El Clavadista

El Clavadista is what everyone in Mazatlán calls the Glorieta Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada, a small seafront plaza on the malecón at the north end of the Paseo Olas Altas, at the foot of Cerro de la Nevería and across from the Cueva del Diablo. From a platform on top of a rock pinnacle rising out of the surf, the city's cliff divers throw themselves into the Pacific in front of the crowds that gather along the railings. The jump is about 14 m, and the water below is shallow and edged with sharp rocks, so the divers wait for a big wave to roll in and deepen the water for a moment before they leap.

Nobody knows exactly when the diving began. The story most people in the city tell is that around 1960 a young man jumped from the top of the rock to win a bet with a friend, and the dare became a tradition that has now lasted for decades. The divers are a small group with years of practice behind them; they are not paid a wage and live on the tips that visitors give after each dive, especially from tour buses and cruise passengers.

The glorieta is one of the most visited spots in Mazatlán, and it is a busy little plaza in its own right. The bronze Mujer Mazatleca, arms open toward the sea, stands here, and the dolphins of the Monumento a la Continuidad de la Vida are just to the north. In the evening, food and snack stands set up and locals come out to walk and eat, a tradition of its own. From here the Paseo Olas Altas runs south along the old town's beach, and the malecón runs north toward Playa Norte.