Culiacan Tourist Attractions
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The capital of the state of Sinaloa is Culiacán (Náhuatl for "place where the god Coltzin is worshipped" or "where two waters meet"; 65 m (213 ft); population 700,000). The settlement of San Miguel de Navito was founded here in 1533 by Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán on the site of a pre-Columbian Nahua village. After later becoming a mining settlement, Culiacán, by the use of irrigation, developed into the centre of an extensive agricultural region (cotton, sugar cane, winter vegetables, etc.). The surrounding area is known for its legal cultivation of the poppy (source of opiates) and its illicit cultivation of the cannabis plant, marijuana.Culiacán has few noteworthy buildings apart from the 19th c. cathedral, the enormous modern building housing the social centre (Centro-Cívico Constitución) and the museum, with its archaeological pieces and exhibits of the flora and fauna of the region.
Bandas Sinaloenses
The "bandas sinaloenses", which play military music with Dixieland jazz and Cuban rhythms, are very popular both in Culiacán and in the state as a whole.
Thermal Baths and Beaches
On the edge of Culiacán and in the immediate surroundings of the city can be found the thermal baths of Carrizalejo, Macurimi and Imalá on the Río Tamazula; nearby there are Indian cave paintings. Anglers can take advantage of the artificial lakes of Sanalona and Adolfo López Mateos (perch, catfish, trout, etc.), while on the coast of the Gulf of California there are the beautiful beaches of Altata, Campo Aníbal and El Dorado.
Guasave, Mexico
In Guasave (38 m (125 ft); population 140,000; fiesta: first Sunday in October, Día de la Virgen del Rosario), Mayo dancing can be seen; nearby there is an archaeological burial area.
Los Mochis, Mexico
Los Mochis (73 m (239 ft); population 180,000) is situated at a major railway junction and is an important centre for the surrounding agricultural area, which is notable for the cultivation of sugar cane, rice, vegetables and flowers - in particular, globe flowers, which, when fed to hens, give their yolks a better colour. The town is also the starting-point for the spectacular railway journey up the Barranca del Cobre.
San Miguel de Zapotitlan, Mexico
About 20km/12.4mi north of Los Mochis is the town of San Miguel de Zapotitlán where there are demonstrations of Mayo dancing on local saints' days, Holy Week (Semana Santa) and at Christmas time.
Bay of Ohuira, Topolobampo, Mexico
Topolobampo (population 30,000; fiesta: June 1st, Día de la Marina), 24km/15mi south-west of Los Mochis, is the terminus of the Chihuahua Pacific railway line and also has ferry connections with La Paz in Lower California. This fishing village, principally involved in prawn-catching, lies on the large Bay of Ohuira, known for its curious rock formations. Some of the nearby islands are breeding-grounds for sea-lions.
Culiacan Pictures
