The state of Colima, one of the smallest in Mexico, is part of the Central Pacific Region of Mexico, along with the states of Jalisco, Michoacán and Nayarit.
The state has a population of about 750,000; its capital city is Colima.
The state includes the western flanks of Colima Volcano, one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in Mexico’s Volcanic Axis. Colima Volcano’s summit is only 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the inactive Nevado of Colima volcano, Mexico’s sixth-highest peak, which rises 4260 m (13,976 ft) above sea level. Despite their names, the summits of both volcanoes are actually located in the state of Jalisco, not in the state of Colima.
The state’s important tourism sector is centered on the Pacific coast resort town of Manzanillo, which is also one of Mexico’s most important ports. Further south the popular beach town of Cuyutlan was, historically, an important center for salt production; its black sand beach and “green waves” attract many local tourists.
Here are select articles and recipes related to Colima:
Smoked Fish Ceviche: Ceviche de Pescado Ahumado
Although most commonly made with raw fish, ceviche, which originated in Peru and arrived via the Pacific coast of Mexico, is delicious prepared with smoked fish, and probably a bit more reassuring for those that have doubts about raw fish. Ingredients: 1 pound smoked fish, such as mullet, sable or tuna, boned and shredded 1 […]
Dog with a human mask: The ceramic dogs from Colima
Mexicans love wearing masks. My favorite is a statue of a dog wearing a human mask created about 300 A.D, and found near Colima. Masks are part of the Christmas pastorelas, depicting the devil, the hermit and Sin, dressed in red satin. Masks are an integral part of many ritual dances (the Spanish word is danza for ceremonial dances.) […]
Area around the Colima volcano
Posted by dave on Mayo 04, 2000 Can anyone tell me what the area is like around the Colima volcano? I am interested in learning if there are any small villages, lakes and nice valleys around the area where one might buy a piece of property and spend the summers at a higher altitude. Are […]
Mexican coconut sweets: Cocadas
In addition to the west coast of Mexico, Peru and Colombia also claim these sweets as their own, an indication that perhaps they followed the Pacific route of the ceviche. In any case, the coconut sweets known as cocadas are Colima‘s signature candy. Ingredients 1 large coconut, drained, peeled and grated 1 cup water or more as […]
Western Mexico: A Traveler’s Treasury by Tony Burton
Cogan’s Reviews I’m not sure why I haven’t reviewed this book, currently in its 3rd edition, sooner. It’s been around since 1993 and it was one of the first books my wife and I read when we arrived here in Ajijic eight years ago. And – heaven knows! – I’ve reviewed more than 60 books […]
South of Yesterday: A True Story by Virginia Downs Miller
Cogan’s Reviews The simplest way to describe this tale is to quote from the author’s preface. “South of Yesterday” is the story of my mother’s life as a bride coming to a strange land. The book flows through the charmed life of an American living in Guadalajara in the early nineteen hundreds, into the violence […]
Mexico backroads
The backroads of Mexico often offer adventure, perhaps a bit of excitement, sometimes a touch of the dramatic and, occasionally, a hint of danger. We thought we’d found all four on a deteriorating 10-kilometer connector between Highway 200 and the Pacific beaches, to and from the almost dead community of El Tecuan, an hour north […]
Colima orphanage runs on faith
Through the years, Colima, Colima meant volcano views, small sacks of sea salt, classy museums, pretty parks, souvenir casts and carvings of hairless dogs — and another hour to the beach. ¡No más! The city of palms has new and more meaningful significance. We have discovered The Home of Love and Protection for Children, a protestant […]
Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo – Universal artist from Colima
In the half-light I enter the ‘horno’ or oven room. A base of reds frames the pre-Hispanic pieces in the Museum of Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo. It is easy to imagine the fiery origin of the land and the fire that formed the ancient ceramics. Outside, the Volcano of Fire smokes above the countryside. And so I meet […]
Railroads in western Mexico: the next train to arrive….
