Find cheap flights to Mazatlan (MZT), Mexico

General Rafael Buelna International Airport (MZT), sometimes called Mazatlan International Airport, is one of Mexico’s better connected cities to the U.S. Direct flights from Los Angeles are offered via Alaska Airlines, Continental flies direct from Houston and US Airways covers direct flights from Phoenix. Additional direct routes are available during the high season between December and April; these include Delta’s service from Minneapolis, Frontier’s flights from Denver and Alaska Airlines’ routes from Seattle.

Because vacation budgets tend to go so far in this area, many visitors take the opportunity to splurge on one of the extravagant and lavish hotels in Mazatlan, of which there are many. Beachfront resorts with high-end features like spas, chartered boat excursions, championship golf and gourmet restaurants make it possible to spend several whirlwind days all in one place, so feel free to be as lazy and pampered as you’d like to be.

But even if your idea of paradise is a few days at a mega resort with all the amenities you could ask for, it’s worth taking at least an afternoon to explore Centro Historico. Mazatlan’s charming historic district is a wonderful place for sightseeing on any fair-weather day, and on most weekends, the streets are closed to vehicle traffic and fill up with entertainers, artists, vendors and wide-eyed travelers.

Highlights in Centro Historico include El Faro, the world’s highest operating natural lighthouse. If you’re up for the long climb to the top, you’ll enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the area. The Teatro Angela Peralta is another must-see; this magnificent late-1800s theater has been painstakingly restored to its original splendor, and is a pleasure to tour even when no one is performing. If you’re lucky enough to catch a show there, it’s an unforgettable experience.