Review for "Deer Island Snorkling and Beach BBQ" Tour. This tour is boring AF, and costs $90 CDN…read more($65 USD) - AVOID!!!! Total rip-off!!! The catamaran takes you to some islands to see birds ("bird poop island") and sea lions, and then takes you to Deer Island where there is nothing to do but sit on the beach and drink. Cuz you can't do that anywhere else. Don't waste your time snorkelling, the small reef is long dead and there's only a few brown fish hanging around. We brought our own gear, I certainly wouldn't trust the cleanliness of their gear based on the condition of the catamaran. The catamaran (the Kolonahe) is poorly maintained, the men's toilet didn't flush, and one of two struts for the top structure of the catamaran (you know, where people walk and sit) was completely rusted out and broken off. For the price they're charging, that boat should be impeccably maintained. There's little to no guide interpretation (in english anyhow) as you sit on the catamaran listening to much loathed 1990s classics like Céline Dion's "My Heart Will Go On". Nothing says good times on a boat like the Titanic Soundtrack. Of the 25 people on board, 4 were Mexican, and two of them spoke english fluently, yet with my limited spanish I overheard the "guide" speaking to them at length about the Mazatlán coastline while ignoring the rest of the guests. The beach BBQ is a sad showing of the worst food the El Cid resort has to offer, runny refried beans, chicken skewers, salad. Why would anyone pay $90 for this, especially as all the guests were staying at all-inclusives anyhow (telltale wristbands). To top it off, I overheard the "guides" talking to the El Cid food server and laughing at the guests and calling them gordas (fatties). To add further insult, we waited over an hour at the dock (El Cid Marina) for the catamaran to be ready, and then again for 45 minutes for the shuttle (one 8 seater van for everyone) to take us back to the hotel. Total waste of a vacation day. An older couple said the Stone Island tour was much better, like the guides actually talked to them in english and told them about some of the area history. Personally based on my experience, I would avoid anything the Aries Fleet has to offer, they're just ripping off tourists as far as I can tell. You can rent a sea kayak and paddle yourself over to Deer Island in probably 20 minutes if you really want to check it out.

Great experience with this tour provider! I had pre-booked an excursion arriving on a cruise ship…read more Once checked in and waiting for others to arrive for the city tour, I explained to the tour guide that I wasn't feeling well and might want to skip Stone Island. He said he could bring me back to the crust port if necessary. He gave a great city tour explaining the buildings and new versus old section of Mazatlan. All in all, a great tour and much more reasonable than booking through the cruise line. Highly recommend!!

We booked a tour of classic Mazatlan sites and our driver was excellent. However, just as a few…read morepeople have mentioned below, we were taken to the worst restaurant I've ever eaten at. I believe someone compared it to Taco Bell. I'd eat Taco Bell a thousand times before going back to Costa Marinera. Obviously, they are partnered with this restaurant because last year we were taken here as well and we walked out. Ask to go somewhere else for lunch. What people wrote about the vendors, is an underestimation. They hound you from the second you sit down.

We recently took a cruise to Mazatlan and had the good fortune to hire Jesus Angel Vega to be our…read moretour driver. He took us to the oldest cathedral and old town and to see the cliff divers. We went to lunch on the beach and to the section where as he said the Gringos live. We saw everything you would see on a big expensive tour but we're able to tailor it to suit our needs and the price was much better. If you want a wonderful tour call him or email him ahead of time. He is great. He speaks beautiful English and has lived there his entire life. We will return and Jesus will be our driver and tour guide. Thanks Jesus. Call 044 669 994 8129 or 044-669-981-5017. Jesus Angel Vega. Email jesus_mantecon@hotmail.com

Enjoyed an informative city tour of Mazatlan by Jesus. He is knowledgable of local history and…read morecurrent locations for good food and general interest. We had Jesus pick us up at our hotel for several trips and he was always punctual and reasonable in terms of fare. His taxi is clean and we were always comfortable with his driving. We communicated with him by e-mail (jesus_mantecon@hotmail.com) and he always responded quickly to confirm our pick-up time.

