Ken Lawrence posted: "Colima, situated between Jalisco and Michoacán, is one of Mexico's smallest states. Nevertheless, it has quite a variety of things to do while remaining largely undiscovered by tourists. In the following Colima guide, we'll be covering the top activities " Sailingstone Travel
Colima, situated between Jalisco and Michoacán, is one of Mexico's smallest states. Nevertheless, it has quite a variety of things to do while remaining largely undiscovered by tourists. In the following Colima guide, we'll be covering the top activities in the state's three most interesting towns: Colima city, Comala and Manzanillo.
For more information on reaching Colima, the state capital, and the coastal city of Manzanillo, be sure to check the end of the article.
Colima CIty
Oddly, the state capital of Colima is somewhat overlooked by the visitors who do choose to come to the state. Most people head straight to the coast, while Colima is largely overshadowed by the nearby Magic Town of Comala.
Colima city, however, is just as quaint and charming as any Pueblo Mágico in Mexico that I've been to. While there may not be a whole lot of attractions, its well-preserved architecture, spacious parks and laidback vibe make it the perfect place to take it slow and soak up the atmosphere.
The city was first established as far back as the 1520s, not long after the Spanish conquest. Hernán Cortés himself even visited the city in 1535. A few hundred years later, following Mexican independence from Spain, Colima, finally split from Guadalajara and became its own state.
Despite it being among the earliest colonial settlements, much of Colima's architecture was built in the 19th century, largely in the French Neoclassical style. This gives it a distinct look and feel from other historical cities in Mexico, where the Baroque style typically dominates.
Jardín Libertad
Colima's central square is known as the Jardín Libertad. And facing the park is the city's main cathedral, the Basílica Menor Catedral de Colima.
It was constructed in 1894 in the Neoclassical style by architect Lucio Urbe. But it's been repaired several times since due to earthquakes.
Next to it, meanwhile, stands the Governmental Palace, also built by Lucio Urbe in the French Neoclassical style in 1904.
Interestingly, Colima was briefly taken over by loyalists to Maximilian I during the Second French Intervention in Mexico (1861-1867), which may have influenced the city's affinity for French architecture.
In the center of the park, meanwhile, is a kiosco that was constructed in Belgium and brought over in 1891. And surrounding Jardín Libertad, you'll find restaurants ranging from fancy to surprisingly budget-friendly.
And of course, another top landmark facing the square is the Colima Regional Museum.
The Colima Regional Museum
Every state capital in Mexico is home to a Regional Museum, and Colima's is situated in a former residence built in 1848. Later converted to a museum in 1988, it's easily one of the top attractions in this guide to Colima.
Typically, Mexican state museums start with a pre-Hispanic archaeological section before moving on to objects and paintings from the colonial era. But all of the exhibits at the time of my visit focused on archaeology.
Well, with one exception. In the center of the courtyard stands a dinosaur skeleton, which is perhaps Colima's answer to the giant wooly mammoth on display at the Jalisco Regional Museum in Guadalajara.
For a long time, archaeologists believed that before the arrival of the Spanish, there really wasn't much going on in Western Mexico aside from a few medium-sized settlements here and there. But new findings are proving that wrong.
As evidenced by the La Campana and El Chanal archaeological sites in Colima city itself, along with Jalisco's Guachimontones, this part of Mexico was indeed home to glorious Mesoamerican cities.
Be that as it may, we still don't know a whole lot about the cultures that built them.
A large majority of the objects on display here are ceramic figurines. And they don't only come from Colima, but from other Pacific states like Nayarit as well.
Unfortunately, aside from the general area, the museum doesn't specify which archaeological site each piece comes from.
Furthermore, the objects are largely organized by theme rather than by era or geography. If you can understand Spanish, you'll get to learn about the curator's interpretations of various symbolic motifs.
Other than the figurines, the museum also features a recreation of a shaft tomb that was common in this region. In fact, similar shaft tombs have been discovered at the nearby archaeological sites mentioned above.
At the time of writing, the Regional Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00-18:00 and costs $75 MXN to enter.
More Around Colima City
As mentioned, you can find two fantastic and overlooked archaeological sites along Colima's outskirts: La Campana and El Chanal. Conveniently, you can reach them both via taxi or Uber from the city center.
We've already covered both sites in-depth in a dedicated guide which you should be sure to check out if you want to learn more.
La Campana RuinsEl Chanal Ruins
To the south of the city center is the Ecopark, which, based on the name, I expected to be a regular park or perhaps a botanical garden. But it's actually just a zoo.
While a fairly typical zoo, I'd never been to one where you could get so close to some of the animals. A curious zebra came so close to me that I probably could've reached out and touched it!
