Mazatlan taxis have catchy names and the unusual vehicles intrigue tourists
Mazatlan, Mexico, resident Christian Blancarte says those who ride in his taxi will find the experience cool but not cold.
Blancarte operates one of the many taxis found in the seaside city that are dubbed pulmonias by locals. The name translates to pneumonia, an unusual moniker that resulted from the distinctive vehicles first hitting Mazatlan streets in the winter of 1965, with regular taxi drivers trying to scare clients away from the newly arrived competitors by warning possible customers that they would risk contracting pneumonia by riding in one of the open-air vehicles.
Hundreds of the vehicles, which provide natural air conditioning in often steamy Mazatlan, are now found on city streets, with Blancarte stating that Mazatlan is the only city where pneumonias are now used as taxis.
“This is a very Mazatlan experience,” he says of the vehicles, noting there is a monument of one on Mazatlan’s oceanside walkway.
Three sites around Mazatlan now make the vehicles, continues Blancarte, who reports that his pulmonia actually has a Volkswagen engine.
The English-speaking Blancarte, who also serves as a tour guide, says his pulmonia can actually reach a speed of 100 km/h, although he doesn’t top 40 km/h with it. The vehicle isn’t difficult to operate, he continues.
Blancarte operates one of the many taxis found in the seaside city that are dubbed Pulmonias by locals
Pulmonias that serve as taxis are always a distinctive white.
Karla Padilla Moreno of the Sinaloa tourism board says pulmonias have become a “cultural icon” in Mazatlán.
“Riding a pulmonia in Mazatlán is something you really have to experience for yourself. From the moment you hop on, the ocean breeze hits your face as you drive down the malecón (boardwalk), surrounded by music, laughter, and the sound of waves in the distance,” she continues. “With no windows in the way, you feel completely connected to your surroundings — the warmth of the sun, the salty air from the Pacific, and sunsets that honestly look like a real-life painting. It’s more than just a ride around town; it’s one of the best ways to take in the energy of Mazatlán and leave with a memory you won’t forget.”
Blancarte says pulmonias prove popular with tourists vacationing in Mazatlan, who find the vehicles’ appearance intriguing and are surprised by their name.
“They think it’s kind of funny,” he reports of tourist reactions.