Second time on the blue agave tour Unfortunately the second…read moretime around wasn't quite the same as the first... Our tour guide today was quite friendly but not very informative Most of the time he just set up front talking to the driver I suppose I might be comparing it to the first time which was great! That tour was a few years ago and she was very talkative, funny, and informative of both the flora and Fana. The blue agave tour in end of itself this time was also lacking. One the tour guide really didn't inform our group much of the process of making "tequila", just the video And the staff at los Osos we are basically not really there... Other than the people trying to sell the crafts at the small booths next to the tequila tasting. They complete five star part of this tour is the stop for lunch. The food cooked in Molcajete is absolutely worth the tour if nothing else. The food is excellent, the salsa made by you! on the table, the little smattering of beans and guacamole with the accompanied blue tortillas was excellent! Just remember... LUNCH YOU HAVE TO PAY for as it is not included in the price of your tour. Something they need to outline. And YES, they do take credit cards there. We were told they did not. All in all the tour was comfortable, the small town we visited was cute and quiet, and the food that we stopped for and paid for was excellent! Will I do this again... Not quite sure!

This popular port is known primarily for their seafood, especially shrimp. We booked the tour…read morecompany with Costco Travel and the instructions was to find our guide at the "umbrellas". We got a lot of bang for our buck with this tour. Our tour guide was Juan, but he said we can call him "Chilly Willy", a nickname his friends call him. This 6'5″ giant was a delightful tour guide. Very articulate, humorous, and a local to Mazatlan. Originally, we were supposed to stop first at the Cathedral, but had to make a stop at the shrimp market. It wasn't a market you'd find inside a building at a ports of call. It was rows of independent vendors selling their catch under a tent in the streets of Mazatlan. Unfortunately, we didn't see the actual market as Chilly had the driver go outside to bring back 2 samples of the shrimps from Mazatlan. Following the quick "show and tell", Chilly had the driver take us to another market, similar to a Grand Bazaar. You can find everything from clothes, souvenirs, to fresh food ranging from seafood to produce. Chilly tried to give us a quick overview of the market, and moved rather quickly. I didn't want to get separated from the group, and was only able to capture the seafood and meat section. I had wished he gave us a little more time here. We hopped back on the bus and made our way back to the original stop: the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, located in the heart of the city center. We were given a brief summary of the church, and then allowed some time to roam the grounds, grab a snack, or use the bathroom at the Panama bakery. We left el Centro (the center of town) and Chilly had the driver take us to the Golden Zone Mazatlan with the fancy hotels and condos. Our next stop on the tour was at a micro distillery called Onilikan. What's interesting about this micro distillery is the company was founded by Canadians! Like our other tequila stop in Puerto Vallarta, this place gave samples of their spirits. Stephen didn't care for their tequila, but did enjoy their liqueurs and purchased 2 bottles. What was surprising was Stephen's dad really enjoyed a liqueur, he even purchased a bottle! This tour is far from over as we piled back on the bus and made our way along the coast for the highlight of the trip... to watch the cliff divers (or cliff jumpers). Acapulco is more famous for their cliff divers, but Mazatlan has been jumping since 1961. The divers expect tips so have a few bucks handy. Our tour continued back to the historic part of town, stopped at the Casa de Haas (as in Haas avocados) and we walked to the Angela Peralta Theater Opera House, before heading back to the ship around 2:00. I wish Chilly allowed us more time to explore certain areas. I know he is on a time schedule, but most of the tour was on the bus, not on the ground. Its a good oversight of the town, and to make note to visit places next time.

This is a fantastic activity for everyone! It was exciting, adventurous and delicious. So much…read moreamazing food and history all over. My friend and I intend on doing another food tour next year when we visit. Looking forward to it!

An amazing adventure to explore the flavors of Mazatlan outside the tourist obvious locations…read more An observation of the typical food on my mind and a hotel or off a food truck Mika took us to her favorite locations that we never would've found without her. I now have photos of locations and information that I can repeat the performance. I do wish there had been more variety in the foods provided to taste but otherwise it was a fabulous tour... Mika is a lovely person and shared so much for the rest of us I can't imagine being more comfortable on such a tour. Love love love..... Do this tour...worth it in all aspects. What else can I say. It was good...

