Mazatlan - Mexico

Mazatlan is a perennial favorite with North American sunbirds and snowbirds alike. Endowed with a shoreline sprinkled with beckoning islands, a lovely seaside promenade, miles of golden beaches and blue lagoons, it really lives up to its moniker, “Pearl of the Pacific.” Sometimes, when you’re planning your holidays, you have to make a decision: sun and sand or culture and history? Mazatlan has the distinction of offering the best of both worlds: in the newer Zona Dorada (Golden Zone), developed in the 1960s, you’ll find most of the major hotels, shops, bars and restaurants scattered along the idyllic beaches; meanwhile, in Old Mazatlan or the Centro Historico (Historic Center), life carries on as it did before tourists arrived in the markets, cafes, churches and shady plazas throughout the traditional neighborhoods.