Aside from Jardín Libertad mentioned above, central Colima is also home to a few more well-manicured parks. Just behind the Basílica Menor Catedral de Colima is the Jardín Gregorio Torres Quintero. Further east, meanwhile, is the spacious Jardín Núñez.
An abundance of dining options surround both, and it's easy to see why Colima has been ranked as the number one livable small city in Mexico.
Jardín Núñez
Throughout much of Colima and neighboring Comala, you can also enjoy clear views of the cone-shaped Volcán de Colima, which stands at 3,820 m high.
While it appears fairly close to the city, getting to the National Park of which it's part is said to take a few hours, and I ultimately didn't visit. This tour, however, can take you there if you're interested.
Comala
One of this Colima guide's main attractions is the Pueblo Mágico of Comala. And conveniently it's just a short 20-minute drive from central Colima. So there's no need to make a long day trip out of this or figure out complicated bus schedules.
If you're basing yourself in central Colima, here's how I'd recommend going about a visit: First, hail an Uber and have it take you to the Nogueras Hacienda.
Then, you can make a pleasant 20-minute walk to the town center. And when finished, you can find a Colima-bound bus which picks up passengers in front of the main square.
The Nogueras Hacienda
Established in the 18th century, the Nogueras Hacienda was once a major sugar cane mill, and it also produced a variety of other crops like cocoa.
Some of the former hacienda rooms can be explored, the most remarkable among them being a room with many vaulted arches. Also on the property is the local chapel that was founded by the Franciscans and remains in active use. But it was locked at the time of my visit.
The main highlight here, however, is the Museo Universitario Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo. The hacienda was the property of the family of painter Hidalgo (1923–2000), who inherited it and lived here while producing many of his notable works.
Accordingly, you'll find a sizable collection of original art by Hidalgo himself. But for whatever reason, photography in these rooms is prohibited. You can see examples of his whimsical artwork, which was frequently displayed on Christmas cards, here.
Hidalgo was also an avid collector of pre-Hispanic art from around the region, many of which were discovered in shaft tombs dating from around 500 BC-600 AD.
According to Hidalgo's interpretation, many of these ceramics depict ordinary scenes from everyday life, implying that the ancient cultures of Colima were different from the theocratic and warlike civilizations in other parts of Mesoamerica. (The Colima archaeological sites, however, do reveal many similarities.)
Interestingly, the museum's most prominent room has a reddish hue in order to imitate the oven in which these ceramics would've been baked.
Unlike the Colima Regional Museum mentioned above, this one, which is run by the University of Colima, has bilingual signage.
As the overall subject matter is quite similar, if you're visiting Colima and Comala as a combined day trip from elsewhere, this is the museum I would recommend.
Central Comala
From the hacienda, central Comala can be reached in about twenty minutes on foot. Architecturally, the town of 10,000 residents is known for its white buildings with red tile roofs. But aside from that, what is it that makes Comala so beloved?
Comala happens to be the setting of one of the most important works of Mexican literature, Pedro Páramo. Written by author Juan Rulfo in 1955, the novel details the protagonist's visit to Comala, his mother's hometown, and could best be described as a magical realist ghost story.
It would go on to influence major Latin American authors such as Gabriel García Márquez and Jorge Luis Borges. And notably, the book's original illustrations were drawn by Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo mentioned above, for which he would win a prize.
I had read Pedro Páramo several years prior, forgetting where the story took place until shortly before my visit to Comala. Being only 124 pages long, I decided to re-read it before my trip.
And if you have yet to read it, picking up Pedro Páramo will certainly enrich your visit to Comala, which appropriately features a bronze sculpture of the author in the town square.
Literary importance aside, central Comala is home to historic landmarks such as the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel del Espíritu Santo, constructed in the early 20th century. It faces the central square together with a myriad of restaurants and tourist-oriented shops.
All in all, Comala feels like a similar yet smaller version of Colima city, which is definitely not a bad thing.
Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel del Espíritu Santo & the Volcán de Colima
Manzanillo
The coastal city of Manzanillo is not only Colima's most-visited destination, but also the state's largest city, even surpassing the capital. It is by no means the prettiest city in Mexico, but it's arguably one of the few coastal cities that still maintains its authentic atmosphere and local flavor.
A large part of this is due to Manzanillo having Mexico's busiest port. As such, unlike other tourism-dependent cities along the Pacific coast like Puerto Vallarta or Mazatlán, Manzanillo's economy will thrive regardless of whether or not any new resorts pop up.