I booked this zip-line excursion on a whim while getting off ship, and it ended up being one of the…read morebest decisions of my trip. For only $100, you get WAY more than expected, not just zip-lining, but a locally made lunch, a tequila tasting, and a full farm distillery tour, all set on a beautiful scenic ranch just outside the city. The ranch itself is stunning, open views, mountains in the distance, and a peaceful atmosphere that feels like a world away from the city. The zip-lines were safe, fast, and a ton of fun. The guides were friendly, professional, and made the whole group feel comfortable. Lunch was surprisingly delicious and authentically local, you can tell everything is made fresh. The tequila tasting was another highlight. We got to try several varieties, learn how they're made, and even walk through the distillery to see the whole process up close. Overall, this is an amazing deal for what you get. It felt like a full day of adventure, culture, and great food/drinks rolled into one. If you're looking for something memorable and unique, I HIGHLY recommend this excursion. Worth every penny and then some! Also to note they offer horseback, ATV and kayaking. Excursions.

I booked the River Kayaking excursion with Veraneando Adventures for me and my dad who is a fairly…read morefit senior. From the description I figured it would be pretty doable and my dad was excited about this. It was a pretty hot and sunny day in mazatlan - the ride to the Presidio River was about an hour from the cruise port and we did this excursion with one couple from our ship. The couple (who were a bit heavy) was having problems staying afloat on their kayaks and ended up staying back so it was just me and my dad with one of the guides. The river was fairly gentle though there were some mild rapids - the kayaks were easy to operate but my dad still went over when he lost control of his kayak after hitting some rapids. The issue was our guide didn't really speak English and while I tried to follow our guides path on the river (since I've been white water rafting before), my dad didn't realize that following him exactly was a must - otherwise you can hit some rapids wrong or end up on an area with low water levels and get stranded on rocks (both happened to my dad). After going over and paddling for 2 hours, my dad was wet, exhausted and sunburnt - he wasn't happy:/I did enjoy the trip - the rapids were fun and seeing all the birds was nice - but it was too much for my dad. The nice couple who couldn't do the excursion were apparently left there with the guide and they had to pick them up afterwards where they took the 4 of us to lunch at the restaurant operated by the tour company. The spread was tasty and plentiful - more food than 6 people could eat - and included beer, margarita or soft drinks. Afterwards it was another long drive back to the port. It was definitely a long day - nice but prob needed more guidance from our guides.

We booked the Marzatlan Trolley Tour through Norwegian Cruiseline. I'm glad they partnered with…read moreTropical Tours because they did a phenomenal job! We were picked up right at the port in a gated area. It was very safe. The trolley I'd an older bus with no windows but was still comfortable. I didn't feel that they packed us like sardines. Our tour guide, Erick was amazing! He was informative and funny. He stopped at off at a tiny market at the end of our tour to pick up a 4 pack of Pacifico beer. He used them as prizes for those who answered questions regarding the information he gave throughout the tour. I thought that was a great way to end the tour. Highlights of the tour were the cliff divers. Make sure you have cash to tip as the divers will give you a sob story about how this is their only livelihood. To be fair, it was very entertaining! We were driven to the MATZATLAN sign and the tour guide took all our pictures. We were then driven to the shrimp market where we were free to walk around to shop. The market was huge but all the stalls sell pretty much the same thing. We then walked a few blocks to the Catedral Basilica de la Inmaculada Concepcion. It was not far . We were given info on the church beforehand but walked through the church by ourselves at our leisure. The cathedral was stunning. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing it on the outside and inside. Our last stop was in downtown Matzatlan which was my favorite the town has so much color and history. The tour guide gave us a choice to follow the blue lines on the ground back to the ship. We were able to do back to downtown after the tour. It is about a 15 minute walk. Tour included a shopping trip to the silver jewelry store where they gave you free beer samples. Most of us stood outside. we also stored my La Selecta store with Sinaloan candy and goodies. I highly recommend this tour if it's your first time in Matzatlan!

We were on a cruise and stopped in Mazatlan. We booked a tour through our ship and Tropical Tours…read morewas the local company that provided the bus, driver and tour guide. The bus was in good condition, comfortable and the driver skilled. Our tour guide was friendly, engaging, knowledgeable, and informative.

