Port city (pop., 2000: 327,989), southwestern Sinaloa state, north-central Mexico.
It occupies a peninsula overlooking Olas Altas Bay on the Gulf of California . It is Mexico's largest Pacific Ocean port, and its island-studded harbour is known for its fine sandy beaches. Lying diagonally across the gulf from the tip of Baja California , it provides a communications link between Baja and the mainland. Mazatlán, called the "Pearl of the Pacific," is a fishing centre and a popular tourist resort.