page_title: Mazatlán
section_title: Modern
hierarchical_section_title: Mazatlán / History / Independent Mexico / Modern
caption_attribution_description: English: Mazatlán Antiguo
context_page_description: Mazatlán is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipio, known as the Mazatlán Municipality. It is located at 23°13′N 106°25′W on the Pacific coast, across from the southernmost tip of the Baja California Peninsula.
  Mazatlán is a Nahuatl word meaning "place of deer." The city was founded in 1531 by an army of Spaniards and indigenous settlers. By the mid-19th century, a large group of immigrants arrived from Germany. Together with the hard work of the Natives, they were able to develop Mazatlán into a thriving commercial seaport, importing equipment for the nearby gold and silver mines. It served as the capital of Sinaloa from 1859 to 1873. The German settlers also influenced the local music, banda, with some genres being an alteration of Bavarian folk music. The settlers also established the Pacifico Brewery on March 14, 1900.
  With a population of 438,434 and 489,987 as of the 2010 census, Mazatlán is the second-largest city in the state. It is also a popular tourist destination, with its beaches lined with resort hotels. A car ferry crosses the Gulf of California, from Mazatlán to La Paz, Baja California Sur.
context_section_description: Mazatlán is also the hometown of Pedro Infante, one of the most popular actors and singers of the Cinema of Mexico's golden years.
  Mazatlán was well regarded by film stars such as John Wayne, Gary Cooper, John Huston, and others of their generation as a sportfishing mecca. The hotels along Olas Altas flourished during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, supporting this vibrant trade.
  In the 1970s, tourism in Old Mazatlán declined as newer venues catering to Western tourists opened on the expanses of beach to the north of the city ("Zona Dorada"). As an example of Mazatlán's tourism expansion, one of the largest timeshare providers in Mexico, Grupo Vidanta, was founded in 1975 with the inauguration of Paraíso Mazatlán (Mazatlán Paradise). This time also saw the expansion of the Hotel Playa Mazatlán, and the construction of many others, a trend that continues to this day.
  Next to Infante, Lorena Herrera, one of the most famous actresses and singers in Mexico and Latin America during the final decades of the 20th Century and the first decades of the 21st century, is Mazatlán's most famous native. German-born telenovela star Sabine Moussier, a stablemate of Herrera's—both have been under Televisa contract since the 1990s—also grew up in Mazatlán. Hollywood and Broadway actress Sara Ramirez is also a Mazatlán native.
  As the 21st century began, the Centro Histórico was rediscovered by newcomers and locals alike, spurring a renaissance of restoration and entrepreneurial endeavors. Once-fine homes that had fallen into literal ruin were restored to their former glory as family homes and boutique businesses. The city has assisted by upgrading infrastructure such as better water, sewer, and electrical services.
caption: Beach goers
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