Located on Mexico's Gold Coast, Mazatlan is the closest Mexican resort to the United States, and it's been a favorite destination for those looking to soak up the relaxed pace of life along the Pacific Coast for decades.

Nicknamed the "Pearl of the Pacific," Mazatlan offers everything from full-service all-inclusive resort life to intimate villas, hotels and private residences available for short- or long-term rental. It is in every respect a top-notch vacation getaway, but without the relentless push to go, see and do present in so many places. Mazatlan embraces tourists, but is a full, rich city in its own right above and beyond its attractiveness.

Just south of the Tropic of Cancer, Mazatlán is the most important port on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Full of contrasts, this city is one of the country’s oldest tourist resorts and the site of one of the world’s three major carnivals, comparable only to those in New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro.

Mazatlán always has surprises in store. Wandering through the city and its historic center, sunbathing on its magnificent beaches, traveling to the islands using every imaginable form of transport, gazing at the horizon from hills such as El Faro and El Cerro de la Nevería, enjoying one of the most elaborate regional seafood cuisines, participating in the carnival, and sailing or sport fishing are some of the things that have made Mazatlán famous the world over. [less]