March 12 - Mazatlán

Thursday, March 12, 2026

What a fun day this turned out to be! And even more so knowing that the last minute change in our cruise itinerary almost ruined our chances to take the Flavor Teller Food tour that we had booked months ago. 

But let me back up just a bit. Eight years ago we had loved a food tour that we booked in Puerto Vallarta. And as much as I would have liked to have a similar experience in Mazatlán, I knew I was not up for the walking that would be necessary. But in early September I discovered the Flavor Teller website. They offer several different food tours and the Seafood Secrets Tour that was available on a Friday when we would be in port sounded perfect. The description from their website stated that it was designed for people who don't want to walk too much.

We booked it immediately! Then, due to political unrest in Mexico our itinerary was changed at the last minute and the day we were to be in Mazatlán was switched from Friday to Thursday. Fortunately we were able to get an immediate refund. The seafood tour was not available on Thursdays but a tour called Barrio Bites was offered. It also stated that it was for people who don't want to walk too much. BUT...unfortunately they had an 8-person limit and only one space was left.

I took a chance and emailed the owner and was thrilled to learn they would add a second tour to accommodate our group of four. Yay! The four of us quickly booked the tour.

The tour was scheduled to start at 10:30 am. Jon and Michelle left the ship earlier than Bob and I to walk through town. I wanted to save my legs since I wasn't sure just how much walking we would do on the tour. 

To get through the industrial port at Mazatlán, everyone was required to take a short trolley ride that dropped us off at the entrance. As we walked out of the terminal building, the traffic was very busy with taxis...both cars and pulmonias (a golf cart type of vehicle.) 

One of the trolleys to transport cruise passengers through the industrial dock area.

To escape the congestion, Bob and I walked a couple of blocks away from the terminal to call an Uber. The car arrived in one minute and our cost was $29.95 MXN which converted to $1.71 USD. On the way to the cruise meeting location we passed by Jon and Michelle coming out of a pharmacy.

The driver dropped us off right at the tour meeting point in the historical district. We had over an hour to wait until the tour began, but there were a couple of street performers in the plaza and as the town came to life, the people watching was interesting.

Not sure why a coffee pot was hanging upside down from the tree.

A mermaid playing the tuba...not your usual type sculpture!

Waiting for the tour to begin.

One of the street performers nearby.

When Maaika (the owner of Flavor Teller Tours) arrived she informed us that it would just be our group of four on the tour. Another guide, Luis, also came along. He regularly leads one of the other tours but wanted to learn the details of the Barrio Bites tour.

To get from one stop to another on the tour, we all rode in the back of a small pickup truck that had been fitted with bench seats (an "auriga" taxi). As we drove, Maaika gave us so much information on the foods we would be eating and also just Mazatlán in general. By the end of the tour we felt like we had spent the day with old friends!

Some of the stops on the tour:

Stop #1: El Veneno

The tacos we ate were considered a breakfast food.
We had our choice of several types of meats...Bob chose "pig insides". 

The owner of the first food stand was known as "The Venom". He was very cordial to us and we enjoyed eating with the locals. 

Stop #2: Taquería La Mexicana

Here we were served caguamanta stew...a tomato based dish with chunks of manta ray.

Stop #3 Tortilleria Zaragoza where the tortillas are made from
ground whole corn cooked in lime water (rather than corn meal). 

Maaika explaining the process used to make the tortillas.

Stop #4: Pescaderia Del Mar...a fish market.

We all sampled the smoked marlin.

Stop #5: Las Changueras Expendio De Mariscos...
a block long market selling many types of shrimp.

Across the street from the shrimp market we went to a stand selling dried shrimp, a snack food. We all tried some but it was hard for me to get past the idea of biting into the whole shrimp.

Stop #6: Cenaduria Chayito...a sit down restaurant.

And if we weren't already completely stuffed, they brought
out huge platters of various dishes for us to try!

Stop #7: Licuados de Coco

Here we tasted smoothies made entirely from coconuts using
both the pulp and coconut water or milk.

When the tour was over, Bob and I opted to be dropped off right at the port entrance while Jon and Michelle spent more time in the city. 

The remainder of the afternoon was spent relaxing on our balcony, taking advantage of cell service to stay in touch with the rest of the world. It was looking like a major snowstorm was on the way at home which made the warm Mexican weather that much more enjoyable!

After a day of non-stop eating, we were all too full to go to the dining room. Instead we went up to Deck 16 to watch the sunset. We watched as the a Royal Caribbean ship left ahead of us. And the Norwegian Bliss was parked right behind the Ruby. We did have a small bite to eat in the buffet and then just sat and visited for quite a long while before calling it a night. Tomorrow will be our last port of Cabo San Lucas.