Since 1823 the economy in the State was based on the very prosperous mining industry, but during the 1950 decade it became in crisis, fact that made local investors seek for new economical activities: Shrimp Fishing and Tourism.

According to the US census bureau 55% of the people in United States want to move when they retire.

The sun is setting in a warm afternoon, I hear the sound of the seagulls flying to find a place to sleep, and then I see the slow movements of the lazy Pelicans to do the same. There are a lot people cheerfully having trivial conversation, the fisherman getting ready to go out and the solemnity they do it with looks more like a ritual done for hundreds of years. Now I see the pangas(fishing boats) first dancing a waltz and as they go further they increase the speed until they reach their point of encounter with the fish; then they stop and turn on the big light and wait. After this everything will be up to their expertise, when they see the first fish sparkle in the water they know its time to fish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIfU5peFxcc&feature=related

One of the most important and valuable traditions in Mexico is doubtless the “ULAMA” ballgame. Now days is only played in very few places in the country, but Sinaloa is one of them. According to the Historians this game is a heritage form the Aztecs and its name in Aztec is Ullamaliztli. Arqueological items found in the Olmeca zone (Mexican gulf) tell us that this game exists since 1400 years before Christianity. But lately other probes have been found and show Ulama fields form 1,200 years before Christ. Its practice was related with spirituality and a warrior status.

Mazatlan has woken up from a long and heavy lethargy. In the last few years there have been enormous advances in matters of investments, maybe at a speed that we didn’t expect, however it had happened. Even the most reluctant players and those in opposition to the change in the way of seeing things in this beautiful corner of Mexico are understanding, little by little, that Mazatlan could not and should not have been a hostage to “Caciques” (old world bosses) attitudes, the same ones that weakened us for decades in an unpardonable and irresponsible ostracism.

One of the most relaxing places to spend a great evening is the plaza outside the Angela Peralta Theater. Any evening of the year you will encounter out doors dinning in the many restaurants that have opened around the plaza Machado, but the real draw is the almost nightly performances presented by the “Centro Municipal de las Artes”. The only odd thing about this scenario is that the quality of the performances is extremely high while the price of the tickets is so low. How do they do it? What you hear and see are performances by Orchestras, Opera Companies, Ballet Companies, various ensembles and even name entertainers who are supported on stage by musicians, singers and dancers who are actually students of the institution. The Theater is almost acoustically perfect; the stage is deep enough to handle very large shows and the fact that is an exact restoration from the 1800’s amazes anyone. It is air conditioned and the seats are very comfortable.

Mazatlan as we all know is a beautiful beach tourist destination, a colorful city with enchanting traditions and remarkable History, a city with exquisite cuisine, a city with amazing art and culture, a city with the most friendly people in Mexico. This is one of the main reasons why a lot people from United States and Canada are moving in to Mazatlan for all the vibrant energy in it, and for the affordability.

One of the highlights about Mazatlan is its people, tourist are pleasantly surprise by the hospitality of Mazatlecos that go all the way out to give an outstanding service. A lot of people have asked me why that phenomenon happens in Mazatlan like no where else in Mexico? Well it is very easy, the local people who lives and work in Mazatlan are natives, they were born and rise in Mazatlan or in a little town close to Mazatlan. Mazatlan is their home town and they love it, they didn’t go to other cities looking for new opportunities they want Mazatlan to be a better place, they work hard to give Mazatlan opportunities.

The International Community Foundation is pleased to announce its “Retiring Responsibly in Mexico” research series with our first report “U.S. Retirements Trends in Mexico’s Coastal Communities:  Lifestyle Trends and Demographics.”  You can access the report here:  http://www.icfdn.org/publications/retireeresearch/. 
Forthcoming research studies will address trends in health care, volunteerism, philanthropy and civic engagement, real estate as well as the environment.  For more information on the International Community Foundation, visit our website at http://www.icfdn.org.

Since 2001, the Mexico real estate marketalong key nautical points on the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific coast of Baja California, have been anticipating the benefit of a newEscalera Nautica project a project which was created to improve the infrastructure of the marinas in the Sea of Cortez/Baja California area, increase the number of nautical centers, and overall increase the appeal of nautical tourism in this part of Mexico. As the plan develops, marina traffic will increase, and regions such as the Mazatlan real estate and La Paz real estate markets will probably see an increase in property ownership and rentals convenient for yacht owners.