The view from central Manzanillo's malecón
With that being said, Manzanillo does indeed have adequate tourism infrastructure - just not nearly at the level of its neighbors down the coast.
A lot of the visitors seem to be Mexicans from Guadalajara who see Manzanillo as a cheaper and more laidback alternative to Puerto Vallarta, along with some Canadian tourists coming for the same reason.
If you're looking for a beach destination where you won't be harassed by local touts, and that actually feels like a normal Mexican city, consider Manzanillo.
I spent about ten days in Manzanillo but only ventured to the city center once. I was based in the Santiago area near Playa Olas Altas. And with the nearest beach just two minutes on foot from my accommodation, I saw little reason to do much exploring.
The picture below of the empty beach is largely representative of what I saw each day I spent there. I'd later go on to visit the overpriced and crowded Puerto Vallarta, only to find myself wondering why I'd ever left Manzanillo!
When researching Colima, you'll find that it's ranked as the most livable small city in Mexico. Other lists, meanwhile, rank it as the number one murder capital of the world (yes, world). Only in Mexico could both simultaneously be true!
Most of the violence occurring throughout the state is cartel-related. And that's because Manzanillo is home to one of the country's largest ports, over which powerful cartels fight for control before smuggling goods further inland. Supposedly, aside from the port itself, a lot of the violence takes place around the coastal city of Tecomán as well as some of Colima city's outer suburbs.
But ordinary civilians and tourists are not going to be targets unless they happen to find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you're just focusing on the locations mentioned in the Colima guide above, it will be hard to believe that such a charming, friendly and laidback state could have the reputation for danger that it does. And if you hadn't read about it prior to your visit, there's no way you would ever guess.
While, needless to say, any type of cartel violence is horrible, it's also one of the main things helping keep Colima a hidden gem. Should the problem be fully resolved someday, developers will immediately start taking over the coastline, while wealthy Mexicans and expats will start snatching up real estate throughout the state.
Aside from big developers, nobody wants to see Manzanillo become yet another Puerto Vallarta. And it would be a shame to see Colima and Comala morph into tourist traps along the lines of San Miguel de Allende, Todos Santos or Tepoztlán.
If you're not renting a car, Colima is easily accessible by bus. The nearest major city is Guadalajara, from which you can find direct buses that take a little over three hours.
If you've been making your way along the Pacific coast, you can easily access Colima from the city of Manzanillo, the state of Colima's main coastal resort city. Direct buses between Manzanillo and Colima take about 90 minutes.
Arriving at Colima's bus station, the center will be too far to walk. Fortunately, Uber functions very well here.
Colima does have a small airport, but the only connections seem to be Mexico City and Tijuana.
As Colima city is compact and easy to get around via Uber, you won't have much of a problem reaching the landmarks in the Colima guide above regardless of where you stay. But generally speaking, the closer to the center you stay, the better.
Top-rated hotels near the center include Hotel La Casona de Don Jorge and Hotel Juarez 70. Colima also has various Airbnb properties to choose from, while some visitors like to stay in the nearby Magic Town of Comala, about a twenty-minute drive from Colima.
If you're coming from afar for a beach vacation, Manzanillo can be reached by air. The Aeropuerto Internacional de Playa del Oro can be reached directly from international cities like Los Angeles, Calgary and Houston, as well as domestically from Mexico City.
If you're coming from Colima city, you can easily reach Manzanillo via a 90-minute bus ride. You'll also find direct routes from Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. The main bus station is the Terminal de Autobuses de Manzanillo.
As mentioned above, I stayed in the Santiago district near Playa Olas Altas. And while I had no idea at the time of my arrival, I later realized that Primera Plus has a small office in Santiago that doubles as a bus station. So when moving onward to Puerto Vallarta, I could simply board the bus from here. If you'll also be staying in or near Santiago, see if you can buy a ticket for 'Santiago' rather than 'Manzanillo' when purchasing your ticket to the city.
Upon arrival, you'll probably need further transport to your hotel. For what it's worth, I found the Didi app to work better in Manzanillo than Uber.
Manzanillo is largely divided into two main areas: the city center and the long strip of coastline to the northwest of it. While the city center is home to the malecón, there are no beaches here as far as I can tell.
The city center exists on its own little peninsula, and there's no direct bridge connecting it to the areas with the beaches. So buses or cars will have to first drive further inland before coming back around toward the coast, making it a time-consuming journey. Needless to say, if relaxing on the beach is one of your main priorities, don't stay in the city center.
I stayed at a budget Airbnb in the Santiago/Olas Altas area, which was perfect for relaxing. While further west than this exact area, a popular hotel in the general region is Mar Celeste.
No comments:
Post a Comment