Radarhog Posted August 31, 2019 #1 Share Posted August 31, 2019 Would it be a good idea to just get off the ship in Mazatlán and walk the city. Are there places close? Or would we need to take a taxi to some starting point. I know we want to go to the city market and find a local place to bravely challenge out stomachs. Go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffatsea Posted September 1, 2019 #2 Share Posted September 1, 2019 Hi, It sounds like you haven't read any of the other threads below this one with questions about Mazatlan?? Yes you can easily walk! In the port area you take a people mover to the exit. There you will find local volunteers made up of snowbirds/tourists etc who stay in Mazatan for either the winter or who have retired there. They will point you to the blue line painted down the middle of the street which you follow to the central market. There will be other volunteers along the way. There is a church, market with all sorts of food a central plaza etc. You will also find golfcart taxis called pulmonias. You can bargain with the driver for a ride farther around the city to points of interest or just a ride back towards the port if you are tired. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike45LC Posted September 3, 2019 #3 Share Posted September 3, 2019 Riff's answer is great. The blue line will not take you 100% to the Cathedral/Mercado, but there are plenty of snowbirds to point the way. These volunteers love to talk to the tourists! I'd just like to add that there are restaurants as well as food stalls in the central Mercado, for you to experience the local food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moviegal Posted September 4, 2019 #4 Share Posted September 4, 2019 We love the new "blue line" walk to Old Town. Not exactly scenic but a nice stroll. If you get tired, you can grab a taxi back. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffatsea Posted September 8, 2019 #5 Share Posted September 8, 2019 Doesn't the Blue Line take you to the main square?? The church is on the north side of the square and the market on the east side(I think) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dog Posted September 8, 2019 #6 Share Posted September 8, 2019 Are there cobblestones or smooth sidewalks along the blue line? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffatsea Posted September 8, 2019 #7 Share Posted September 8, 2019 Normal sidewalks not cobblestones. We have also walked part of the way in the street itself! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike45LC Posted September 9, 2019 #8 Share Posted September 9, 2019 Riff, the Blue Line takes you to Plaza Machado, a very nice place to relax, and you can eat in any of several restaurants. The Cathedral (Basilica de La Immaculada Concepcion) is not at Plaza Machado, but at Plaza de la Republic. That is about seven blocks further on. The Blue Shirts [the American and Canadian tourist assistants] at the Plaza Machado will be happy to point the way. The Central Market (Mercado Pina Suarez) is about two blocks further down from the Cathedral. To the OP, I often walk to the Cathedral and the Market, to get my exercise in. It is far more interesting than walking around the ship (seven very boring laps equals one mile!). From there, I take a golf cart to Zona Dorado. From there, I take a golf cart back to the Cruise Ship Terminal. The golf carts are everywhere and you will get tired saying "no thanks" to the persistent drivers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffatsea Posted September 9, 2019 #9 Share Posted September 9, 2019 @Mike45LC Interesting that I mixed it all up in my mind. I do see though that the Cathedral is north of that square you mentioned. Is it possible that there's another church at Plaza Machado that I mistook for the cathedral??? I know I've been to the market and I didn't think we walked much farther than the blue line but it's been a few years and we've visited a few other Mexican cities in that time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike45LC Posted September 10, 2019 #10 Share Posted September 10, 2019 Riff, I don't recall a church at Plaza Machado, but it is unlikely that you mistook another church for the Cathedral. Especially if you walked to the Market. It is just a few blocks further, walking in a very pleasant atmosphere while on vacation and while on a cruise port stop! What could be better, and how easy to mis-remember the short extra distance!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevada Jen Posted September 11, 2019 #11 Share Posted September 11, 2019 How does pricing and payment on the golf cart taxis work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike45LC Posted September 11, 2019 #12 Share Posted September 11, 2019 Jen, before you get into one of the golf carts, you have to negotiate the fare -- "How much to take us to the Cathedral?" The price will be for the entire party (if you can all fit in the cart!!!) -- I have had drivers say "per person" but that is not the way they usually present it. The fare is usually quoted in $US. Depending on the distance involved, $5 to $10 is not unreasonable, but sometimes $15. More if you are hiring the cab for a tour instead of basic transport. Do you simply want to go from the cruise ship terminal to the Cathedral? Or do you want to first go to see the cliff divers, and have the taxi wait for you there before taking you to the Cathedral? I have