Los Osuna Tequila Factory near Mazatlan, Mexico

One of the most interesting places that I visited during my recent trip to the Mexican state of Sinaloa was the Los Osuna tequila factory, which is located about an hour's drive from Mazatlan. At one time, there were over 100 tequila factories in the Mazatlan area, but apparently they were all closed by the Mexican government. Los Osuna has reopened, both as a working factory and as a tourist attraction. The 19th-century hacienda is something of a museum, with ancient machinery and artifacts such as antique tequila bottles on display. Los Osuna still processes the Blue Agave plant using traditional methods and takes pride in the purity of its final product, which has no cane sugar or other additives found in lower quality brands.



Even though its tequila is definitely the real thing, Los Osuna can't use the word "Tequila" on its bottle labels since the state of Jalisco owns copyright to the name. Consequently, Los Osuna calls its tequila "Distilado 100% Agave Azul." You can easily get to the factory from Mazatlan by rental car, but don't spend too long at the tequila sampling table before heading back to town. Another alternative is to sign up for one of the tours offered by operators in Mazatlan, and leave the driving to them.



To get to Los Osuna, drive north of Mazatlan on Highway 15 and turn right on the road to La Noria. The tequila factory is located a few miles before La Noria.

Old Mazatlan

When I first visited Mazatlan over fifteen years ago, the city's historical centre was a romantic ruin full of neglected 19th-century European architecture. Tourists were few and far between in Old Mazatlan. These days, however, Mazatlán Viejo is a going concern. Tourists stroll through the area's narrow streets admiring handsome refurbished buildings and visiting museums and art galleries. After sunset, they linger well into the night in lively restaurants surrounding compact Plazuela Machado.



Old Mazatlan'e rebirth began in the early 1990's with the restoration of the neoclassical Angela Peralta Theatre, which is now the city's main cultural venue. Later, in 2001, the Mexican government gave 479 buildings in 180 downtown blocks new status as protected historical monuments. This was followed by the formation of the independent Historical Center Project in 2002, whose mission was to protect and develop Old Mazatlan.



Numerous grass-roots preservation and beautification projects during recent years have brought Mazatlan's architecturally unique core back to life. They have also reconnected this thriving port city with its post-colonial roots and reaffirmed that it is much more than just another beach resort.

Mazatlan Carnaval

Last month, I was lucky enough to be in Mazatlan during that Mexican city's Carnaval, which is celebrated every year prior to Ash Wednesday. It is billed as the third largest carnaval in the world, after those held in Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans. The Mazatlan Carnaval's parades, concerts and various festivals attract over 400,000 people, and all of them must have been cramming Mazatlan's seaside avenues when I was there.

One night I watched a mock naval battle that used fireworks rather than cannon to commemorate Mazatlan's 1864 victory over the French Navy. Afterwards, I found myself swallowed by a river of humanity flowing down Paseo Olas Altas. Holding on tightly to my wallet, I was carried along past beer stands, food stalls, and stages packed with dancers gyrating to loud salsa and rock music. Everyone was surprisingly well-behaved, considering the "party-on" mood, and I emerged with body and wallet intact. The theme of this year's Carnaval was "Spirits of Wind and Sea." No doubt, I owe the spirits a prayer of thanks for looking out for me.