Need some help! Going to Mazatlan and trying to decide where to stay. Friends going with us have said they think Riu Emerald Bay or Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay. Any advice or info on these resorts? And recommended things to see or do when we are there? Thanks!

Riu is really nice

RIU in Mazatlan has been one of my favourite resorts I’ve been to in Mexico. Just an all around pleasant experience.

Riu absolutely, all rooms face the ocean and fantastic food!

You wont be disappointed staying at any Riu. Really enjoyed the one in Mazatlan, but the Riu Riviara Nayarit is amazing, the one in Los Cabos is very nice as well, but Los Cabos itself is very expensive.

I enjoyed El Cid Castilla Beach... Riu Emerald Bay is just too far away from everything

Loved Pueblo Bonita - and sister restaurant in town. The servers were great and the pub at night has music. We’d go back, and timeshare people we just said no and they didn’t bother us

El Cid Castilla close to everything

Make sure you eat at the Shrimp Factory best shrimp I have ever eaten

Pmd you

I agree with Maureen Catherwood review high pressure timeshare. Prefer. El CID or their sister hotel. It's also out of the way.

Going to the Riu Emerald Bay for 2 weeks in March. Will be my 3rd visit there. Wonderful hotel!

El cid all the way

El CID is nice. Funny enough it had just opened last time I was there lol

The Riu is on a really long beach, so you can walk about 4-5 km in the sand. The other place is a bit away on a bumpy road, if I remember right. Surf's Up is down the way from the Pueblo Bonita and it was a rough road there when I last went. If it were me, I would do the Riu as you can also get easy transport to go to other places in Mazatlan from there, too.

Puebla Bonito was fantastic for us last January

Dennis A Gagnon

I stayed at riu and we loved it. Great views from all rooms. Food delicious!! Drinks fantastic. Pools good and beach was great. You walk to right of beach by rocks and you can watch people surfing.

The RIU Emerald bay has really good food and the best beach in my opinion.

Can’t go wrong with Riu

Pueblo Bonita is the best hotel in Mazatlan

Thanks everyone! We booked the Riu! (If El Cid would have been on my options list, I’d have picked it just to be closer to everything). But the Riu looks nice.
And, I’m a little nervous about going to Mazatlan though as I’ve heard in might be dangerous in that area. But, it’s done, so

Teresa; I have been to Mazatlan once with a girlfriend in 2015 and once by myself in 2017. I took local buses to the market, walked the main drag and the beach and never once felt unsafe. I would return in a heartbeat.

I went to the Riu Emerald Bay last November and went downtown by bus 4 times. I am a solo female traveler in my late 60's and felt perfectly fine. The first time I didn't know that the return bus would be at the market accross from the fabric shop so wandered around for about 3 hours on all the back streets and was not nervous If you go to the end of the bus line and walk up to the lookout don't forget to take water.