had drivers take us to OXXO stores and wait for us as we drove back to the ship. I had one driver stop at a coconut stand as we were going up to see the lighthouse (El Faro), so we could buy coconuts -- I bought one for the driver as well. I had a driver take us through the drive-through at Dairy Queen -- I bought him a sundae. I did not negotiate the add-on for these, but gave the driver an extra $5 and he was happy. The drivers all speak enough English so that they understand where you want to go, and you can reach an agreement as to price. Of course, if you speak Spanish like a native (my wife is fluent), the prices are always better!! Pay in US $ cash at the end of the drive. Do NOT hire a driver for a multi-stop trip, such as "take us to the Cathedral, the Market and Golden Zone." It is too hard to remember which of the golf carts is yours, after you walk out of the Cathedral!!! There are dozens of them, and many of them look alike. Finding the right cart after the divers do their act is hard enough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffatsea Posted September 15, 2019 #13 Share Posted September 15, 2019 Unless you are at a taxi stand with a dispatcher or a sign showing a flat rate all taxis in Mexico are "agree on the price before you get in and bargain a bit". That's just the way it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisenurse2 Posted October 6, 2019 #14 Share Posted October 6, 2019 Hello Last year we walked the blue line. Oh did we have a fun adventure. We found a wonderful quilt shop. Little locally owned shops such as a coffee shop with real Mexican coffee and ice cream. we also saw the cathedral and if we had kept walking and walked over a bridge there was a market. We also found a wonderful artsy craft/ gift shop. Beautiful things. We met many American ambassadors. We felt safe and welcomed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TiogaCruiser Posted October 11, 2019 #15 Share Posted October 11, 2019 On 9/8/2019 at 10:46 AM, riffatsea said: Normal sidewalks not cobblestones. We have also walked part of the way in the street itself! Because Matzatlan tends to flood, many of the sidewalks and curbs can be at varying “altitudes”. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prunion Posted October 11, 2019 #16 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Can anyone explain to me what the blue line is. Sorry never been to Mazatlan. We cruise there in December. Thanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prunion Posted October 11, 2019 #17 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Can anyone explain to me what the blue line is. Sorry never been to Mazatlan. We cruise there in December. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike45LC Posted October 11, 2019 #18 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Blue Line is literally a blue line painted down the center of the streets, showing the direct route from the cruise ship terminal to downtown Mazatlán. The line begins at the terminal -- any of the Ambassadors (Tourist Information Volunteers, American and Canadian expats for the most part, who love Mazatlán and wish to share their knowledge) can show you the beginning of the route. There will be both Ambassadors and police along the route (not that you need them!), so you cannot go astray. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prunion Posted October 12, 2019 #19 Share Posted October 12, 2019 Mike45LC thanks for the information, how far is the walk to town. What all will we find in town, local vendors, shops. Do they take credit cards or only cash and if cash, US? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike45LC Posted October 12, 2019 #20 Share Posted October 12, 2019 The walk is not too far, maybe a mile? I hope Falcon comes on and gives you the actual distance! Lots of shops, restaurants, and -- I learned from CruiseNurse -- even a quilt shop! Most vendors accept US$. But I prefer to use pesos -- the vendors use a lousy exchange rate, in part because of the inconvenience to them of changing US$ into pesos. Think about it, what would you have to do in Indi to change pesos into US$ if someone paid you in pesos, and how expensive would it be for you? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prunion Posted October 13, 2019 #21 Share Posted October 13, 2019 Thanks again Mike45LC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Editrix Posted October 13, 2019 #22 Share Posted October 13, 2019 (edited) On 8/31/2019 at 12:09 PM, Radarhog said: Would it be a good idea to just get off the ship in Mazatlán and walk the city. Are there places close? Or would we need to take a taxi to some starting point. I know we want to go to the city market and find a local place to bravely challenge out stomachs. Go! If you want to eat local food, I recommend you book a Flavor Teller Tour. I was in Mazatlán last week and took the Mercado and More Tour. It was exceptional. If you're in town on a weekday, the Barrio Bites tour would be offered. It isn't offered on Sundays (when I was there) because Sunday is still considered a day of rest in Mexico and many places are closed. My husband went sport fishing, so I took a taxi (by myself) from port to the meeting place in Plazuela Machado. It couldn't have been easier. https://www.flavorteller.com/ Edited October 13, 2019 by Editrix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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