Good beach resorts

[Gingee]

We are looking at maybe a beach resort for Cabos or Mazatlan. This is for four (I am paying for three of them). Can anyone recommend one that is not too expensive? Maybe a little shopping closeby also.

[bobnsofi]

Mazatlan,

 

The easiest resort for cruisers, and by far and away the most popular, is the El Cid. The El Cid is the traditional "resort" of Mazatlan. The El Cid seems to have a policy of "the more the merrier", because every time we visit, it is lively (this is a good thing; most resorts we visit in the MR off cruise ships seem much more empty - winter mid weeks, mid day off cruise ships). In addition, the El Cid has done a recent "face lift" and looks great! The El Cid beach has all the beach amenities Mexico beaches have (vendors, parasail, jet skis, boating tours, etc)

 

A great day All Inclusive at the El Cid in Mazatlan is easy. (we have talked to so many cruisers on sail aways from Mazatlan that have loved their day at the El Cid).

 

Pay $35 per person at the El Cid booth in the cruise terminal and enjoy the day. Pictoral follows

 

Brave past the time share sales folks in the Mazatlan Cruise Ship terminal.

 

Walk up to the El Cid booth in the cruise ship terminal and tell them that you want to enjoy the El Cid for the day All Inclusive for $35 (free food and all drinks). They will wisk you off in a nice van.

 

El Cid Pool

 

El Cid Pool

 

El Cid Beach

 

El Cid hotel top view

[bobnsofi]

Cabo,

 

It is a great place to shop (easy), and a favorite port.

 

In Cabo, you tender (small boat from the cruise ship to a dock)

 

Cabo is a modern young master planned clean popular vacation spot, and a typical favorite cruisers port stop.

 

There are many very nice resorts in Cabo. Most cruisers spend their time on the marina boardwalk. Many others spend their time on Medano Beach. Many others spend their time on a boat tour. Very few cruisers spend their port time at a resort.

 

Pictoral Below

 

Cobos Beautiful Bay

 

Cabos Beautiful Marina Boardwalk shopping

 

Cabo's Beautiful Marina Boardwalk

 

Cabo's Medano Beach (best beach with lots to see and do)

 

Cabo's lovers beach (center of pic, a favorite stop for nature lovers)

 

Hotel Finesterra (welcomes crusiers for free - just buy a few cool drinks)

[Gingee]

Gad both those places look nice. How much food and drinks for $35?

[bobnsofi]

El Cid for the day All Inclusive for $35 (free food and all drinks).

El Cid Pool

 

El Cid for the day All Inclusive for $35 (free food and all drinks). All food and all drinks.

[Gingee]

As much food and drinks as you want?

[bobnsofi]

yep $35 per person, as much food and drinks as you would like, wristband controlled, they actually go around and bring them to you, you don't have to track the drinks down, folks love it! And they pick you up and drop you off at the cruise terminal!

 

Seems El Cid wants folks to think "El Cid" whenever the city Mazatlan comes up. The resort is always full of fun smiling folks. Most resorts when we visit the MR in mid winter, mid week, mid day, are virtually deserted.

 

Mazatlan is not a favorite Mexico destination, and the El Cid does everything possible to encourage as many folks as possible to have a great time; so they will come back and visit, and recommend El Cid to their friends and family. Mazatlan has a bum rap, because it is a large Mexican working city, not a master planned resort city. Mazatlan actually has delightful weather, relatively speaking. In winter it is warm and not very humid. It is a favorite location for Canadian snowbird retired folk to spend winter as there are also ample goods and services, and it is very inexpensive.

 

Many MANY cruisers visit the El Cid. You will likely see some of your ship mates when you visit.

 

El Cid beach area. El Cid is first high rise on right

[Gingee]

Wow. Sounds like you could get fat and drunk at El Cid.

[vladdyfan]

yep $35 per person, as much food and drinks as you would like, wristband controlled, they actually go around and bring them to you, you don't have to track the drinks down, folks love it! And they pick you up and drop you off at the cruise terminal!