Mazatlan is one of the ports of the Mexican Riviera cruise route. So naturally, there's a port with…read moretourist focused shops. Once you're off the ship, and you want to say, take a walk into town, you'll need to go through a building with shops, the main one being duty free. Obviously, the prices are the biggest here but it's very convenient and has AC for those hot Mexican summers. Once you come out of the main building, there are more shops in an open courtyard and a bar. This is also where the persistent taxi drivers are offering you rides anywhere and everywhere. If you do hire one, negotiate a price before even getting in their car. It's a small terminal and besides one or 2 photo ops and shops, there's isn't much more.

If you're cruising into Mazatlán Cruise Terminal, this port makes a not-so-great first impression,…read morebecause your ship will be docked right in the middle of a busy working industrial zone with hundreds of commercial cargo containers. It's not beautiful, but beyond this area a lovely city awaits. The process to get from your ship to the main tourist terminal is pretty simple. There's no tender required. Once you step off the ship, you hop on a quick and free open-air tram that shuttles you through the industrial area straight to the terminal. It's efficient, easy, and kind of fun. Once you arrive in the terminal, you can tell it is geared towards cruisers. The indoor area feels festive and welcoming, almost like a mini marketplace. There are dozens of shops selling everything from local crafts and souvenirs to silver jewelry. It's a great place to browse or pick up gifts without even leaving the port. There's also a small restaurant, bars, and vendors if you want a quick bite or drink, and an open air market with cheap booze, food, and other trinkets to buy. Again, I do not recommend you only stay at the terminal because Mazatlan is a gorgeous and friendly city with tons of culture (and way better and cheaper food, beaches, and more outside the touristy zone). The terminal has all the practical amenities, like restrooms, ATMs, and a tourist information desk with maps and helpful volunteers who can point you in the right direction. Everything feels safe, organized, and easy to navigate. Right outside the gate, you'll find official taxis, tour operators, rental options, and the iconic pulmonias (open-air taxis that are basically Mazatlán's version of a golf cart ride). They're a fun and breezy way to get around. You can also walk to Old Town (my fave area of the city) by following the "Blue Line" that's literally painted on the sidewalk. While the industrial setting might not be glamorous at first glance, the Mazatlán Cruise Terminal delivers where it counts. Even if you don't venture outside the gates, this is a surprisingly enjoyable and stress-free port stop.

We booked the Stone Island beach day while our ship was in port…read more Finding the contact person was easy. We were early so had to wait about 15 minutes for others to check-in. We then piled into the back of open air trucks (no seatbelts) and made the short drive to the dock. We checked-in and paid our balance. This was SLOW process as there was only 1 employee checking people in. We were given paper tickets for our boat ride, lunch and activities on the beach. The leader explained our food options and took our orders in advance. We then waited approximately 30 minutes before making our way on to the boat. Our boat crew had a lot of trouble docking and it took a long time. We departed 45 minutes later than what was advised on our tour ticket/information...only to turn back to the dock and pick up 4 VERY late guests. Again, the boat crew had a very difficult time docking. Took a "cruise" around some rock formations and were hit up for a raffle to support their injured co-worker. Once we reached the island, we climbed into an open air trolley/wagon and made the very bumpy and dusty drive to the beach. Once at the island, we were told they would "come find us when lunch was ready" but that didn't happen. We noticed other people eating and went and tracked down our food. The included food was really bad. I chose the combo which consisted of 1 piece of chicken, 1 piece of fish and a small cheese quesadilla. The 1 piece of chicken was beyond overcooked and literally all bones. I got 2 bites of chicken out of it. The small piece of breaded fish had a pretty strong fish taste and resembled frozen fish sold in the states. The cheese quesadilla was good but very small. The rice was OK but the beans were very runny. Open bar (2) were good. If you wanted to have your personal belongings in eyesight, you had to pay to rent a chair/table close to the water. We opted to just plop our stuff in the sand. This beach is NOT a good choice for young children or non-swimmers as the waves are very rough and there is no protected area to swim. The "leader" of our tour didn't take a headcount or keep track. He just verbally yelled that it was time to go. We were probably 3 blocks down the road when 2 people from our group were spotted running/chasing the wagon. We stopped and they hopped on. They had been left behind. We boarded a much larger boat, with other groups and made our way back to the marina. Boarded the open-air trucks and returned to the ship.

