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 Travel & Outdoors | June 2006 
Take an Off-the-Beaten-Path Vacation
 Mike Kermani - TravelLady Magazine
You will be amazed how much there is to see in the state of Colima, Mexico! Located on the Pacific coast, Colima is the third smallest state in the country. Tourists have the advantage to be able to reach almost all of their attractions, in from only 1 to 1-½ hours.
Colima is the perfect destination for Eco-tours. At El Estero Palo Verde, we boarded a panga (long fishing boat seating 12 passengers) and traveled into the thick red and white Mango Tree swamp. These trees formed an arch over the swamp, just wide enough for our boat. Their roots reach up from under the water with thick greenery and branches above. It looked like a wall of trees. We suddenly saw crocodiles glaring at us! They were so close, we could almost reach out and touch them. As the panga reached an open part of the swamp, we saw hundreds of exotic birds, iguanas, and other wildlife. Our boat moved deeper and deeper into the swamp until we entered a small opening of thick brush, trees seemingly intertwined and bound together. Everyone had to watch out for low vines and branches.
El Tortugario Turtle and Iguana Sanctuary Ecological Center. Turtles come ashore by moonlight to lay their eggs in nests deep in the sand. These eggs hatch into newborn turtles in 45 days. When the babies are 2 days old (measuring around 1”), we are allowed to hold them during a ritual on the beach. Everyone places the squirming little newborns on the sand at the same time, pointing them to the ocean.
Colima is one of the few places where you can visit an active volcano as it spurts its sulphurous vapors, fumaroles, and red-hot rock lava flows into the air. Take an exciting trip to the National park’s Fuego or Fire Volcano, 12,992 feet above sea level. Los Portales del Volcan Restaurant’s terrace is a vantage point to watch for signs of the eruption.
The Magic Zone is not a night club for magicians, but a mysterious gravity defying area north of Colima City. Everyone thinks they see a hill, but it is not a hill! Cars in neutral gear move upward by themselves. Since we were close to Suchitlan, our tour stopped at this charming town. We walked around their main plaza, the picturesque cobblestone streets, and had the opportunity to experience a mask making workshop. Dining at Suchitlan’s Los Portales Restaurant can be compared to a picnic. Tables stand on the ground and you are sit under coffee trees.
Comala is known as Pueblo Magico, or the Magical Town, a town that looks as it did in early times. One of the highlights of our tour was dining at the famous Portales de Comala Don Comalon Restaurant. We have never seen so many Mariachi bands of all sizes! After one Mariachi band finished, the next one came over to serenade us. Don Comalon is a botanero type of restaurant in which the restaurant gives free appetizers and everyone just pays for their drinks. The waiter keeps bringing more and more appetizers and we have a meal! Comala is only 15 minutes from Colima City.
The capital of the state of Colima, Colima Cities’ charm is it’s colonial section- the Neo Classical-style Best Western Hotel Ceballos (1861), Government Palace, Regional History Museum, and many other historic buildings.
Colima offers beautiful beaches. We strolled along the black sand beach and around the quaint little town of Cuyutlan. Their black sand beach is not dirty, it is composed of volcanic sand.
Some of Colima’s resorts are as unique as the state. Las Hadas Resort is a setting so romantic, so luxurious, and with such beauty that it will take your breadth away! Their unique Arabian architecture has a mixture of fanciful curves, exotic minarets, 10 towers, and courtyards. Even the inside of the suites have arched doorways, curved ceilings, and Arabic touches. Las Hadas was build along a mountainside, with each suite looking into the bay, and their doors separated by shrubbery to allow more privacy. They pick guests up in a golf cart, or they can walk along the flattened cobblestone streets. Choose the “All-Inclusive” dining and liquor package or the European pay as you dine plan. All-Inclusive Guests are allowed to dine at ANY of the resort’s restaurants, and order ANYTHING on the menu - liquor, beer, and wine are included.
The Karmina Palace Resort takes a page out of history. When you enter the Karmina Palace’s lobby, it’s massive walls and exotic design immediately transports you back to the world of the ancient Mayans. Modeled after the Mayan Temple of Palenque, now part of the ruins of Chiapas, the Karmina Palace has an awesome look of grandeur. Imagine an immense lobby 6 stories high with a golden arched ceiling and sparkling marble floors. Each of the lobby’s 8 columns are around 6 feet wide with stone carvings of life in ancient times. Waterfalls frame the lobby’s Royal Staircase which leads to the cocktail lounge and out to their tropical gardens, pools, private beach, restaurants, and Bay. You should stop at the Temple of the Snake pyramid, named for the sacred snake worshipped by the ancient civilization. Surrounded by coconut and banana trees, the 8 lagoon-style connecting heated pools are different- they each have their own shape and dimensions. Karmina’s ALL-INCLUSIVE policy allows you to dine at ALL of the restaurants or have a romantic meal served in your suite.
We enjoyed many surprises and interesting stops during our tour:
• Karmina Palace Resort- Manzanillo
• Las Hadas Resort- Manzanillo
• Best Western Hotel Ceballos- Colima City
• Hotel Maria Isabel- Colima City
• Las Candiles Hotel- Colima City
• San Rafael Hotel- Cuyutlan
• Los Portales del Volcan Restaurant- National Park
• Portales de Suchitlan Restaurant- Suchitlan
Tourist Information
Colima Convention and Tourist Bureau
01-(314)-333-2277
www.visitacolima.com.mx
www.manzanillo.com.mx |
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