Family-Friendly Mazatlan, Mexico

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My family and I are heading off to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for two weeks this summer. For one week we’re all attending Spanish-language school and staying in a downtown condominium. The other week we’ll be at a beachfront resort (think foofy drinks by the pool). We can’t wait! So, if any readers have any tips on what we should do and where we should eat when we’re there, I’m all ears!

In the meantime, here are my recommendations for accommodations and activities for families heading to Mazatlan, Mexico, also on the Pacific coast.

Consider staying at the El Cid Marina Beach Hotel. This property is a laid-back, low-rise Mediterranean-style hotel that’s far from the hustle and bustle of Mazatlan’s “Golden Zone,” where most of the touristy accommodations are found.

The El Cid Marina’s compact layout makes it safer for kids to wander around the property on their own. A basic playground and mini-golf course are also inviting for preschool and early elementary aged children. Older kids will get a kick out of the friendly staffers that organize activities all day long–from pool Olympics and bingo to basketball and ping-pong tournaments.

Families of four can fit comfortably in a one-bedroom suite here. This room configuration features a separate bedroom (with door) for mom and dad, a living area with two couches where the kids can sleep, plus a dining table, bathroom with shower, and kitchenette with stovetop, microwave, full refrigerator and freezer and cooking utensils.

Larger families, or those who just love appreciate extra space, can get a two-bedroom suite, which is a one-bedroom suite connected to a junior suite. Vaulted ceilings on the top floor of each of the eleven buildings give the illusion of even more room for spreading out.

The swimming pools here are esepcially inviting for kids. The heated pool has a zero-grade entry, making it easy for toddlers to splash around safely. The non-heated pool (adjacent to the largest hot tub in Mazatlan) has two water slides and nifty man-made caves for jumping off of into the pool (it’s nine feet deep).

If your children tire of the two on-site pools at the El Cid Marina, you can take a free shuttle to the other El Cid properties a mile and a half down the road. The pools at the El Cid Moro and the El Cid Castilla are larger with more water slides, waterfalls and cliffs.

Family-Friendly Activities in Mazatlan

One benefit of staying at the El Cid Marina is that the property has its own tour company on site. This group can help you book catamaran trip to Deer Island or a city sightseeing tour with a focus on Old Town. (Sit through the 90-minute El Cid Vacation Club presentation, and get these tours for free.)

A catamaran ride to Deer Island features an all-you-can drink bar (with plenty of juice, water or soda for the kids) plus a Mexican lunch once you reach the island. Here you can also paddle a kayak, get pulled on an inflatable “banana boat” and snorkel with borrowed equipment (taking part in these activities does cost extra).

The city sightseeing tour makes a stop in Old Town Mazatlan for visitors to watch the clavadistas jump from high atop a perch into the ocean below. If you don’t want to take the town tour (which is upwards of four hours), stop by the cliff-diving site around lunchtime or in the late afternoon, which is when the tour buses generally assemble and cliff divers can troll for tips before or after they make their leaps.

MazAgua, Mazatlan’s water park, is open from March to December, and gives kids lots of chances to cool off with giant water slides, tube rides and a wave pool.

Acuario Mazatlan features dozens of marine-life tanks, live dolphin shows, a small zoo for mammals and a botanical garden.

Horseback riding, deep-sea fishing, whale watching and golf are other family-friendly activities readily available in Mazatlan.

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May 15, 2008 | Filed Under Family Travel 

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One Response to “Family-Friendly Mazatlan, Mexico”

  1. Posts about el cid castilla beach hotel mazatlan as of January 12, 2009 | Mazatlan Mexico, Travel, Real Estate, Hotels, Resorts, Culture & Leisure, Tours & Activities Weblog says:
    January 12, 2009 at

    [...] a Comment Family-Friendly Mazatlan, Mexico – travelingmamas.com 05/15/2008 My family and I are heading off to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for two [...]

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