is also home to the Pacifico Brewery, where visitors are led through the bottling plant, distribution operations and quality control labs of the fully operating beer brewery. The Pacifico museum and tasting room is located at the top of the brewerys tower. Here, guests learn about the brewery’s origins in the city’s early European influence and enjoy multiple tastings, surrounded by breathaking 360-degree views of Mazatlán’s scenic coastline and vibrant historical center.
Bounty of the Pacific
Set along 16 miles of golden-sand beaches, it’s no wonder Mazatlan enjoys an international seafood reputation. The coastal waters here teem with Pacific sailfish, marlin, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, and dorado. The city also boasts the largest shrimp fishing fleet in the Pacific, and fishermen are found every morning selling their catches of the along the oceanfront malecón promenade. Visitors can savor fresh seafood like plump shrimp and ceviches with conch, octopus or crab meat in outdoor markets or beachside palapa huts.
In Old Mazatlán, the city’s lively historic district, charming sidewalk cafés offer al fresco dining and haute gourmet flavors against a colorful backdrop of neoclassical architecture. A favorite among locals and visitors, Restaurant Pedro Y Lola serves a mix of fresh seafood and international specialties as guests enjoy free outdoor jazz concerts from nearby Plaza Machado in the heart of town.
The luxurious, beachfront district known as Zona Dorada (The Golden Zone) offers world-class cuisine and ocean views at premier restaurants like La Cordeliere and Angélos. Award-winning chefs here create signature dishes that range from chargrilled octopus to hearty marlin stews, lobster in garlic sauce or grilled red snapper. Located just north in the area known as Nuevo Mazatlán, The Seafarer restaurant features an international menu and waterfront dining along the cosmopolitan Marina Mazatlán. Nightly music performances feature smooth jazz and soulful blues ensembles. For a more casual atmosphere, travelers head to Gus y Gus, also overlooking the new Marina. The open-air restaurant offers authentic Mexican fare and a lively bar with nightly entertainment.
Taste of Regional Tradition
Located near the foothills of the Sierra Madres, Mazatlán also boasts rich regional cuisine. The fertile valleys here offer plenty of lush pasture for livestock to roam, producing tender cuts of pork, lamb and beef. Local dishes also spotlight native spices and fresh ingredients harvested from neighboring farms. Among the region’s specialties: tender Mazatlán steak marinated in a spicy red chile broth.
In Old Mazatlán, La Tramoya is a favorite for hearty and authentic Mexican meat dishes. Olas Altas Steak House spotlights a fine dining menu of steaks, seafood, tapas and Asian-fusion cuisine created by Mazatlán Best Chef Award-winner Ken Simon. Diners enjoy a romantic ambiance in the restaurant, housed in a lovingly restored private home that is more than a century old. In Nuevo Mazatlán, the elegant Sr. Pepper is known for its refined atmosphere, succulent steaks and sophisticated wine list.
Just outside the city, picturesque colonail villages and mining towns offer a taste of the area’s rich heritage amid panoramic mountain views. In quaint restaurants like El Meson De Los Laureanos in El Quelite, dishes are prepared in the honored custom of generations past. Travelers can savor handmade pork tamales, enchiladas sprinkled with grated queso cotija and pozole, a flavorful pork and hominy stew.
For more information about Mazatlán’s culinary highlights, visit http://www.gomazatlan.com.
