A beautiful destination with gorgeous beaches that is finally being rediscovered by tourism.
Description
In 1522, Hernan Cortes and his minions, in search of Chinese treasure in the Pacific, were among the first to visit the area now known as Manzanillo. The location was originally designated a shipbuilding site (the wood from the manzanillo tree was used to build ships), and an official departure point for important expeditions. Over the next 300 years, Manzanillo's history was filled with accounts of pirates from Portugal, France, Spain, and England assaulting, looting and burning ships for their precious cargoes. In recent times, the harbor was modernized and deepened, allowing access to all major shipping lines around the world.Manzanillo offers a great variety of beaches where you can rest, calmly take a sun bath or enjoy all the water sports. The natural beauty of this port has caused important tourist companies to begin construction of new resorts. In 1979, Manzanillo became known as the "in" place to vacation, by being the site of a Blake Edwards film, "10", starring Bo Derek and Dudley Moore. All hotel and restaurant scenes were filmed at Las Hadas, and all beach scenes were filmed at La Audiencia Beach, currently the site of the Hotel Sierra. Of course, like most "in" places, the popularity of Manzanillo has waned among the rich and famous. Once again, its miles and miles of pristine beaches are deserted. It has reverted back to a shipping and fishing port, with tourism as a sideline. In many ways Manzanillo is not only a sun and beach destination, it's a place to spend your vacation full of contrasts. It is so versatile that you can rest and relax or choose from a wide variety of activities such as water and land sports. It's also one of the most important commercial ports in Mexico with constant trading activity in its docks. Manzanillo was the third port created by the Spaniards in the Pacific. It is called the "Sword Fish World Capital" since 1957. This port has the greatest amounts in reserve of this species all over the world. The lagoons of Manzanillo are a good place to see all the wild birds, especially at the Lagun of the Garzas and the Lagun of the Cuyatlan. Manzanillo is located in Colima State on the Mexican Pacific coast 98 Km from the Colima City, the state's capital. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the East with Coquimatlán and Armería, on the West, East and Northeast with the State of Jalisco to the North with Minatitlán. You can get there on an excellent highway from Guadalajara in only three hours. Most would-be vacationers don't know that Manzanillo and the surrounding area has many attractions, such as 40 miles of unpopulated, clean beaches, majestic waterfalls, unpolluted lakes and rivers, plus an active, erupting volcano. The roads throughout the state of Colima are excellent, and crime is almost non-existent in Manzanillo.
Local Information
In the hotel zone, which is fronting the 5-mile beach of Manzanillo Bay, there are many hotels to choose from, fine restaurants next door to popular local taco stands, and a pedestrian walkway similar to the one downtown, perfect for an evening stroll. For sports enthusiasts, there's scuba diving and snorkeling, ATV rental, kayaking, jet skiing, boogie boarding, surfing, horseback riding, hiking, golf, tennis and bicycling. Local tour companies offer city tours (both of Manzanillo and Colima), trips to the volcano, banana and coconut plantation excursions, sunset tours (with a live Mariachi band), and deep sea fishing. The local currency is the Mexican Peso. If you are looking for night life, there are numerous discos (Mexican and American-style) night clubs with live music, and afternoon entertainment with "Las Vegas" style shows, respectable enough for the entire family. There are also several establishments with adult entertainment, as is fitting for a port town that is a base for the Mexican army and navy.
Airport Information
From Puerto Vallarta, it's 165 miles (4 hours) on the scenic coastal road, and from Guadalajara airport, it's only about a 3-hour drive on a well-maintained toll road. The highways are safe and well traveled, although it is recommended that you don't drive at night, due to the numerous animals that could be on the road.
Hightlights
Manzanillo has lots of beaches to choose from; although not all are safe for a swim, as they face the open Pacific ocean, and the combination of waves and undertow make the sea one to watch, not one to interact with. Surfing and SCUBA divers will love Manzanillo - there are lots places to have a good underwater diving experience without the need to boat out anywhere. Sports Fishing is big here - with year-round trips available. Around the third week in November, the International Sailfish competition takes place in Manzanillo. There are also several lagoons along the coast which are excellent places to go bird watching. Manzanillo's claim to fame in the golf world: It boasts two golf courses in Mexico's list of the top 10 - Baja California has only one!
Local Weather
Sporting a yearly average of 350 days of sunshine, Manzanillo shares the same latitude as Hawaii, and has some of the best weather in Mexico. From November through April the daily temperature ranges from 75-82 degrees Fahrenheit, while nights cool off to a comfortable 63-75 degrees. In May, the climate starts to change--becoming more humid, and building up to the beginning of rainy season in June. After the first rain, which is celebrated among the locals, the hills turn from drab brown to the vibrant greens of a tropical rain forest. Rainy season, however, doesn't mean it rains all day, every day. Usually it rains every three or four days, when the humidity finally builds up enough to create a soft rain shower in the late afternoon or evening, cooling everything off, and washing the dust off the tropical foliage. Hurricane season is generally from mid-June through October. However, the last serious hurricane to hit Manzanillo was in 1959.
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