 

Seems El Cid wants folks to think "El Cid" whenever the city Mazatlan comes up. The resort is always full of fun smiling folks. Most resorts when we visit the MR in mid winter, mid week, mid day, are virtually deserted.

 

Mazatlan is not a favorite Mexico destination, and the El Cid does everything possible to encourage as many folks as possible to have a great time; so they will come back and visit, and recommend El Cid to their friends and family. Mazatlan has a bum rap, because it is a large Mexican working city, not a master planned resort city. Mazatlan actually has delightful weather, relatively speaking. In winter it is warm and not very humid. It is a favorite location for Canadian snowbird retired folk to spend winter as there are also ample goods and services, and it is very inexpensive.

 

Many MANY cruisers visit the El Cid. You will likely see some of your ship mates when you visit.

 

El Cid beach area. El Cid is first high rise on right

Hey Sofi...you really seem to know your way around the MR..in your opinion what is the better excursion for Mazatlan..El Cid or Stone Island Tour w/ Johann & Sandra....they both sound great & my sis recommended Stone Isalnd but after seeing pics you posted of El Cid..that looks pretty awesome...would really appreciate your input & LOVE your pics!!

[bobnsofi]

El Cid or Stone Island

 

Seems it boils down to an analogy like "do you want to experience a simple rustic Mexican style BBQ in the sand" or "being served poolside with a beach stroll available". We joined a group of Canadians playing rummy at a large plastic table in the sand and had a great time on Stone Island recently. More true simple Mexico with the smell of BBQ in the air. On the other hand, if you stroll the active beach in front of the El Cid, you will also get plenty of Mexican ambiance sandy feet beachfront.

 

It also seems that we get plenty of pool time on the cruise ship.

 

El Cid is a beachfront POOLSIDE resort, with a fairly active beachfront, no horses or atv's

 

Stone Island is a much more rustic palapa beachfront, you are gonna get sandy, and you can ride horses and atv's

[hoop4fun]

Seems it boils down to an analogy like "do you want to experience a simple rustic Mexican style BBQ in the sand" or "being served poolside with a beach stroll available". We joined a group of Canadians playing rummy at a large plastic table in the sand and had a great time on Stone Island recently. More true simple Mexico with the smell of BBQ in the air. On the other hand, if you stroll the active beach in front of the El Cid, you will also get plenty of Mexican ambiance sandy feet beachfront.

 

It also seems that we get plenty of pool time on the cruise ship.

 

El Cid is a beachfront POOLSIDE resort, with a fairly active beachfront, no horses or atv's

 

Stone Island is a much more rustic palapa beachfront, you are gonna get sandy, and you can ride horses and atv's

 

Hi Sofi,

 

Thanks for posting pictures of your trip. Wow...very nice. We are sailing to the Panama Canal on April 6th -15 day cruise :D We have booked some wonderful tours in Panama & Acapulco but are still looking for things to do in the following ports. Can you recommend anything :confused:

 

Cabo San Lucas

Huatulco

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Cartagena Colombia

Aruba

 

Thanks

Lilly :D

[bobnsofi]

 

recommend

 

Cabo San Lucas

Huatulco

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Cartagena Colombia

Aruba

 

Of those ports, we have only been to Cabo and Aruba. Aruba is a favorite port as the Dutch do a fine job governing, and the climate is an unusual Dry Heat (like Cabo). We did a ships jeep tour and enjoyed touring the small island with it's barren desert side. At the end was a nice cool snorkel. You may want to search many of your ports in other areas of this web site, as only Cabo is actively discussed here. If you scroll up in this post you will see a Cabo description we did. Feel free to ask specfics. Perhaps best to start your own thread, so others can chime in, and many more can benefit. Have fun!

 

Aruba Pics below

 

 

 

[Gingee]

We are kicking around the Stone Island place. Is the food expensive there?

[quincytoo]

We are kicking around the Stone Island place. Is the food expensive there?

Victors wasn't :)

 

I think we paid about 110-130 pesos each for a huge platter of shrimp, veg, salad and amazing onion rings

[bobnsofi]

Stone Island place. Is the food expensive there?

