History of Mazatlan ... In the geography of modern Mexico, Mazatlan may be considered newer than other places in Mexico. This notion arises when Mazatlan is viewed as a Spanish colony in Mexico. Such ideas exclude the true history of Mazatlan and Mexico. The origins of Mazatlan, and many other places in Mexico, can be traced back to native people who travelled and settled in these areas. This may arise from the fact that the Spaniards who invaded Mexico and Mazatlan destroyed recorded histories in an attempt to obliterate the existing culture and make room for their own. The ravages of slavery, violence and disease greatly impacted the population of native peoples in Mazatlan and throughout Mexico. The reduction of the native population also led to the loss of knowledge about ancient Mexico and Mazatlan.

Despite the ravages of time and mankind there is still information about ancient Mexico and Mazatlan to be found. Evidence of this older civilization can be found in the form of petroglyphs on islands off the coast of Mazatlan, Mexico. Some scientists believe that these petroglyphs date back as far as ten thousand years. Modern cities in Mexico, such as Mazatlan, are often built right on top of ancient villages. The name Mazatlan reveals ancient roots in the language of the Aztecs that occupied Mexico prior to the Spanish invasion. The word Mazatlan means something like ‘place of the deer’. This suggests that Mazatlan may have been a hunting destination in ancient Mexico. The name Mazatlan, and other place names in Mexico, reveal a small amount of Mexico’s history prior to European contact. Mexico, and Mazatlan in particular, have a hidden wealth of historical information buried under its foundations. Prior to the placement of European settlements Mazatlan was home to people known as the Totorames. These early inhabitants of Mazatlan sustained themselves through hunting, gathering, fishing and agriculture. Although it can be clearly established that people occupied Mexico and Mazatlan long before the Spaniards most historical records provide information about Mexico after the Spanish colonization.

The reason that Mazatlan is considered to be a young city in Mexico is that the city itself did not become a permanent colony until the 1820's. The first official European settlement of Mazatlan occurred in 1531 but Mazatlan was not established as a permanent colony until 1820. Nuno de Guzman and twenty-five other Spaniards established the first settlement when the blazed across Mexico in 1531. Following the establishment of a Spanish colony in 1820 Mazatlan remained a fishing village for the next eighty years. During this time both the Americans and the French blockaded the port of Mazatlan but the people continued their lives. The portion of the city referred to as ‘Old’ Mazatlan dates back to the 19th Century. In the twentieth century Mazatlan began to attract tourists for hunting and fishing. The 1950’s saw the rise of hotels along the pristine beaches of Mazatlan to serve the rising number of tourists. Since the 1970’s many hotels and other tourist services have been established along the coastline of Mazatlan. Today Mazatlan has become Northwest Mexico's major tourist population that brings in nearly as many tourists as the population of the city.