MS Statendam
A Cruise to the Mexican Riviera,
December 2001
Shore Excursion to Copala from Mazatlan
Leaving the ship we went aboard a bus, hosted by a wonderful tour guide, Frank Thiel Armenta. He is highly recommended. Frank now has his own company.
Our first stop was at an adobe field and saw adobes being made; they
are still used in buildings today. Nearby was a pottery shop.
Then we traveled up the Sierra Madre mountains on the Durango
highway. After about a half hour we left the paved highway and entered a cobblestone, winding, narrow
road to the town of Copala, a trip to the past.
Copala was founded by Spain in
1565 and was once a thriving gold mining town. Our tour price included a wonderful
lunch at Daniel's Restaurant with beer or a soft drink.
The far away visitors had driven from South Dakota!
To take this tour ask the Shore Excursion Office aboard ship for Sierra Madre, Concordia and Copala.
It
takes about seven hours. Returning to Mazatlan you spend about an hour at the
Golden Zone, premier beach area with many shops.
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Next stop Puerto Vallarta