Mazatlan

Mazatlán needs 2 days: the Malecón, one of the longest coastal boardwalks in Latin America, with the Mazatlán Lighthouse -one of the highest natural lighthouses in the world- at one end, on one day, and the recently restored colonial old town, on the other. November-April is best, avoiding the humid summer heat. It's low-to-mid priced by Mexican standards. It was the busiest port on the Mexican Pacific in the 19th century, and its Carnival, with over a century of unbroken history, is one of Mexico's oldest and largest.