Manzanillo, Mexico
Located halfway between Puerto Vallarta and Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo on Mexico’s Pacific coast, Manzanillo is the country’s largest seaport and arguably its best-kept beach secret. Don’t let the towering smokestacks fool you. The resorts, beaches, scuba diving and fishing around this industrial town are as good as Cancún and Acapulco without the crowds and cruise ships.
Downtown Manzanillo is an authentic, working-class city of more than 100,000 with a handsome jardín (main plaza), lots of inexpensive seafood and Mexican restaurants, and a handful of serviceable hotels.
But as you make your way up Manzanillo Bay and further into the Santiago peninsula, the bustle of Manzanillo gives way to wide stretches of quiet beach, palm-carpeted hills dotted with pastel-colored vacation homes, and some of the finest resort hotels in the country.
-- By Dave Roos
For many people, Manzanillo is synonymous with Las Hadas, a sprawling, world-class resort that lays claim to the finest spot of private beach on the Santiago peninsula and one of the top golf courses in the world.
Spread out across 650 acres, Las Hadas Brisas looks like a Moroccan palace dropped into the Mexican jungle. Everything is white, from the domed exteriors to the TV sets. Guests navigate the quaint cobblestone streets by foot or golf cart. The resort’s amenities and personalized service are without equal, earning it a Four Diamond award from AAA. And for those of you old enough to remember, it was also the setting for the Bo Derek movie “10.” Expect to pay well over $200 for the smallest room.
Also on the Santiago peninsula is the relative newcomer Karmina Palace. Situated in its own enclosed bay, the Karmina Palace is a great family choice with large rooms (all are technically suites), an active Kids’ Club and eight swimming pools. On the other side of the peninsula is the Las Hadas look-alike Hotel Sierra Manzanillo. Located on La Audiencia beach, minutes from the region’s best scuba diving spots, this huge, all-inclusive (optional) hotel is also a good choice for families and well-equipped with three restaurants, a children’s pool and a health club.
In town, a reliable choice is the Hotel Colonial, a three-story favorite located a block off the main plaza. There are also numerous private villas and vacation condos for rent in the Mazanillo area and slightly further up the coast.
-- By Dave Roos
Don’t look for big Mexican franchises or American imports in Manzanillo. The Manzanillo food scene centers around family-owned, come-as-you-are restaurants serving fresh seafood, steaks and strong tropical cocktails.
In town, everybody’s favorites – judged by the local-to-gringo ratio – seem to be Roca del Mar and Bigotes. Roca del Mar is a busy café on the main plaza serving quality casual fare like grilled fish and shrimp, fajitas, carne asada and a memorable paella on Sundays and Tuesdays. Bigotes, and the aptly named Bigotes II, both specialize in huge portions of fresh seafood served in a scenic beachside setting.
Going north through Las Brisas and Santiago, there are plenty of casual bar and grill-type restaurants serving reliable steaks and seafood. The two standout restaurants on the upper end of the price scale are La Toscana and Legazpi.
La Toscana is on the beach in Las Brisas and has established itself as the local favorite for fine dining. The French owners have been serving excellent international cuisine in Manzanillo for more than 20 years and know their way around fresh ingredients and delicate, herb-infused sauces. Legazpi is the gourmet restaurant in Las Hadas, a fittingly classy establishment serving roast duck, veal, lobster and other indulgent delicacies.
-- By Dave Roos
The beaches around Manzanillo are easily accessible and perfect for a variety of water-based fun. The best swimming beaches are La Audiencia (watch the jet skis) on the far side of the Santiago peninsula and San Pedrito, conveniently the closest beach to downtown Manzanillo. San Pedrito can get a little crowded on the weekends, so a lot of people prefer Las Brisas, a little further up the peninsula and significantly cleaner and quieter.
For surfing and boogie boarding, head to the Santiago Bay on the north side of the Santiago peninsula. Miramar beach and Olas Altas (literally “tall waves”) are the favorite surf spots for locals.
Among Manzanillo’s many well-kept secrets is its world-class diving. Several exceptional dives are within meters of the shoreline, offering tons of magnificent coral and exotic sea life like seahorses, giant puffer fish, moray eels and even tremendous (but harmless) whale sharks. And don’t miss the thrilling sunken frigate only 28 feet below the surface off of Playa La Boquita. Everyone recommends Underworld Scuba as an outfitter, charging around $70 for a two-tank dive.
Manzanillo has earned the title of “World Capital of Sailfish” for its abundance of these magnificent trophy fish. Every year in November, the town hosts an international sailfish tournament. The sailfish season is from November to March, conveniently in synch with the region’s best weather and peak tourist times. Expect to pay around $200 for a four-person cruiser with professional guides.
Golf is another huge draw for Manzanillo. La Mantarraya Golf Course at Las Hadas is world famous. Twelve of its 18 holes are played over water and the final green rests on its own private island. Other top courses in the area are Isla Navidad, El Tamarindo and the 27-hole course at the Grand Bay Hotel in nearby Barra de Navidad.
The Manzanillo region is home to several lush, well-preserved lagoons that attract a profusion of wildlife, particularly birds. If birding is your thing, grab your binoculars and telephoto lens and search out the stately herons at La Laguna de Las Garzas (they nest in December and January) and the memorable Laguna de Cuyutlán. Horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking excursions to nearby villages and jungles can also be arranged through your hotel or with an adventure travel outfitter.
-- By Dave Roos
The Manzanillo bar and club scene picks up on the weekends, when locals and tourists mix and mingle at some upscale (and low-scale) watering holes. For a singularly strange, but entirely enjoyable bar experience, check out Bar Social, where you might think you’ve accidentally traveled back in time and possibly to another planet. Don’t miss the classical string quartet.
The hottest dance clubs are Disco Boom Boom at the Club Maeva Hotel & Resort and the unattractively named Vog Disco. Disco Boom Boom gives preference to couples and guests of the hotel and it might be tricky to get through the door during peak tourist season. Vog has both live music and DJs and is famous for its light show. If you’re looking for salsa (dancing, not the dip), head over to Ole Ole.
-- By Dave Roos
In and around the main plaza, you’ll find a slew of knick-knack and crafts shops, but nothing to write home about. Some of the high-end hotels have their own craft and boutique shops, and there’s a small craft market that sets up shop in front of Club Maeva selling regional wares. For a disarming variety of things made out of shells, visit the Palacio de las Conchas y Caracoles in the small downtown area of Santiago.
-- By Dave Roos
This somewhat undiscovered beach gem is located on the Pacific coast, south of Puerto Vallarta, and enjoys fantastic weather in all seasons. As is true for the entire region, the summers are hot and humid, with temperatures in the 90s. Winter and spring are dry and very pleasant.
Best time to go: January, February, March (high 85º, low 68º)
Average annual temperature: 82º
Hottest months: June, July, August
Coolest months: January, February, March
--By Judy Jenner
