Altata, Sinaloa

Altata is a small town connected to the Pacific Ocean, located about 30 minutes west of Culiacán, Sinaloa in Mexico. It has a very nice beach and much wildlife: octopus, toninas, starfish, jellyfish, shark, birds, and many fish species. El Tambor and Nuevo Altata are nearby beaches. The area would like to grow as a tourist destination in coming years, modeling after Mazatlan, Sinaloa. Altata currently has many residents who fish for a living. People from culiacan usually go there in motorcycles, to enjoy riding in "Dunas" which are sand piles.

Altata is a beautiful little town that used to have a nice beach until influence-buying merchants and vendors established permanent stands to sell tacos, seafood, fruits and plenty of alcohol. These stands form two parallel rows facing each other, one occupying the old beach and the other, occupies portions of the water, the narrow space between them is used as a road.

Behind the beach side stands, there are Restaurants specializing on seafood cocktails and fried fish which are very popular with families from the vicinity.

The new private development 'New Altata' is taking shape just north from here. Nice beaches but not free or open to anybody.