The Observatory and the Lighthouse

After leaving the market, we wound our way through the city streets, first climbing to the Observatorio 1873.  This is a new attraction that opened up in 2021.  There is an original observatory that was built in 1873, furnished from that time period.  A tram takes ticket holders there.  Tickets were $25 each.  I decided to enjoy the view from below.

Now, we needed to go down to come back up.  Hiking along the streets toward the Baja and Stone Island Ferries, we crossed a narrow peninsula to the bottom of the El Farrow Lighthouse hike.  

There is no fee to enter, but there is a ticket to be purchased in order to walk out on to a see-through ledge for "the very best views."  This ticket was only 30 pesos each (less than $2).  In hindsight, I would have paid $5 not to go out on the ledge.

The trail is steep, but people of all ages, mostly locals, were hiking alongside us. One young woman overheated and was receiving first aid from several rangers.   There were multiple switchbacks with spectacular views of Old Historical Mazatlan and nearby islands.

There are a lot of steps. 

Once we made it to the top, we actually had to walk down a few steps to get in line for the “paid view.”

It’s possible that I started grumbling here.

After what seemed like hours (Julia said less than one), we were instructed to remove our shoes and walk out in groups of ten to the see-thru landing strip for the view.  Each group was given three minutes.

On the way down, we saw a few of the famous cats that live near the top. They have the good sense to enjoy the free views.