Mazatlán, Mexico holds a special place in my heart! Back in 2016 was the first time that I ever went to Mexico and it was actually in Mazatlan. I was working with a non-profit at that time and we ended up traveling all over Mexico, but there is seriously no place like Mazatlán. Ever since 2016 I’ve pretty much visited Mazatlán every year but 2019 and 2021, I’ve also spent about 3 months living in the area at one point as well.

So below you’ll find all my favorite restaurants, coffee + tea shops, and activities to do in Mazatlán. I will say most of the times I go to Mazatlán I stay in Los Pinos. So most of these places are great walking distance from that area, just to give you some guidance on where these places are located.

Restaurants

1. Totem

Totem is one of my favorite restaurants in Mazatlán! They have a lot of really incredible food ranging from tacos, nachos, salad, smoothies…etc. I’ll say the nachos are absolutely the best and my favorite!! They also have incredible and unique cocktails that are so delicious!

2. El Paisa

El Paisa is a great “chain” taco place, they have incredibly good tacos and you a buffet of toppings you can put on your order. It also has a stunning view of the ocean no matter where you are at in the restaurant. The restaurant is completely open and exposed to outside, which is perfect for a nice spring night.

3. El Presido

If you’re looking for a fancy night out, but not looking to break the bank then head over to El Presido. Their food is SO FREAKING DELICIOUS! The way they combine certain flavors is just mind blowing. The places is gorgeous, moody, and perfect for all those date night vibes! I got the catch of the day with mashed cauliflower and a glass of wine for around $20 total and it was incredible.

4. La Olivia

This is a great breakfast location that is full of yummy bakery items and long list of great breakfast items! It’s a cute little location too! I highly recommend making it here for breakfast!!

5. Olas Altas

This is a top favorite for seafood tacos!! I could eat tacos from here every single day and their juices are so fun and refreshing!! They are definitely not your traditional street tacos, but they are so so good. The restaurant really knows what they are doing!

Coffee/Tea Shops

1. Looney Bean

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to visit this cute little coffee shop in Mazatlán this time around but I’ve been to it quite a few times. They have great food and drinks! I wouldn’t say they’re coffee is craft or anything, but their drinks are great and reliable!! Also, the environment and staff are always pretty friendly and fun to be there!

2. Caferium

One of the best coffee shops I’ve been to in Mexico so far. These people truly know their coffee and how to make it. They value experience and quality. The staff is super friendly, accommodating, and extremely knowledgable. The also had some fun complimentary blue tea water, which was delicious! If you’re looking for a good craft coffee shop to fix have that fix for all my fellow coffee snobs, then this is the place.

3. House of Hindi

This is a fun new tea shop in the area! The owners are super friendly, incredible, and so knowledgable about tea! Their branding and shop is absolutely gorgeous! I could spend HOURS in this place as the location is super vibey and the tea is so fun to learn about and try! I highly recommend this place if you’re looking to have great conversations and to try some fun new things!

Other Activities

1. Nails – The Beauty House

My friend and I went to go and get our nails done at a great little place more in the golden zone area, which is also conveniently close to the mall and movie theatre too if you wanted to make a full day of pampering yourself. But The Beauty House has incredible gel polish for really affordable prices, great service, and incredible quality nails. I’ve had my gel nails for about 2 weeks now and I work with bleach about once a week, so they will last you a good amount of time. Totally worth going here!

2. Beach Day – Stone Island

This is one of our (our friend’s) favorite places to go for a whole day at the beach. You take a little boat to the island and you can rent umbrellas or little shade areas for pretty cheap. They have restaurants and a few little shops here and there. But it’s a great little remote island that is literally surrounded by the beach. There’s also a great surf spot here too!