Mazatlán Travel Forum

We are leaving for Mazatlan in a couple of days. What should we expect to pay to take a taxi or "Pulmonia" from the Airport to Playa Mazatlan (I believe somewhere in the Zona Dorada.......?

5-10 dollars.

Sorry, that rate is per person in US Dollars. The taxi rate to town, 20KM is around $160-200 pesos. The Plumonia can be cheaper, if you can get one. Order your taxi inside the airport terminal for the best price.

Sorry the other answer is really high, I live here full time and the cost right now for a taxi from the airport to the Playa Mazatlan is between 26 and 30 USD. There is a booth outside the front door when you exit the building with your luggage and they have charts for the costs and the areas they go to, you tell them where they tell you the amount, you pay and off you go.

Pulmonias no longer can go to the airport, so none will come back from the airport, leaving the airport you have to take an airport taxi which are yellow with a plane logo, going to the airport you have to take a red or green taxi or you can contract with a private driver.

Susan, I love Mazatlan and enjoy the city, not just the tourist areas, and the beaches. As to saying my answer was high for a taxi, I think I may be low, as you are more up to date than I am, my rate from about six months ago, and you quoted a 26-30 USD when I said about 20 USD for two or up to 200 pesos, which I believe is around 18-19 USD. So, if you are right then I was low.

Your right, it was low, sorry just read it really fast, I deal daily with Taxis to and from the airport as I work for a property management company and we have people coming in all the time, the taxi problem here between the airport and green and red taxis has caused some really severe problems for visitors returning to the airport but has seemed to calm a bit lately but it is best to let people know if they want a hassle free trip, use the red or green taxis for their return to the airport. When is your next visit?

Hoping to return by June. Before it gets too touristy.

I would say closer to $15 to include tip. Zona Dorada, depending on where exactly you are staying, is a good maybe 25 minutes. Once you are there you can walk as much as you can or higher the golf cart taxis to run you to the different parts of the city for about $5 each way.

When I was there in December of 2007, pulmonias cost from 30-80 pesos a ride, depending on where you wanted to go. Always negotiate your price with the pulmonia driver, and if he won't come to a price you like ,you can just walk away. There will be another one along in a minute, guaranteed. The biggest thing is to make sure you both come to a reasonable agreement before you hop on. I saw a pulmonia driver try to charge a couple fresh from a cruise ship almost two hundred American dollars for a five minute ride that should have cost them fifty pesos.
But don't let that discourage you. I highly advise taking a pulmonia . They're uber fun and if you talk to your driver, you can get interesting information about the area. Tip him if he does an excellent job, like unload luggage or drive without taking out an innocent pedestrian. (Just kidding about that last one.)
Have fun on your trip!