Mazatlan: 10 reasons to visit the 'Pearl of the Pacific'

If you're looking for a family beach destination in Mexico, more than 2.3 million people who live there say you should buy a ticket to Mazatlan. In a nationwide "Battle of the Destinations" held the first week in July, more than 73 percent of voters gave Cancún, Acapulco and Ixtapa a pass and cast their ballots for the Pearl of the Pacific.

Mazatlan's 16 miles of golden sand beaches and attendant tourism are fringe benefits for the largest port between the United States and the Panama Canal. The city has a long and still-present history, picturesque surroundings to fuel a lifetime of day trips, and a thriving fishing industry. Besides its golden beaches, Mazatlan still boasts the inexpensive digs, fresh seafood, stellar sportfishing and Mexican day-to-day culture that has appealed to travelers since the 1940s.

Mazatlan did time as a spring break haven, remnants of which can still be found in the Zona Dorada tourist zone. Newer developments have been heavy on marina-golf-spa resorts, but these are removed from Mazatlan's centro. At heart, it remains refreshingly simple and affordable. Here, then, are our top 10 timeless reasons, in addition to the beaches, to visit Mazatlan.

1. Old Mazatlan

Evocative and haunting even in its tumble-down days, the spot where the Spanish conquerors established the city in the mid-1500s has been gloriously revitalized and is now the fulcrum of Mazatlan's burgeoning art scene. Elegant 19th century buildings bloom with cafes, clubs and crafts galleries. Streets around Plazuela Machado, the Spanish settlement's original central square, are filled with street theater, photo exhibits and parades by day; at night, when restaurants and bars move their tables into the street and open their shuttered second-story doors to drink in the festive mood, Mazatlan could stand in for New Orleans.

2. Nonstop culture

The Angela Peralta Theater, the 1874 opera house whose 1992 restoration launched the rehab of Old Mazatlan, now hosts a steady schedule of events, ranging from the state symphony to a local children's chorus to visiting jazz bands. The restoration gave rise to the annual Mazatlan Cultural Festival, which hosts dozens of music, ballet, theater, movie and comedy events from early November into mid-December. Almost any visit is bound to coincide with a cultural festival, whether it's the State Festival of Arts, the International Dance Festival, the Mazatlan International Film Festival, the Mazatlan Book and Arts Fair or the International Guitar Festival, all of which bring in international celebrities.

3. Carnival

Only Río and New Orleans can claim a bigger Carnival celebration than Mazatlan, which sees more than 400,000 costumed revelers throng its streets and beaches. In addition to the big procession, Mazatlan's festival brings roving mariachis, regional rock bands, art and literature programs, fireworks, amusement park rides and culinary festivals starring pescado zarandeado, the regional barbecued fish. If you miss the celebration, stop by the Casa Machado Museum and visit the Carnaval parlor, which displays glittery costumes, historical panels, and photographs of Carnaval queens going back to 1900.

4. The malecón