 

Not expensive. Think we paid about $5 for 3 tasty small shrimp tacos. Beers can be had for 2/$3. That's about as in-expensive as you get beachfront anywhere in the Mexican Riviera

 

For those looking for an extremely in-expensive shrimp feast, head over to the shrimp dock areas (Mazatlan is a shrimping port)

[vladdyfan]

Seems it boils down to an analogy like "do you want to experience a simple rustic Mexican style BBQ in the sand" or "being served poolside with a beach stroll available". We joined a group of Canadians playing rummy at a large plastic table in the sand and had a great time on Stone Island recently. More true simple Mexico with the smell of BBQ in the air. On the other hand, if you stroll the active beach in front of the El Cid, you will also get plenty of Mexican ambiance sandy feet beachfront.

 

It also seems that we get plenty of pool time on the cruise ship.

 

El Cid is a beachfront POOLSIDE resort, with a fairly active beachfront, no horses or atv's

 

Stone Island is a much more rustic palapa beachfront, you are gonna get sandy, and you can ride horses and atv's

Sofi...thanks SO much for all the great info and your helpfulness! I think you ought to write a tour book or something for cruisers! website maybe..IDK? It's great how you are always willing to give advice & help ppl here with ideas..you're the bomb! Hey..if I ever run into you in Mexico I def owe u a drink or two for all your help! Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!

[cc4vr]

For those looking for an extremely in-expensive shrimp feast, head over to the shrimp dock areas (Mazatlan is a shrimping port)

 

 

bobnsofi, is that near the cruise ship? can you please provide directions from the cruise ship docks? Thanks

[jamscckmc]

? for Bobnsofi. What kind of vendors are at Stone Island vs EL Cid? Do they bother you while your lying down, or only if you are walking on the beach? Thanks for all your helpful info!!!

[bobnsofi]

an extremely in-expensive shrimp feast, head over to the shrimp dock areas. can you please provide directions from the cruise ship docks?

 

The shrimp dock area is farther up the harbor a few 100 yards. An easy walk, yet Mazatlan can be hot and the road is a heavy industrial ambiance.

 

The shrimp dock marketplace is alot closer than the Pacific Beer factory in the center of pic (map below)

 

 

The shrimp dock marketplace is "C" on the map below

 

 

 

$100 pesos is $7.50 for 2.2lbs. Dat's alot of fat fresh shrimp. They would also have all the fixins (tortillas, beans, rice, salsa, drinks)

you can even entertain yourself by feeding the local dogs, you will have that much shrimp

In Marrakesh the cats approach your dinner table. Never saw any dogs in Marrakesh

[bobnsofi]

What kind of vendors are at Stone Island vs EL Cid? Do they bother you while your lying down, or only if you are walking on the beach?

 

Stone Island will have the usual Vendors, and they will approach you unless you are in a fenced in area of the beach (the fish taco folks know that many cruisers do not like the vendors)

 

Typical Stone Island "vendor stay out" fence (they lurk just outside it)

 

Typical Stone Island "vendor stay out" fence

 

The El Cid is a pool resort, with no vendors allowed on the property.

 

The El Cid beach looks like it also has a vendor barrier (the white posts)

[Gingee]

I am getting so excited. Today it has been raining since 1:30 and it is 8:30. Hey I think I will go swimming now (I am in a Best Western right now). I can pretend there is sun.

[bobnsofi]

We are excited for ya, the Mariner is one of the 2 best in our area (Sapphire also). Dang if you didn't pick the fine ride. We will be on the Mariner again soon.

 

Mariner (Cabo's lover beach in background)

 

Mariner Promenade

 

Mariner Ice Show (best to get tickets early from guest services)

 

Look'n from the Mariner at the Sapphire in Mazatlan (dang that Sapphire is a nice ride also)

 

[Gingee]

Thanks for the close up pictures of the Mariner.

[bobnsofi]

Oops, don't get us wrong, the Sapphire is an extra nice ride also

[jandjfun]

Don't you have to do the time share tour to get the all inclusive at el cid? (90 minutes turns into 3 hours)