6 Best Family All-Inclusive Resorts in Mazatlán

6

Pick the resort by its water, then check which area it sits in. These six resorts sit in three areas: the Zona Dorada, the beaches of Cerritos and Nuevo Mazatlán to the north, and Estrella del Mar. Some sell all-inclusive as an add-on. Check the rate before you pay. Read the safety answer in the FAQs before you book.

Mazatlán Family All-Inclusive Resorts

Reaching Your Resort From the Airport

Landing in Mazatlán puts you at very different distances from each resort. The airport’s own taxi booth settles the fare before you leave the terminal.

• Taxi From the Booth: Pay at the airport’s taxi booth inside the terminal and hand the driver the ticket, so nobody haggles at the curb. App-based cars can’t collect you at the terminal curb, so take the official taxi on arrival.
• The Shortest Ride: Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlán Golf & Spa Resort sits less than 6 miles from the terminal, and under 15 minutes by road. A late landing with tired children costs the least time here.
• Ask Before You Book: The drive times on the cards run to Plaza Machado, not the airport. Ask each resort for its own airport transfer time and price, and book the pickup if it offers one.

Kids’ Clubs and Water Play

Only some of these resorts run a kids’ club, and the age bands differ. Ask each one for its club hours and age band in writing.

• Two Clubs at Dreams: Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlán Golf & Spa Resort runs the Explorer’s Club for ages 4 to 12 and the Core Zone Teens Club for 13 to 17. A 6-year-old and a 9-year-old both fit the first, an older sibling has the second, and the World Cafe buffet has a Kids Korner.
• RiuLand at Riu: RiuLand is the kids’ program at Hotel Riu Emerald Bay. The resort also has a kids’ pool with small slides.
• A Kids’ Pool at Viaggio: Viaggio Resort Mazatlán runs a kids’ club with games, video games and movies, and its heated kids’ pool has water games. The resort publishes no age band for the club.
• Mixed Answers at Pueblo Bonito: The FAQ at Pueblo Bonito Mazatlán Beach Resort says its guests use the kids’ club at Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort & Spa, while the FAQ at Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort & Spa says that resort has no kids’ program. Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort & Spa does list a children’s pool and babysitting.

What the All-Inclusive Plan Covers

Every all-inclusive rate here covers meals and house drinks, but the restaurants differ a lot. Look at the dinner setup before you pick.

• Buffets at Viaggio: Viaggio Resort Mazatlán covers three buffet meals at Tramonto, plus coffee and snacks at Cacao Coffee Bar. The pool bar serves snacks, and all three venues pour house-selection drinks. À la carte dinners at Tramonto are not part of the plan.
• Four Dinner Rooms at Dreams: Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlán Golf & Spa Resort has four à la carte restaurants beside its World Cafe buffet. A family that wants a different cuisine each night has it there.
• Two Resorts in One at Pueblo Bonito: Guests at Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort & Spa eat at the resort’s own venues and at the five restaurants of Pueblo Bonito Mazatlán Beach Resort. Dinner at some venues requires a reservation, and the concierge books it.

Reading the Rate Before You Pay

Not every rate shown for these resorts includes the meal plan. Two checks catch most of the mistakes.

• An Add-On at Royal Villas: Royal Villas Resort sells lodging-only rates and an all-inclusive package marked by an orange wristband. Its own site doesn’t say which rooms take the package, so confirm that your room rate says all-inclusive.
• Sofa Beds Aren’t Beds: A room that pairs one double bed with a sofa bed leaves one pair of sleepers on the sofa. Choose a room with two real double beds when you need a proper bed for each pair.
• Match the Party: Check that the rate shows two adults and both children’s ages before you pay. A rate priced for a different party can change the room and the price.

Best Months for Families

Mazatlán’s dry season runs from November to April, and hotels fill then. The Pacific hurricane season runs from mid-May to the end of November.

• Dry Months Fill First: Easter week, Carnaval week in February and July weekends are the busiest stretches. In January to March the sea is at its coolest, so a heated pool matters more than a beach swim; Viaggio Resort Mazatlán and Royal Villas Resort both heat theirs.
• Summer Rain Comes Late: From June to October showers arrive in the afternoon and evening, and the sea stays at 28 °C (82 °F) or warmer from July to September. Plan slide time for the morning.
• Late August to October Is the Risk Window: Hurricane risk peaks from late August into October, so a flexible or refundable rate pays off. May and early June give the cheapest hotels without the worst of the weather.

Days Out Away From the Pool

Three outings fill a rainy afternoon or a day between slides. All of them work for ages 6 to 9.

• Gran Acuario in Parque Central: The Gran Acuario Mazatlán Mar de Cortés has sea lions, a shark and ray tank and an aviary. It is a short taxi ride from the Zona Dorada, so go on a cloudy afternoon.
• Plaza Machado in the Old Town: Plaza Machado in the historic center is ringed by cafés, restaurants and galleries. Go at the end of the day, when the square fills with families.
• Stone Island by Boat: Isla de la Piedra is a short boat ride away and has a shallow, gently sloping beach and palapa seafood restaurants. Take sunscreen and water.

FAQs

1. Is Mazatlán safe for families?

The U.S. State Department lists the state of Sinaloa at Level 4, Do Not Travel, and Mazatlán sits inside it. Its advisory limits U.S. government employees in Mazatlán to the Zona Dorada and the historic center, reached by air or sea. Read the full advisory at travel.state.gov and your own government’s page before you book, and check what your travel insurance covers there.

2. Which part of Mazatlán suits families best?

Stay in the Zona Dorada if you want restaurants and outings close. From there a taxi reaches the aquarium and the old town. Pick Cerritos, Nuevo Mazatlán or the south coast only when a resort’s water park or club is the reason for the trip, since you will spend more of each day on site.

3. Is the tap water safe to drink at Mazatlán resorts?

No, stick to bottled or purified water. The tap supply is meant to be potable, but local advice is not to drink it. Resorts put bottled or purified water in the rooms, and tourist-zone restaurants make drinks and ice with purified water. Use bottled water for the children’s drinking bottles, and ask at check-in which water is safe for brushing teeth.

4. Do these resorts have water slides?

Two of them describe slides themselves. Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlán Golf & Spa Resort has two, and Hotel Riu Emerald Bay has small slides in its kids’ pool. Royal Villas Resort has a kids’ pool but describes no slide, Viaggio Resort Mazatlán has a splash pool with water games, and neither Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort & Spa nor Pueblo Bonito Mazatlán Beach Resort lists a slide.

5. Do dinners need a reservation at these resorts?

At some venues they do. At Viaggio Resort Mazatlán, Italian Night is à la carte and requires a reservation made in advance, and Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort & Spa lists dinner at some venues as reservation-only. Ask about the other resorts at check-in, and book the nights you care about on day one.

6. How do you get around Mazatlán with kids?

Taxis and open-air pulmonías cover most trips, and you agree the fare before you get in. App-based taxis also operate in Mazatlán, but they can’t collect you at the airport terminal curb. For the aquarium or Plaza Machado, ask the front desk to call a taxi and keep the resort’s card for the ride back.

7. Where can children eat a kids’ menu?

Kids’ food turns up at three resorts. Hacienda La Flor, the lunch and dinner restaurant at Royal Villas Resort, has a children’s menu, the World Cafe buffet at Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlán Golf & Spa Resort has a Kids Korner, and the snack bar at Viaggio Resort Mazatlán serves kids’ food. Ask each resort what it serves for fussy eaters before you arrive.