when visiting a destination like Mazatlan. One of my most amazing finds in Old Mazatlan was a charming art gallery I stumbled across while searching for the town market.Nidart http://nidart.com is a one-of-a-kindMexican family art coop-
Palace Beach Hotel in the Golden Zone http://oceano- palace.com, to the beach front fried fish at El Cardon on Stone Island,Mazatlan takes great pride in its exceptional- ly fresh ocean cuisine. The Sea Farer in Nuevo Mazatlan takes the seafood experience to another level with a dining area built over a giant fish tank, allowing guests to feed the fish while they dine. For those travelers looking for more of a
traditional Mexican dinning experience, Meson de los Laureanos http://elmesonde- loslaureanos.comoffers just that.Located only 30 minutes outside of Mazatlan in the small town of El Quelite, Meson de los Laureanos transports guests back into colonial Mexico with a cozy colorful dinning experience in this traditional Mexican estate. Indulge in the region'smost authentic recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. Hosted by owner, Doctor Marcos Osuna, the experience at this hidden gem is anything but dull. For either tourism or business meeting pur-
poses Mazatlan,Mexico is an outstanding city full of rich culture and spectacular facilities. With reasonable prices and breathtaking beaches, it's hard to beat this location for any traveling need.
erative housing themost amazing leathermasks,metal sculp- tures, and hand crafts.With all the cozy cafes and sweet street candy carts, travelersmight even considermoving into one of the boutique hotels such as The Melville http://themelville which offers extended stays for locals as well as travelers. Another amazing site to see in Old
Mazatlan are the dare devil cliff divers who will actually jump from a 45-ft. platform into only 5 ft. of water for an audience of tourists! A $10 USD tip was the least I could do for providingmewith such a jawdropping experi- ence.And for a more in depth look at all that Mazatlan Mexico has to offer, Huana Coa Canopy Tours http://offertours.com/english/- activities/huanacoa-canopy.html brings travel- ers amazing jungle and desert landscapes from a unique perspective. Only 45 minutes from Mazatlan, the tour includes a jungle-desert trek, zip-lining descent over 50 ft. in the air, and a traditional agave distillery.After tasting pureMexican agave through each stage of the distillery tour, participants won't even remem- ber the $75 tour fee. For many travelers, exploring local cui-
sine is the best part of traveling. Mazatlan Mexico is arguable one of the most amazing places in the world to indulge in fresh seafood. From the shrimp pasta at Oceano
24 Black Meetings & Tourism January/February 2012: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com Direct questions or comments to Brienne Herbert at brien-
neh@gmail.com, or through Black Meetings and Tourism magazine.
