Mazatlán is ready to welcome more Canadians
TED DAVIS
The holiday kicks of seaside watersport activities, as well as more cerebral cultural pursuits, plus the sheer fun of Carnival, were highlighted as key attractions of the Mexican resort city of Mazatlán recently.
Mazatlán vacation suppliers, including hoteliers, an airline executive and a rep from the Mazatlán Tourism Board, met travel advisors for an evening of Mazatlán vacation education in the Vancouver satellite city of Langley last week. They assembled at the Coast Langley City Hotel & Convention Centre for an industry dinner and presentations.
Leading the proceedings was event organizer Veronica Rivas, principal of Inter-Active Consulting, who provided a comprehensive overview of both new and established attractions in Mazatlán, which is situated on Mexico’s Pacific coast, just four hours by air from YVR.
Rivas said Mazatlán has about 19 km. of beaches and a long, recently updated boardwalk along the beaches that is 7 km. long. A popular activity is to cycle the boardwalk, which offers access to cliff divers, a public saltwater pool, sculptures and monuments.
Inland from the seaside, more outdoor activities beckon, ranging from ziplining to an ATV tour through the Sierra Madre to segway tours of Old Mazatlán. Also enroute is Mazatlán’s lighthouse, which is one of the tallest in the world. A climb to the top is rewarded with great views.
Even loftier views can be had by visiting the Mazatlán Observatory, which has been recently restored from its original role as a military outpost. The observatory is accessed by a funicular and onsite is a museum, bird sanctuary, a mescal distillery and a “skybar.”
No description of Mazatlán would be complete with a reference to its Carnival, said Rivas. The Mazatlán Carnival is the largest of its kind in Mexico and the third largest in the world, she said.
The Mazatlán Carnival runs Feb. 16 to 21, taking place in the six days preceding Ash Wednesday. It will attract over one million people for the extended party. In addition to plenty of traditional live music, Mazatlán Carnival has colorful parades, fireworks and carnival coronations.
Advisors whose clients are seeking a quiet beach holiday should avoid Mazatlán at this time, said Rivas.
Sunwing Vacations is a worthy choice for flights to the sun, as they offer flights to many Mexican/Caribbean sun destinations, including Mazatlán, over the winter from numerous points of origin in Canada. These include Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg in the West, plus larger programs with more destinations from Toronto and Montreal.
On hand to describe the Sunwing Vacations programs to advisors in attendance was Graeme Franklin, director of sales for Western Canada.
“All flights are scheduled on Fridays except YYZ and YUL which are scheduled on Tuesdays,” said Franklin. He noted that the bigger gateways are starting, or have started, their flights to the sun in November, while smaller regional gateways will launch their Sunwing flights in December. All will run through to mid-April 2023.
“The Sunwing Travel Group owns Nexus Tours (aka Sunwing Experiences), who perform all our airport transfers and provide exceptional tours to see and experience all the very best that Mazatlán has to offer,” said Franklin. Sunwing Vacations offer vacation packages for most Mazatlán properties, he added.
On hand to meet travel advisors at a recent Mazatlán event near Vancouver was (l. to r.) Veronica Rivas of Inter-Active Consulting, Edna Gutiérrez of Mazatlán Tourism Board, Alfredo Zenteno of the Playa Mazatlán, Dave Emery from El Cid, Diana Rosales of the Estrella del Mar, Graeme Franklin of Sunwing Vacations, and Ana Trewartha from the Ministry of Tourism for the state of Sinaloa.
