Mazatlán (Spanish pronunciation: [ma sat ˈlan]) is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa; the surrounding municipio (municipality) for which the city serves as the municipal capital is also called Mazatlán. It is located at 23°13′N 106°25′W / 23.217°N 106.417°W on the Pacific coast, just across from the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula.
Mazatlán is a Nahuatl word meaning "place of the deer." The city was started in 1531. By the mid-1800s a large group of immigrants had arrived from Germany. These new citizens made Mazatlán into a successful commercial seaport, importing equipment for the nearby gold and silver mines. It served as the capital of Sinaloa from 1859 to 1873. They also influenced the music, banda, which is an form of Bavarian folk music, and also started the Pacifico Brewery on March 14, 1900.
Mazatlán, with a population of 352,471 (city) and 403,888 (municipality) as of the 2005 census, is the second-largest city in the state (after Culiacán) and Mexico's largest commercial port. It is also a popular tourist destination, with its beaches lined with resort hotels. A car ferry across the Gulf of California from Mazatlán to La Paz, Baja California Sur exists. The municipality has a land area of 3,068.48 km² (1,184.75 sq mi) and includes smaller communities such as Villa Unión, La Noria, El Quelite, El Habal and many other small villages.
Mazatlán is served by Gral. Rafael Buelna International Airport.