Mazatlan offers taste of the good life

MAZATLAN, Mexico - They claim it's one of the largest pools in Mexico, but Heidi Storm Samore rarely finds time to dip her toes in its cooling waters.
Unlike her fellow Canadians lazily swimming up to El Cid's resort bar for their mid-afternoon margaritas and pina coladas, she has spent the last two hours hunkered down in marketing meetings.
While it has been another hard day at the office, the mother-of-two still has a smile to rival those of the bronzed poolside guests.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Storm Samore earned a degree in hospitality and tourism management in British Columbia and began her career at the Hotel Vancouver in 1980.
As director of marketing for El Cid Resorts in this Pacific Coast holiday city for the past two years, she's been hearing good news about Canadian visitation numbers. Hence her smile.
According to Statistics Canada, Mexico is the most favoured non-U.S. sun destination of Canadians. During the first quarter of 2009, there was a 26.5 per cent increase in overnight visits from the previous year.
That's good news for Storm Samore, who says Canadians are savvy when it comes to selecting value vacations and they chose well when they picked Mexico - Mazatlan in particular.
"We have a tremendous amount of growth occurring," she says. "To be a part of that is a great challenge, but very rewarding."
For all the hours she spends in meetings, Storm Samore is living the life that makes most of her friends back home green with envy. You'd certainly think she'd landed in paradise, with 30 C temperatures in mid-January and fresh tropical fruits, a half-dozen specialized restaurants and crowded buffet tables just an arm's length away.
But the reality is that the Mexican work day is long. Wearing her business hat, she can't afford to adopt the selective amnesia that comes naturally for the rest of us vacationing in this vibrant seaside town.
Located on the Pacific Coast, just a finger nail gap on the map below the Tropic of Cancer, Mazatlan has the requisite sand, sea and sun that winter-weary Canadians ache for.
An important fishing port, Mazatlan is very much a working city. With about 600,000 residents, or Mazatlecos, it has an economy deeply rooted in fishing, agriculture, beer making and tourism.
In the language of the original indigenous population, Mazatlan means "Land of the deer." Not that there's a lot of deer to hunt nowadays, but there is a bustling and diverse dining scene around town. From fine restaurants to roadside vendors, you just need to follow your nose to satisfy your appetite.
If you like fresh seafood, you'll love Mazatlan. About 40 million pounds of shrimp are exported every year, giving Mazatlan the moniker of "Shrimp Capital of the World." Fortunately, plenty of the bounty stays at home to find its way onto local menus.
Spiced and seasoned, prepared as sizzling barbecued kebabs enveloped in soft tortillas, or conjured into a frigid shrimp cocktail, you can enjoy juicy shrimp dozens of different ways here. Washed down with a locally produced Pacifico, a delicious beer made in the city for over a century, and the dining experience will be complete.
A world centre for sport fishing, Mazatlan started luring the rich and famous back in the 1930s. Later, Hollywood stars such as John Wayne, Yul Brynner and Lee Marvin discovered the region while on location in the rugged Sierra Madre mountain range that provides a distant backdrop to the city.
Adventurous Canadians discovered Mazatlan in the 1970s and, a decade later, the city's resorts had become a top winter destination for Canucks.
During this boom, new resort development up and down Mexico's vast coastline took off, and Mazatlan - while still popular - had rivals competing for tourists' attention.
It was a wake-up call for the city as it watched business growth drift toward these newer centres such as the Mayan Riviera, says Gilberto Aviles, a director with the Mazatlan Hotel Association.
"But for the past 10 years, Mazatlan has been working to regain its premier tourist status, with new hotels coming on stream and a determined restoration program of its Historical District getting into high gear," he says.
In 2001, then-president Vicente Fox declared 480 buildings in the old quarter National Historic Landmarks. Along with this progress, Mazatlan's famous Malecon was restored, bringing an overdue facelift to the city's famous seawall promenade.
Three centuries ago, British and French pirates found Mazatlan's natural harbour a perfect spot to hide out after prowling the coastal waters in search of Spanish galleons to plunder. Nowadays, parasailing devotees, kayakers and sports fishers have taken the place of these long-gone buccaneers.
It's a laid back scene familiar to Storm Samore, who often spends time with her family exploring the many kilometres of beaches the region enjoys.
Even with its endless sunshine, and the sounds of ocean lapping against the sands of its popular multi-mile hotel strip they call the "Golden Zone," Mazatlan has an even greater asset in its people, according to Storm Samore.
"I love the hearts of the Mexican people," she says. "Mazatlecos are incredibly warm and friendly and have treated me and my family very well.
It's something that comes naturally to them."
Saskatoon StarPhoenix

IF YOU GO:
Getting there: A number of Canadian tour operators have direct flights to Mazatlan. Check with your favourite travel agent. My wife and I picked up a couple of inexpensive round-trip fares with WestJet. The airline recently made a major commitment to serving Mazatlan this winter by offering new direct flights from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg.
For more information on Mazatlan, go to www.visitmexico.com/wb/ Visitmexico/Visi-Mazatlan.
Staying there: I stayed at El Cid Castilla Beach Resort, one of the four El Cid Resorts properties in Mazatlan's "Golden Zone." (www.elcid.com).
Eating there: For the finest on-the-ocean brunch or sunset cocktail, La Concha at El Cid El Moro has an unparalleled view of Las Tres Islas (the three islands).
Things to do: Asked to list five top attractions that visitors to Mazatlan "must" experience, Heidi Storm Samore was more than willing to offer her thoughts.
"Mazatlan is unique in that it has fabulous weather and great beaches but a distinct addition of cultural and historic offerings. When you combine that with authentic Mexican hospitality, you can't go wrong. The city's beaches are a given and each has its own personality . . ."
Her can't-miss list includes:
1) Centro Historico: This is the heart and rich past of the city. Check out the freshly refurbished restaurants on narrow streets, Plaza Machado, Angela Peralta theatre, the Mercado and the Basilica . . . all within walking distance of each other.
2) Island visit: Visit either Deer Island or Stone Island - both are unique and involve a pleasant boat ride.
3) Town tour: Discover the flavour of the historic towns just outside of Mazatlan. El Quelite, Copala, Concordia and El Rosario are examples of
charming "true Mexico."
4) Take a walk on the Malecon: Enjoy an early-morning or sunset stroll along this ocean promenade that stretches for 20 kilometres. Further south, you can watch the daring clavadista divers, fishing boats and local families out for the day.
5) Take in views from above: Hike up Cerro Creston, Mazatlan's highest hill, to El Faro. The second-highest working lighthouse in the world, El Faro is worth the effort if you want the full Mazatlan experience.