Follow the Blue Line to the prettiest old town on the Mexican Riviera.
Mazatlán is a working port: ships dock among the container cranes and a free shuttle runs you to the cruise terminal gate, where the painted Blue Line on the sidewalk leads about a mile to the restored Centro Histórico and open-air pulmonía taxis wait for the Golden Zone beaches 4 miles north. Most cruisers walk the old town and the 13 mile Malecón, climb El Faro lighthouse or take the boat to Stone Island. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Mazatlán from every line, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do Mazatlán
Old town on foot, a beach day on Stone Island or in the Golden Zone, or a longer cruise that gives Mazatlán a full day; each button filters the list of sailings below.
The Blue Line to Plazuela Machado
- Follow the blue-painted route from the terminal gate about a mile, 20 minutes, to the cathedral, the market and the Angela Peralta Theater
- Plazuela Machado is the postcard: 19th century facades, sidewalk cafes, a bandstand and shade
- Add the cliff divers and the Malecón on the way back; pulmonía home for about $8 if your feet quit
Best for: walkers, history lovers, photographers, budget days
Stone Island or the Golden Zone
- Stone Island: a 10 minute water taxi from the embarcadero near the port, then miles of flat sand, palapa restaurants and horseback rides; ship tours with lunch run about $70 to $90
- Golden Zone: pulmonía 4 miles north for about $15 to $20 to the hotel beaches, shops and the Playa Mazatlán day pass
- Both are back at the ship inside 30 minutes
Best for: families, sun seekers, groups
Mazatlán on a 10 night or longer cruise
- Holland America from San Diego and Princess from San Francisco give Mazatlán an all-day call
- Time for El Quelite or Copala, the colonial villages in the foothills, with lunch and a late return
- Pairs with La Paz and Loreto on Sea of Cortez itineraries
Best for: retirees, repeat visitors, culture seekers
Mazatlán cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at Mazatlán from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at Mazatlán
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to Mazatlán
Pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there.
Things to do in Mazatlán
The old town is a walk, the beaches are a short ride, and almost everything here costs less than in Cabo.
Which lines call at Mazatlán?
Mazatlán is on nearly every 7 night Mexican Riviera itinerary, typically the day between Cabo and Puerto Vallarta.
When to go
Mazatlán is dry and warm from November to May and hot, humid and stormy from July to October; the big Carnival celebration fills the Malecón in February or March.
Mazatlán questions we answer every day
Where do cruise ships dock in Mazatlán, and how far is town?
In the commercial port south of the old town, among the cargo berths, so you cannot walk off the pier: a free shuttle runs continuously to the cruise terminal building, where you will find taxis, pulmonías, vendors and the start of the Blue Line. From the gate it is about a mile, 20 minutes, to the Centro Histórico and about 4 miles to the Golden Zone.
What is the Blue Line?
A blue stripe painted on the sidewalks from the terminal gate through the old town to the Malecón, so visitors stay on the route the city patrols. Follow it and you cannot get lost; in places it has worn or been repaved, so keep an eye out for the next segment.
How do pulmonías work and what should I pay?
Pulmonías are open-sided, golf-cart style taxis unique to Mazatlán. There are no meters: agree on the fare before you ride, in dollars or pesos. As a guide, about $8 to the old town, $15 to $20 to the Golden Zone, and about $40 to $50 for a 2 hour city tour; drivers outside the gate usually quote less than those inside.
Do I need pesos, and what time is it?
Dollars are accepted in tourist areas and pesos get better prices at the market and cafes; ATMs are in the terminal. Mazatlán keeps Mountain Standard Time all year, one hour ahead of California in winter and the same in summer; ships usually stay on ship time, so follow the daily program. Most US cell plans include Mexico.
Is Mazatlán safe for cruise passengers?
The State of Sinaloa carries the US State Department’s highest advisory level, but the advisory specifically carves out Mazatlán’s Golden Zone and historic center, which is exactly where cruisers go, and the Blue Line, the tourist police and the terminal taxis exist to keep you there. Stay on the Blue Line or in the Golden Zone, use licensed pulmonías or ship tours, go in daylight and be back early.
Do I need a passport?
On a round trip from a US port, US citizens may sail with a government photo ID plus an original birth certificate, but we strongly recommend a passport: if you miss the ship you cannot fly home from Mazatlán without one. Non-US citizens need to check Mexico’s entry rules.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every fare on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.
Talk to a Mazatlán cruise specialist
We know which Mexican Riviera sailings give Mazatlán a full day and which ones carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.