Riding the Bus in Mazatlan, Mexico

Taking the bus in your own home town can be a bit of an adventure...but taking it in another country...where you might not speak the language...that is just CRAZY! Right?? Well, not really. You would be surprised how easy it is to navigate your way around Mazatlan by bus.

Here is a great map that shows all 6 bus routes that run around the city.

The 2 most common routes taken by tourists are Sabalo-Centro and Sabalo-Cocos. These buses take you up and down the main roads that lead to and from Nuevo Mazatlan in the North of the city, to Olas Altas and the Historic Centre in the South of the city.

You have two options when taking the bus in Mazatlan...the big green buses similar to what we have in Canada or the US, which also have air conditioning, or the smaller white buses which do not have air conditioning...and seem to zip about as if they were sports cars! The large buses cost $7 pesos (about $0.50 Dlls) and the smaller, older buses cost $3.50 pesos (about $0.20 Dlls). There is one bus that is small, but new, and it is called Red Plus. These buses are also $7 pesos to ride.

One other thing you should know, is how to hail a bus. You might notice that there aren't really many marked "bus stops", but that people are getting off and on all of the time. I try to look for small groupings of people waiting by the road, and that is usually where you can catch a bus. So, when you see the bus you want, just lift up your arm and make like you are pointing at something off in the distance...it sounds funny I know, but you will see what I mean.

Don't be afraid, hop on a bus and give it a try! The worst that can happen is that you will get off and not know exactly where you are...so you hail a cab and your problems are solved. Think of it as an adventure, and once you get the hang of it...you will wonder why you were so nervous about it in the first place.