In 1869 the Mazatlán City Council received a request for the construction of a theater opera house. This request resulted that very year in the breaking of ground of Teatro Rubio. The theatre celebrated its inauguration five years later, to tune of 70,000 pesos. On August 22, 1883, Mazatlán welcomed the arrival of the extraordinary voice of Angela Peralta, known across Mexico as “The Mexican Ruiseñor,” (the Mexican Nightingale) with the performance of the Verdi opera “Il Travatore.” Sadly, attendance was low in the days thereafter due to the escalating rumor of yellow fever, known then as “the nickel.” Angela and her accompaniment of eighty Italian musicians succumbed to “the nickel” leaving only six musicians. This disease claimed the lives of 2,500 Mazatlecans. Angela Peralta passed away August 30, 1883, leaving Mexico and Mazatlán deeply saddened. Her death marked the history of this theatre and the cultural life of Mazatlán. People visiting and living in Mazatlán today spend much time enjoying this theatre, now deservedly bearing the name “the Angela Peralta Theatre,” a true tribute to this “Mexican Ruiseñor.” The second pearl is brought to Mazatlán by nature, “The Cerro del Crestón.” This triangular pyramid, arising 515 feet, parades its cliffs of stone far south on the Mazatlán peninsula, a wonder second only to the Rock of Gibraltar. Crestón once was an island that was eventually connected at a point known as “Punta Pola,” located on Lookout Hill. Upon this rock rises El Faro del Mazatlán, the second highest lighthouse in the world, presiding over the natural harbor of Mazatlán. In 1821 Mazatlán received by decree of the Court of Cadiz, certification as the first Pacific port of altitude, which gave birth to the reign of El Faro de Mazatlán. This Pacific beacon was sorely needed in these dangerous waters for navigation. Seven years before the dawn of El Faro up to sixty ships a year would arrive from Europe and the Far East, returning laden with silver and gold from the rich mines of the region. Their captains could bear witness to how the wind and

waves would propel their wooden ships into the cliffs. A lighthouse is to a seaman what a Seeing Eye dog is to a blind man. The lighthouse’ humble beginning was a small platform of torches and bonfires built of wood and charcoal, being visible only a short distance, progressing to oil kerosene lamps, producing a more intense beam of light. The 1920s brought electricity with the use of filament lamps. Legends surround the Cerro Del Crestón of pirates taking advantage of Mazatlán’s hill screened harbor where they had their pick of Spanish galleons departing laden with gold. Creston contains deep caverns being dangerous to enter due to ocean currents. Legends abound of untold treasures dating back to the sixteenth century. Not only can one behold the beauty of El Faro and Isla Creston, but ponder the mystery of the buried treasures that persist to this day. The third pearl will spring us back to the here and now, the Mazatlán Malecón. This seaside roadway spans 13 miles along the Pacific coastal waters of Mazatlán, where in many places you can wiggle your toes in the beautiful sandy beaches of this natural bay. The Malecón begins at the Pier, and continues on with El Faro lighthouse coming into view, after which you arrive in a part of town known as Olas Altas, (high waves). Then the Avenida del Mar, (avenue of the high seas) transports you to the Golden Zone and beyond where Nuevo Mazatlán is beginning to unfold. Lastly, Playa Bruja, (witch’s beach) awaits you to enjoy the musica y comida of a spectacular Spanish cocina. The boardwalk of the Malecón offers a myriad of opportunities for each and everyone, whether it is rollerblading, bicycling or jogging/wogging your way to health, ending your day of discovery with an evening siesta sitting upon its innumerable stone benches to behold a sunset of beauty. The Malecón hosts world renowned events; the Pacific Marathon, the International Motorcycle week, and then Carnaval is unleashed for all to behold and experience. What a gift is given to those who come to enjoy these three pearls that bestow upon Mazatlán the title, “The Pearl of the Pacific.”