Since it’s one thing to *read* about a place, it’s an entirely different matter to *see* it for yourself, right?

So I shot this quick video for you. You’ll see McDonalds, Applebee’s, the ocean and a whole lot of other familiar places.

OH and YES! Mazatlan is growing like crazy! In many ways, it looks just like your typical American vacation “strip”.

So here’s the video called “Driving around Mazatlan”.

On the way to Rosario, south of Mazatlán, is the small town of Aguacaliente, with banana, mango, orange and coconut groves and a natural hot spring, as the name suggests – in Spanish, “agua” is water and “caliente” is hot. (That’s temperature hot. Hot to the taste is picante.)

Like the hot springs near Concordia, Aguacaliente is a natural laundry center for locals. You may want to pick up a pinata here if a party is in the planning soon.

Copala, a picturesque colonial village that is nestled among the hills, is an ancient mining town, with red roofs, steep, cobblestoned streets and smiling, friendly people, where time seems to stand still. Copola has a number of pleasant restaurants and shops offering the usual range of handicrafts from all over the country, such as the usual hand-made furniture and pottery.

About twenty minutes from Copala, is a little German-inspired village, La Capilla del Taxte. Bird watching is the central activity here, but La Capilla del Taxte is also a great place for mountain hikes and catching a fantastic view of the Sierra Madre.

Less that five minutes before you enter Concordia off of Hwy 40, you may want to take a little side trip. Turn off on the dirt road. You will pass a colorful school on the right, and then turn left when you approach a slight incline. (Drive very slowly) Straight ahead and to the east will be a concrete pillared, open-air structure shading the natural hot springs.

For the locals, these hot springs are a laundry center, where the women come to wash the clothes. There are actually three nearby towns known for their hotsprings: Garate, Santa Fe and Arrona. Not really large enough to be full-fledged hot springs, the locals call these refuges “aguita calientes” or “little hot springs.”

And finally, visit Concordia, a beautiful town founded in 1565 as Villa De San Sebastian. Once in town, you will find a charming old town square, and as usual, it’s right in front of a church…but this church is over 350 years old and is the oldest church in the state of Sinaloa. You will probably want to stroll through the many antique and furniture stands. Do remember to drive carefully, please…and enjoy the trip.

What about you? Have you been to Mazatlan? What’s your opinion?