Pacific port and resort, southwestern Sinaloa state, western north-central Mexico. It occupies a peninsula overlooking Olas Altas Bay, on the Gulf of California. It is Mexico's largest Pacific Ocean port, and its island-studded harbour is known for its fine sandy beaches. Lying diagonally across the gulf from the tip of Baja California, it provides a chief communications link between the peninsula and the mainland. It is also accessible by railroad, highway, and air. Mazatlán, called Pearl of the Pacific, is a fishing and hunting centre and a popular tourist resort. Pop. (1980) 199,830.