This is the second of 4 articles that originally
appeared on Dave's Travel Corner about select locations in Mexico. The first one was
about Oaxaca City, and the 3rd and 4th
articles include Colima City and Guadalajara.
A 5th article about Xcalak on the Yucatan Peninsula
is also available.
The beautiful town of
Manzanillo
is in the state of Colima, Mexico. It is
probably best referenced geographically by using Puerto Vallarta as a
reference point. Most people, especially those from the United States have
heard of Puerto Vallarta. It is, after all, a popular get away for Americans
during the winter months. Anyway, Manzanillo is located about 150 miles
south of Puerto Vallarta on two small bays on the coast.
Manzanillo in some
ways has a feel of Puerto Vallarta but it is not nearly as touristy. Oh
sure, there are parts of Manzanillo where all you will find are the all
inclusive resorts, where you see people running around or lounging around
with pink bracelets around their wrists, and obese folks hanging
around the pool with heavy gold and silver necklaces drooping from their
necks. Yes, there is this aspect of Manzanillo but there is much more if you
give yourself the chance to explore.
Manzanillo is an extremely old seaside town. The two bays near the town are
partly responsible for its growth. They offer protection from the ravages of
the sea. Bahia De Santiago is the most northern bay, and Bahia De Manzanillo
is the Bay directly north of the town of Manzanillo.
Manzanillo most likely
was trading with the Orient before the Spaniards arrived in Mexico. It was
eventually settled by Europeans who used the town as departure points for
other locations, not only in Mexico, by other parts of the world as well.
Latin America's first shipping yard was established in Manzanillo in 1531. Even though this is a good town for tourism and laying around the beach, and
relaxing, it is still first and foremost a commerce and shipping town. The
downtown has a feel of industry and you get a sense that this is a real
working city. It wasn't until the mid 1970's that Manzanillo began
attracting mainstream tourists. Advertising its recreation as a
"seaside playground" Manzanillo soon became much more popular with
American tourists.
The filming of the 1979 movie "10" starring Bo
Derek certainly
didn't hurt Manzanillo's image for tourists.
What really secured the areas place
among the Mexican tourist giants was the opening of
Las Hadas in 1974. I
remember my Grandparents visiting this resort from a cruise ship soon after it
opened. I always remember their rave reviews and awe. Las Hadas was started
by a Bolivian tin baron.
Besides the shipping industry and tourism, people come to Manzanillo to
fish, fish, and fish some more. Manzanillo proudly boasts of its waters as
being the "Fishing Capital of the World." The nearby waters are
supposed to have some of the best sailfish fishing in the world. The
sailfish season is from November to March. In fact Manzanillo holds a large
international fishing tournament in November. Smaller tournaments are held
in February. Other fish readily caught in these waters are marlin, red
snapper, sea bass, yellowtail, and tuna.
One other thing worth mentioning is the beautiful tidal lagoons that you can
see from the main highway both north and south of Manzanillo. If you are
into bird watching these would be the places to do it. Herons, pelicans, and
flamingos are often seen in and near these lagoons.
Lastly, Manzanillo does not appeal to shoppers simply because there is a
fairly limited selection of shops. The zocalo or main square has several shops but they mostly
sell cheap touristy type trinkets.
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