First, there’s the question of just how to get to town—if you drive, it’s at least an hour one-way to get all the way down the peninsula and around the harbor. Fortunately for Isla residents, there is 24-hour panga (boat taxi) service that only takes about 10 minutes and costs only 7 pesos each way (around 55 cents).
You board the panga at the Isla’s embarcadero
![IMG_4511 IMG_4511](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-f6OAvIWCh3U/Ur8a8VUml0I/AAAAAAAAHW0/Gaps7Xlp9Io/IMG_4511_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
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One water taxi is reserved only for the pelicans!
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The harbor is decent sized, but always a flurry of activity, from giant cruise ships, to freighter ships, to fishing boats, to panga taxis. There’s always something to see and good fresh sea air to breathe along the way.
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When you disembark on the city side, there are usually taxis to drive you where ever you need to go in town. But, like the pangas, Mazatlan does those with a unique twist as well! The taxis are called pulmonias and are essentially souped-up gas engine-powered golf carts. Most trips run between 40-70 pesos ($3 to $5).
![IMG_4537 IMG_4537](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-RgctPSHkJTM/Ur8bKOVzCII/AAAAAAAAHYU/2hQpgYh-kAA/IMG_4537_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
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On my first trip to town, I headed to the Telcel store to have them look at why my SIM card had stopped working (it turned out to be just a simple setting to update, so I was soon on my way down the Malicon back towards the older part of town. Lots more color and character than the large high-rise hotels and condos in the “Golden Zone”
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Every casa is different, and most don’t have clothes dryers so they hang laundry up on the roof!
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A typical corner store…
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A typical residential side street…
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Evelyn and I went to lunch at the Panama restaurant next to the Marcado, and as we waited for a table, we admired (but did not sample!) their elaborate bakery.
![IMG_4550 IMG_4550](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Cs-LBbqv1Js/Ur8bZwIciII/AAAAAAAAHaE/szlzrusPMvs/IMG_4550_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
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After lunch, we took a few photos of the main cathedral across the street with vibrant yellow-colored spires.
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![IMG_4562 IMG_4562](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-CmU0S-RairI/Ur8bjJunLyI/AAAAAAAAHbE/kZnxFvVurxA/IMG_4562_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
and then it was time to experience the central Marcardo (market) where you can buy just about anything from fresh produce, meats, and sweets to tourist t-shirts, hats, purses, sandals, and sun dresses!
![IMG_4564 IMG_4564](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Ub7W3s89m-A/Ur8blFe1joI/AAAAAAAAHbU/aJtoCh3pgpk/IMG_4564_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
![IMG_4565 IMG_4565](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-grwHeizOaak/Ur8bnmyVpnI/AAAAAAAAHbk/0xUVW6H4wd0/IMG_4565_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
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![IMG_4568 IMG_4568](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9kDoZlpYbpM/Ur8bsf4_Z0I/AAAAAAAAHcA/SJRSJ4nhO1s/IMG_4568_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
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On subsequent trips to town, I explored the Centro Historico and the Plazuela Machado where all the most colorful and best-preserved buildings are located.
![IMG_2454 IMG_2454](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6gQJxsZq-b0/Ur8byMVXqnI/AAAAAAAAHck/Za_0rZmwzyg/IMG_2454_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
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![IMG_2466 IMG_2466](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-BBixg7Td78I/Ur8b5OeuP5I/AAAAAAAAHdU/LbcaVkKlrvg/IMG_2466_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
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Contessa posted great pics of this trip on her blog. So much more to still explore here!