Many of the things we take for granted today didn’t exist in the last century. A case in point is the railroad from Manzanillo to Guadalajara. The grand celebrations for the inauguration of this line, completed in 1908, were among the finest ever seen in Colima. The Mexican President of the time, Porfirio Diaz, attended […]
La Maria: A picturesque crater lake in the shadow of Colima’s Fire Volcano
Beneath the high walls of an ancient crater, you glide across the placid lake in a rowboat, mesmerized. “This is surely the most peaceful place in all Mexico and definitely one of the most beautiful,” you tell yourself. But just beyond those protective crater walls rises one of the most dreaded forces of nature: an […]
The cuisine of Colima: Tropical delights from Mexico’s Pacific coast
Bordering on the Pacific Ocean, and nestled up against against Jalisco and Michoacan, the small state of Colima enjoys the best of both culinary worlds: the ocean’s bounty of fresh seafood, and the typical ranch dishes of Western Mexico. In addition, it boasts a legacy of over 3,000 years of continuous civilization, and the attendant […]
Marinated pork stew: Tatemado
From tatemar, a Hispanic version of what the Diccionario Mexicano alternately gives as tlatemar, a Nahuatl term for putting something on or in the fire, this dish is cooked in a clay pot. If you do not have a Mexican cazuela, use any heavy-bottomed, lidded casserole or Dutch oven. Any mild vinegar is a fine substitute for the coconut palm vinegar […]
The Volcanoes of Colima
The Volcán de Fuego In the past 400 years, the Volcán de Fuego (aka Volcán de Colima) has been the most active volcano in Mexico, and indeed one of the most active in the world, having erupted at least 30 times since 1576. It is considered to be one of the country’s most dangerous volcanoes. […]
Colima: City of the Palms
Palm trees reach towards the sky above the plaza. Water gushes from a swan-shaped fountain. Flowers bloom profusely. A banner above the bandstand declares February a month of ‘Love and Friendship’ in Colima City, Colima Mexico. Picking my way among smiling faces, I seek an empty chair, set up in the park for the evening’s […]
La Hacienda de Nogueras in Comala, Colima
Part 1 – Colima, City of the Palms La Hacienda de Nogueras is an elegantly restored hacienda hidden in the countryside of Colima. Six miles north of Colima City, it links the region’s rich pre-Hispanic past with colonial and modern history. To get there, you head towards the small town of Comala. You may drive […]
The state of Colima, Mexico: a resource page
If you had to live the rest of your life in one Mexican State, which one would it be? A straw-poll of MexConnect readers suggests that their choice might well be Colima. Why? Because not only is Colima the perfect introduction to Mexico, boasting a little bit of everything, but it also avoids the excesses […]
Manzanillo: Bustling port? Quiet resort? Or both?
Manzanillo. Most people can’t pronounce it, have no idea where it is, don’t know what the city has to offer, and can’t figure out how to get there. Manzanillo (pronounced mahn-san- nee-yoh), is the largest shipping port on the western coast of Mexico, located 165 miles south of Puerto Vallarta, or roughly midway between Matzatlan and […]
Retiring in Mexico: How’s Manzanillo?
In January 2010, I wrote in these pages about our visit to Xalapa, Veracruz, a city off the Gringo radar screen, and how it compared to Ajijic, a pueblo very much on it. This time, Patricia and I decided to sample a city on the Pacific coast — Manzanillo. It is a city certainly on […]
Map of Manzanillo, Colima
In the sixteenth century, when the Spanish adventurer Cortés heard rumors of an exceptionally favorable port site on the west coast of Mexico, he immediately sent men to investigate. Cortés’ information came from a Tarascan ruler who, under torture, had told of the arrival at a place called Tzalagua, years before, of the boats of […]
Manzanillo, Colima
Several destinations on Mexico’s central Pacific coast are now well known to tourists looking for fantasy honeymoons and vacations straight out of travel agency brochures. Puerto Vallarta to the north, Ixtapa and pricey Acapulco to the south swell with tourists from December through March eager for the gilded-cage-pampering of the resort vacation. Experienced, independent, and […]
Interactive map of Pacific Coast beaches: Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima, Michoacán, Mexico
Interactive map of Pacific Coast beaches in the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima and Michoacán, Mexico The interactive map shows the coasts of the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima and Michoacán. These states all have some great beaches, and tourism is an important activity in many of the towns shown on the map. Some of […]
Interactive Map of Colima
Interactive Map of Colima The state of Colima, one of the smallest in Mexico, is in Mexico’s Central Pacific Region, along with the states of Jalisco, Michoacán and Nayarit. Colima has an area of about 5,500 square kilometers and a population of 715,000 (2017 estimate). The state’s capital city is Colima. Colima Volcano, on the […]
How did Manzanillo get its name?
Manzanillo has had many names over the last 500 years. The Nahuatl Indians, one of the oldest surviving tribes, whose language is still being spoken and taught today, called it Cozcatlan in the 1400s. Cozcatlan means “Place of Pearls.” Another tribe called it Tlacotla, while Caxitlan became its name in the early 1500s. In 1527, […]
The state of Colima, Mexico – basic information
Colima is the third smallest of Mexico’s 32 states. Nestled between Jalisco to the north, Michoacán to the east, and hugged on its western boundary by the Pacific Ocean, it covers an area of 2,106 square miles (5,455 kilometers), with a coastline extending 97.5 miles (157 kilometers) and territorial waters claiming 823.5 square miles (2,133 […]
TAGS – States, Regions, Cities
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Beautiful Bay of Tenacatita
Despite hurricanes and earthquakes, political turmoil, higher gas prices and global warming, Mexico’s marvelous Bay of Tenacatita remains a sea of tranquility. White gold sand, the soft slope of the beach and shallow water gently warmed by the sun make this a perfect playpen for young families. The livin’ is easy. So is swimming. According […]
For a Mexico beach vacation, try Manzanillo
A Woman’s Perspective on Living in Mexico My friend and I just returned from a special four-day getaway. At the recommendation of friends, we stayed in the Dolphin Cove Inn, known to locals and people giving directions as Playasol Las Hadas. This is important, because only the advertising and brochures bear the name Dolphin Cove […]
