Viewpoint Mazatlán, Sinaloa Municipality of Mazatlán Mazatlán and southern Sinaloa
The lighthouse on top of 157 m Cerro del Crestón: a stepped climb of about 30 minutes to a glass lookout over the port, the city and the islands.
From Mazatlán: 5 min by car (3 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Where to stay near El Faro de Mazatlán
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Tours to El Faro de Mazatlán
Day trips and guided outings from El Rosario often include El Faro de Mazatlán; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Tours from Mazatlan
Old Town Mazatlan Segway Tour
★ 5.0 (396) · From US$72
How to get to El Faro de Mazatlán
- From Mazatlán: about 5 min by road (~3 km)
- Nearest airport: Mazatlán (MZT), 45 min by car to El Rosario
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Tours from Mazatlan, near El Faro de Mazatlán
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About El Faro de Mazatlán
El Faro is the lighthouse of Mazatlán, set on the summit of Cerro del Crestón at the southern tip of the city, where the harbour opens to the Pacific. The hill rises about 157 m above the sea, the highest point in the city, while the tower itself is only about 7 m tall; it is the height of the rock that puts El Faro among the highest lighthouses built on a natural hill anywhere in the world. Its 1,000-watt lamp can be seen up to 30 nautical miles out, and the station now also carries radar for the shipping that comes in and out of the port.
The light has a long history. A fixed gas lamp was first lit here in 1879, when El Crestón was still an island; around 1892 the keeper's building went up on the summit and a revolving lamp was installed, and the light was electrified in 1933. Before that it had burned oil and kerosene, and in the 1920s a constant-level lamp with a three-wick burner. In 1930 a breakwater was built that joined the hill to the mainland, and that causeway is how you reach it today, past the fishing boats and the port terminals.
The climb is the main event. A dirt path zigzags up the hillside and then gives way to a stairway of about 336 steps, rebuilt in 2018, with places to rest on the way; most people take 20 to 40 minutes to reach the top. The slopes are covered in tropical dry forest, protected as the Parque Natural Faro Mazatlán, with cactus and native trees. At the summit, next to the lighthouse, a glass-floored lookout juts out more than 150 m above the sea, with views over the old town, the port, the Paseo Olas Altas and the islands. Since December 2024 the 1,265 m Farolesa zip line has linked El Crestón with Cerro del Vigía and the Observatorio 1873.
How to get to El Faro de Mazatlán
Drive from Mazatlán: 5 min, 3 km
El Faro is at the southern tip of Mazatlán, past the port. From the old town or Olas Altas, follow Paseo del Centenario south, then the road along the causeway built in 1930 to the foot of Cerro del Crestón; a taxi or pulmonía from the centre is a short ride. From the trailhead it is about 20 to 40 minutes on foot to the top.
Directions to El Faro de Mazatlán on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to El Faro de Mazatlán
- Mazatlán · 3 km by road, 5 min
- Culiacán · 223 km by road, 2 h 55 min
- Tepic · 276 km by road, 3 h 40 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to El Faro de Mazatlán: hours, prices and tips
- Entry
- The trail and the park are free (there are donation boxes); the glass lookout at the top costs about 30 pesos. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
- Time needed
- About 20 to 40 minutes up, depending on your pace, plus time at the top. Food and Pleasure · checked Oct 2026
- Best time of day
- Sunrise or after about 4 pm, for the colours of the sunset over the Pacific. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
- What to bring
- Water, comfortable shoes and clothes, and a cap for the sun. Food and Pleasure · checked Oct 2026
- Rules
- No alcohol, food, disposable items or pets in the park; on the glass lookout you take your shoes off or wear the covers handed out. México Desconocido; Food and Pleasure · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting El Faro de Mazatlán: what to see and do
Climb the roughly 336 steps to the lighthouse at the top of Cerro del Crestón.
Step onto the glass-floored lookout, more than 150 m above the sea.
Look out over the old town, the port and the islands off Mazatlán.
Come at sunrise or late afternoon for the light over the Pacific.
Ride the Farolesa zip line across to Cerro del Vigía and the Observatorio 1873.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in El Faro de Mazatlán
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around El Faro de Mazatlán.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from El Rosario often include El Faro de Mazatlán; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at MZT (Mazatlán): about 45 min by road to El Rosario, then 61 km more to El Faro de Mazatlán, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mazatlán (MZT), about 45 min by road from El Rosario, the base for El Faro de Mazatlán.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from El Rosario: download a map of the way to El Faro de Mazatlán before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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Photos
When to go to El Faro de Mazatlán warm
El Faro de Mazatlán shares the climate of El Rosario, 61 km away. The best months to visit are January, March, November, and December.
For the clearest views from El Faro de Mazatlán, go in the driest months (March, April, May, and December); in the rains, clouds tend to build up by midday.
See the month-by-month climate of El Rosario
Weather in El Faro de Mazatlán now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: El Rosario
El Rosario is the Pueblo Mágico closest to El Faro de Mazatlán, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Closest to El Faro de Mazatlán
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Museo Nacional de la Ballena · Landmark · 1 km away
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Observatorio 1873 · Landmark · 1 km away
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El Clavadista · Landmark · 2 km away
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Isla de la Piedra · Beach · 2 km away
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Playa Olas Altas · Beach · 2 km away
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Plazuela Machado · Landmark · 2 km away
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Teatro Ángela Peralta · Landmark · 2 km away
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Catedral Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción · Landmark · 3 km away
Near El Faro de Mazatlán
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Isla de Venados · Island · Sinaloa
30 min: drive to Playa Gaviotas, Zona Dorada (beach by Hotel El Cid Castilla), then 15 min by boat -
Isla de Pájaros · Island · Sinaloa
30 min: drive to Playa Gaviotas, Zona Dorada, then 15 min by boat
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.