How to Fly to Mazatlan for Carnival

Mazatlan is a city in the western Mexico state of Sanaloa and holds one of the biggest Carnival celebrations in the world. The city's rich tradition, beautiful beaches and hundreds of hotel rooms make it a great place to celebrate Carnival. You can fly into Mazatlan for Carnival with some advance planning.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Locate Flights into Mazatlan

1. Schedule a flight into General Rafael Buelna International Airport to fly directly into Mazatlan. This airport is the largest in the Sanaloa state and provides service to millions of passengers every year. The airport is located several minutes from the beaches of Mazatlan.
2. Keep the Federal Bachigualato Airport in Culiacan in the back of your mind. This city's airport is similar in size to that in Mazatlan and facilitates similar carriers to help overflow traffic for Mazatlan. You should book a rental car for the short drive to your hotel.
3. Book flights using Mexico's major airlines if you fly into Mazatlan from the east. Airlines such as Aeromexico, Mexicana and Aerocalifornia provide flights from Mexico City as well as a number of southern American cities. Delve into the amenities an airline provides instead of looking at the airfare cost alone.
4. Arrange for accommodations for the duration of Carnival near the airport in order to avoid the high amount of traffic in Mazatlan. You can fly into the international airport, get your bags and take a quick bus trip to the hotel lobby to relax. You may miss out on around-the- clock fun in Mazatlan but you will save money and dictate when you want to enjoy the party.
5. Use the airport shuttle to reach the heart of Mazatlan. The shuttle runs from the front doors of Buelna International Airport to the beachfront resorts of Mazatlan several times a day.
6. Invest in a charter flight or helicopter ride above Mazatlan to gain a new perspective on Carnival. There are a number of private providers and pilots who hire out their services to tourists for a relatively high price.

Tips & Warnings

• Head into Mazatlan the weekend before Carnival to avoid the influx of traffic into the city. You should take off time from work on Thursday and fly early on Friday if possible to beat the rush to the local airport. Traffic from the airport to the beachfront of Mazatlan becomes difficult to manage starting Friday evening.