They are twisting the facts so they can appear to be the victim here. I did tell them everything. I…read moredid not hold back information like they alluded. I did tell them to stop contacting me as they said the same thing over and over and over. I got sick of their justifications. They promised to refund me $45. I said fine, now go away. Still waiting on that promised refund. It's been weeks. I never insinuated the conditions were in any way their fault or under their control. They did not divulge before hand what would happen in the event we only did one dive. I would have made a much different decision about going had I been informed of this policy. And the kicker is they never gave me any refund as they claimed! None at all. Not one cent. So they claimed to be trying so hard to provide a good service and in the end they lied in their response about giving me a refund. Watch out for these guys. My experience with them showed that they are not honest. Where is my refund Mazatlan Tours? You promised to refund me $45. Where is it? I felt you should have refunded $67. They caused this bad review over $22. That is assuming they refund the $45 as they promised and then claimed! Bad business practices.

A wonderful day in Siñaloa! One of the best tours I have been on anywhere in the world! First…read moreoff, David is wonderful and the tours can be in English or Spanish. On my way to Mazatlán, literally sitting at the airport I tried calling tour Guide Mazatlán after finding it on Trip Advisor. I spoke to a wonderful guide named David and told him what tour I was looking for. I told him I would book online through Trip Advisor and hung up. He texted me and asked just to book through him and I am glad I did! Our guide was David. He picked my sister and I up from our Hotel on the day we scheduled and arrived right on time. When we got in the tour van, David stated he brought a cooler and had refreshments for us to help ourselves to. It was a wonderful thought. We took a drive past a local cemetary. He explained Dia De Los Muertas to us and explained the structures and what they meant. He also drove us by a rooster farm where roosters are trained to fight. I am an animal lover and hate to think this exists but David reminded us how traditions have lived in this part of the country for a long time and while the practice is slowing down, it is still active. It was interesting to see. We next went to La Noria which is a small town where we toured a local craftsman who fashioned leather belts and shoes. We also stopped by a local jeweler and I bought a beautiful ring that the shop owner sized and brought to my hotel later that night. While at this stop, David was wonderful and made us tamarind margaritas. How awesome! Next, we went to Los Osuna, a blue agave distillery. David explained to us the original process for distilling the blue agave and showed us the methods. He also showed us the way it has been modernized and how the drink is now made. After the very cool tour, we were able to taste a couple different flavors. David then made us Mango Margaritas!. The distillery was really nice and is set in a scenic and beautiful. It was a great afternoon. Next we went to another small town, El Quelite. We visited a local restaurant and learned to make traditional salsa and corn tortillas, what a blast! We then had a very nice lunch, had a visit with an iguana and then had some free time to tour the town. We next went to a local bakery and were able to buy some very affordably priced goodies. David then took us back to our hotel. Our tour lasted about 6 hours and was filled with a lot but didn't feel rushed or exhausting. He kept it light, upbeat and let us go at our own pace. We had 5 people on our tour which was great. A few more wouldn't have hurt but I am glad that David keeps it smaller. It was more tailored to us and went with our flow. As I saw some of the other tours that day, they each had 20+ people. I think with a tour that large, it wouldn't have been as personal. David is a true professional and made our day absolutely amazing. He goes above and beyond for his clients/passengers. I would absolutely recommend Tour Guide Mazatlán and David to anyone looking for a great half day or day long trip. You will not be disappointed!!

I was very impressed with the service I received on our airport transfer…read more David was waiting for us with a sign flagging us to him. He immediately grabbed a couple of our bags and whisked us away to the van. We were traveling in a group of 7 but space was not an issue at all. A/C is a must at this time of year in Mazatlan and his van did not disappoint. He also had a variety of drinks in a cooler (water, soda, juice, beer) to help cool us down. Before we arrived I was able to make arrangements through email with David for a quick stop at a supermarket, as we were staying in a house in the El CID Marina area. Depending on the distance he can provide a quote for you. He not only kept the van running with the A/C during my shopping spree, but he immediately jumped out of his van to load all while we comfortably sat back down in the A/C. Details is what I watch for, and David does a very good job exemplifying great service. I did not have any second guesses booking a tour with him there on the spot. Keep up the great work David!