After the Mazatlán Marathon: Isla de la Piedra

The Route: Centro Histórico → Playa Sur embarcadero → Isla de la Piedra → back Logistics: A small passenger ferry crosses the harbour channel in about ten minutes and runs frequently through the day. The fare is a few pesos. From the landing it is a short walk or a pulmonía ride across to the ocean side. Marathon Month: September Duration: Day trip

Centro Histórico ──(pulmonía, ≈10 min)──> Playa Sur embarcadero
                                                  │
                                          (ferry, ≈10 min)
                                                  ▼
                                          Isla de la Piedra

Stone Island is not an island. It is a long sandy peninsula on the far side of the harbour channel, and because the road route around is a considerable detour while the boat takes ten minutes, it functions as one. That small inconvenience is the whole reason it has stayed as it is while the Zona Dorada filled up with hotels.

The ferries leave from the embarcadero on the Playa Sur side, near the port and the sportfishing docks. They are open boats, they go when they are reasonably full, and the crossing costs almost nothing. Take cash in small notes.

The beach

From the landing, the ocean side is a short walk or a very short pulmonía ride across the neck of the peninsula. The beach then runs for several kilometres, wide and flat, with palapa restaurants at intervals along the first stretch and progressively less of anything the further you walk.

This is the point of the day. Order something, sit under the palm roof, walk the sand, and go back in. The water on this side is open Pacific, so there is surf, and in September it is warm enough to be no consideration at all. Watch for a rip on an unpatrolled stretch.

Bicycles and horses are for hire near the restaurants, and the flat track along the back of the beach makes a circuit of the settled part of the peninsula. Cycling is a reasonable thing to do on legs that ran a marathon two days ago; the horses less so.

What it is not

There is no resort strip here, no boardwalk, and limited shade outside the palapas. Bring sun protection and drinking water, and plan to be off the beach in the middle of the day. Facilities are basic and mostly attached to whichever restaurant you have adopted.

Where to Stay and Eat

Where to stay: Come as a day trip and stay in Mazatlán. There are a small number of rustic places on the peninsula for anyone wanting a very quiet night.

Where to eat: The palapa restaurants along the sand do grilled fish, shrimp in various forms, and cold beer, and one of them will look after you for the whole day if you let it. Pescado zarandeado, a whole fish split and grilled over wood, is the local dish and takes a while, so order it when you arrive.

Getting Back

The last ferries run in the early evening and the timing is not rigidly published, so ask at the landing when you arrive what time the boats stop. Missing the last one means a long road journey around the head of the harbour.