The Awe of Old Mazatlan

For shopping in this area, we used to stop at the central market (mercado), where we could find nearly everything, from clothing, leather goods and handicrafts to meat, seafood, produce and tacos, at prices that seemed more reasonable than anywhere else in town. It's not for everybody, though. When my mother visited, she had seen enough (and smelled enough raw fish) after five minutes. My sister-in-law, on the other hand, spent hours wandering around, finding bargains on blankets, handicrafts and gifts to take to friends in L.A.

For a real taste of Mexican handicrafts-ceramics, jewelry, masks and more-I recommend Viejo Mazatlan, a new gallery/store offering high-quality arts and crafts created by indigenous Mexican cooperatives, many under the Fair Trade Initiative. (This means that more of the profit goes directly to the artists rather than to middlemen.) The shop is one block from the Plaza Machado, across from the Panama Bakery. I furnished half of my Virginia home with treasures from this shop. The gallery's owner, artist Elaine Kemp, recently added a back room for showing paintings by local artists.

Before returning to your hotel, ask your taxi driver to show you the view from El Cerro del Vigia, or Lookout Hill, above Olas Altas. You can see both sides of Mazatlan, the harbor and the Pacific. Several times when I was feeling beaten down by the daily frustrations of adapting to another culture, the climb up this hill and the view restored my spirits.

As tempting as it is to relax on the beach all day, Mazatlan is well situated for exploring. Several interesting and easy day trips will give you a feel for a typical Mexican colonial village. Despite my allergy to tours, I like the country tour offered by several of the local tour operators. We visited two picturesque villages: Concordia, known primarily for handcrafted furniture and clay pottery, and Copala, an old mining town at the foot of the Sierra Madre Occidental. Its cobblestone streets, red tile rooftops, charming town square and 1740 church fulfilled my vision of a Mexican village.

Don't leave Copala without trying the banana coconut cream pie served at Daniel's and Copala Butter Co.