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Let's Go2Mazatlan - Articles Mazatlan - a Brief Review of its Origins It is said that the Mazatlan we know today started to emerge in the 60’s, when arriving tourists began to discover and promote by word of mouth the beauty of its wide, golden beaches. Step by step hotels were built and attractions to entertain visitors also started to appear. From that moment on, the tourism industry, in addition to the fisheries began generating more jobs and making its population grow. Nowadays the number of tourists grows year after year, among them, a new travelers’ market from the United States and Canada seeking investment opportunities with the purpose of making Mazatlan a second home and/or a place to retire. Although this information is quite accurate, as well as that of the founding of the city by Nuño de Guzman in the year of 1531; the truth is that the origins of Mazatlan go way before, and, as a beach destination offering its historic legacy as an important cultural attraction that lures more international visitors every day, let us share with you a little more of the history of the origins of this wonderful and enigmatic port.
• The first settlers Some scientists have found petro-glyphs dating back ten-thousand years and thanks to research, human settlements have been confirmed to have originated long before the arrival of Spaniards. Back in that era the place was already known to sailors who ventured into these latitudes known as “The Place of the Islands”. This was due to the terrain’s configuration, constituted by a great number of lagoons and estuaries, among which hills and small mountains appeared as islands, therefore the name.
Fish was a main item in the first settlers’ diet, and influenced the physical characteristics of these people; according to the research done on the remnants found in the area, it is known that they had quite uncommon features: they were two meters tall as an average, slender, and apparently quite agile and dexterous handling their bows and arrows, tools they used for hunting as well as fishing and to repeal the aggressions from the sierra tribes who frequently tried to loot the coastal towns. Judging by the clay pieces found in the region one can conclude the first settlers mastered the skills of pottery. Beautiful pieces dating from the pre-classic period prove that the first settlers worked the clay to perfection. The discovered pieces and figurines are authentic works of art and are a clear testimony to their habits in attire, ornaments and decorating their faces and bodies. These early settlers did not have monumental constructions or solid buildings; their houses were built mainly from tree trunks, mud and palm fronds. In Mazatlan’s surroundings there are still some small settlements where a hint of those types of dwellings can be perceived, they are, as a matter of fact, quite convenient for the tropical climate.
• The Founding of Mazatlán Upon entering through Mexico’s north-east, Nuño de Guzmán set his sight on the gold-rich towns of great interest for the colonial government, among which Mazatlan cannot be excluded; he is officially credited with the founding of Mazatlán. According to the chronicles of Fray Antonio Tello, on Sunday, May 14th, 1531, day of Easter of the Holy Spirit; with just a temporary settlement, Mazatlán is founded under the orders of Nuño de Guzmán. The name Mazatlan is mentioned for the first time around the year of 1602, though not referring to the same Mazatlán, but to one 12.5 miles south of present-day Mazatlán, a community that today carries the name of Villa Unión Several years after its founding, Martín Hernández claims rights to these lands for services rendered to the crown as well as having looked after the port and assisted and protected travelers. On September 20, 1636, with the consent of Cristóbal de Aragón y Acedo, Lieutenant-Governor and Captain-General of the northeast provinces; the possession of an extension of five leagues of length from at the place called “La Cantera”, to the “Puesto de Montiel”, as well as other five leagues of latitude from “La Boca del Río”, to “Gabino de Zacanta”. In the XVII century, Mazatlan was still an irregular terrain of hills and marshes with a dwindling vegetation whose inhabitants fought the presence of the Spaniards commanded by Nuño de Guzmán. The scarcity of fresh water was one of the main problems that brought about the failure of the first colonization trials. In search of water, the Spaniards were forced to migrate to the banks of the Presidio River, where nature razed them in one of the river’s surges that took their belongings, their crops and left them homeless. They then returned to the slopes of the “Vigía” (sentinel) mountain, now called “La Nevería” where they remained ever since as masters of the port. Nuño Guzmán was capable of dampening the indigenous rebellions in the name of the Spanish Kingdom, though they were never truly vanquished. There was a relative peace broken at times by the crews of pirate ships venturing in search of water. Defending the port and guaranteeing the safety of Spanish travelers from these incursions was one of the first activities of the settlers. With an already active port, envoys from the colonial government start to arrive. Mexico’s west begins to be invaded by a conquest-driven population. Back in those days Mazatlan’s prison was founded to support colonial activities. Spanish settlers of Concordia, Pánuco and El Rosario were in need of maritime commerce to deliver the ore and precious woods they extracted from the region. Mazatlán continued to grow in total disorder; the king and queen of Spain were alarmed to such degree that they were forced to establish an organized government to avoid anarchy. The population continued to increase and water-bound smugglings were frequent. By the mid 1700’s the first Through the estuaries there was direct communication with Mazatla’n prison and Villa Unión, which served as support for the colony. Vessels made from tree-trunks and capable of transporting up to five tons of cargo crossed the waters carrying fruits, seeds and livestock. The first paths widened transforming into streets, grouping homes around them and forming the first connecting avenue, then named “Principal” (now Belisario Domínguez], connecting the port with the estuary waters. For almost two hundred years the life of the port continued without any major advances. The struggle to populate an inhospitable land had prevailed and the population continued to multiply. By the end of the XVIII century, with certain deficiencies, the place already functioned as a port and the number of calling vessels grew. The foreign transient population became more noticeable too. Maritime traffic was coordinated from the prison at Villa Unión where the local authorities and the customs office had also established. By 1800, no longer threatened by the French and English pirates who stole the gold transported by the Spanish; commerce develops more formally, accommodating greater ships and forecasting Mazatlan to be the Athens of the West. Mazatlán was not developed by the Spaniards but by a group of German entrepreneurs who built the harbor’s infrastructure to import farming equipment, therefore generating a great new wave of interchange for the port.
• Modern Times It is said that tourists began to arrive to Mazatlan by 1930, attracted by hunting and fishing, while the first hotels began to operate by 1950 on “Olas Altas” beach, which became the first touristic zone Mazatlán continued to grow tourism-wise during the sixties when a larger number of hotels with modern facilities were built along the port’s north beach. In future articles we will comment more about the life and history of this romantic and spectacular Port of Mazatlan, renown today as one of the most important real estate destinations of Mexico and a great attraction center for Baby Boomers in search of the ideal place to invest and/or retire. Email to a friend Jesus de Avila – Let’s Go2Mazatlan News More articles about Mazatlan:
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According to some historians, this tropical fauna haven was shared by indigenous groups, possibly “Totorames”, who lived off hunting, fishing, planting and collecting seeds and fruits. Marine fauna also abounded and a great diversity of birds and species like wild boar, jaguar, mountain lion, badger, raccoon, armadillo, opossum, foxes and, of course, deer. As a matter of fact, in accordance with indigenous languages’ studies “Mazatlán” is claimed to be made of the voices Mazatl, meaning “deer”; and tlan, meaning abundance of, therefore Mazatlan means “Land of abundant deer”. 
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church is built. In 1865 bishop Pedro Tamaron y Romeral celebrates mass during his visit and relates, among other things that “the port is made of mulattos governed by one captain of their own and the port now has a new church dedicated to the Immaculate Conception”. 
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