Guest editorial by Simón Paul Norris, Director General, Gran Acuario Mazatlán
I came to Mazatlán for an aquarium
After decades working internationally in aquarium development and operations, I was drawn to the ambition behind Gran Acuario Mazatlán: a project of real scale, anchored in the biodiversity of the Sea of Cortés, and built to meet the standards of a world-class attraction.
Gran Acuario Mazatlán is positioned as the largest aquarium in Mexico and a landmark institution in Latin America, with an explicit focus on education and research.
What I did not anticipate is that Mazatlán itself would become the larger story
Because Mazatlán is not simply a city that hosts an internationally significant aquarium. It is a city with a pulse—an authentic Mexican coastal community that has resisted becoming a “resort template.” And in an era when many destinations feel increasingly managed, branded, and homogenized, that authenticity has become Mazatlán’s most valuable asset.
A city first, a destination second
There are Mexican coastal destinations that operate primarily as resort ecosystems—efficient, polished, and often dominated by large hotel corridors. That model serves a market, and it can deliver a certain kind of consistency.
But Mazatlán offers something different: a real, lived-in city where tourism can be a layer on top of local life, not a replacement for it. Visitors can move between beach and historic streets in the same afternoon. They can experience the Malecón as Mazatlecos do—early morning, late evening, in the everyday rhythm of families, runners, cyclists, and street life. They can find culture and heritage that isn’t staged; it simply exists.
This is the foundation of quality tourism: not exclusivity, but substance—the kind of travel that rewards curiosity and creates a genuine connection to place.
The Mazatleco work ethic is the differentiator
If you spend time here—really spend time—you quickly realize that Mazatlán’s strongest competitive advantage is not a single attraction or a particular stretch of coastline. It is the people.
Mazatlecos are hardworking, practical, and proud. There is a very clear local drive to improve the city, raise standards, and build a stronger future—while still protecting the warmth and approachability that makes Mazatlán feel human. That matters, because destinations do not become “quality” by accident; they become quality through consistent effort and a shared belief in what they can be.
As someone who has worked in many tourism markets, I can say this with confidence: when a city’s people believe in their city, visitors feel it. And when that belief is matched by investment and coordination, momentum becomes visible.
I intend to play my part in making that momentum real—not just for our aquarium, but for the broader tourism ecosystem that depends on Mazatlán remaining authentic while continuing to evolve.
Gastronomy is becoming a reason to travel
Mazatlán has long been defined by the sea—by fishing culture, by shrimp, by coastal flavors. But the story now is bigger than seafood alone.
Mazatlán is increasingly becoming a food-led destination: a place where visitors plan evenings around restaurants, discover chef-driven concepts alongside classic marisquerías, and fall in love with the markets, the ingredients, and the confidence of local cooking. This matters because culinary tourism spreads value widely—across fishermen, farmers, suppliers, cooks, servers, small businesses, and independent operators.
It is also one of the clearest signals that a destination is moving toward quality: food is never just a product. It is culture, identity, and pride served on a plate.
A wider definition of “staying well”
Quality tourism also depends on choice. Mazatlán is strengthening its accommodation offer across a spectrum: established hotels, independent properties, and options that place visitors closer to the historic center, local neighborhoods, and the everyday texture of the city.
Not every visitor wants the same Mazatlán—and that is the point. A quality destination should allow different styles of travel: beach-focused, culture-focused, culinary-focused, family-focused, or a mix of all four.
Government support—and shared responsibility
Mazatlán’s progress is not happening in isolation. It is being supported by coordination and promotion at local, regional, and state levels—support that recognizes tourism as an engine of long-term development, not simply a short-term metric.
You can see it in the way the destination is managed and promoted, including the cruise sector—where official communications have highlighted forward planning for arrivals, visitor volume, and the economic value of the port’s tourism activity.
For Gran Acuario Mazatlán, that alignment is particularly important. Large civic attractions do not succeed in a vacuum. They succeed when the surrounding destination is improving in parallel: public spaces, cleanliness, safety coordination, mobility, and visitor experience standards.
That is how Mazatlán becomes a reference point—not for mass tourism, but for real tourism: authentic, high quality, and rooted in local identity.
A personal conclusion—and an invitation.
I arrived for an aquarium. I stayed for a city.
Mazatlán is writing a compelling new chapter—one built on the Mazatleco work ethic, a rising culinary profile, a diverse tourism offer, and a shared ambition to become the place it deserves to be. Gran Acuario is proud to be part of that story, and we will continue working to raise the standard of what visitors can experience here—while helping them understand the Sea of Cortez, the region’s defining natural treasure.
If you come to Mazatlán, come for the beaches—but leave with the city. That is where the real value is.
