Most of the municipality is located in the Valley of Colima. About half of the municipality has rugged, mountainous terrain, most of which is on the south and southeastern sides but with an average altitude of only 550 masl. These areas are part of the areas belonging to the Colima Volcano and a set of mountains called the Cordillera Costera del Sur, which is part of the Sierra Madre del Sur, especially that of the north and northwest to the Cerro de los Gallos mesa. These mountains separate the area from the ocean.

On the north and northwest, there is a mesa area called the Cerro de los Gallos. Local peaks include Los Mezcales, Los Gallos, El Alcomún, Rincón de Galindo, Pistola Grande, Piscila, El Agostadero, La Salvia, Cerro Pelón, Piedra Ancha, Higuera Panda, Amarradero, La Yerbabuena, Peña Blanca, La Cebadilla, Tinajas, El Salto, Los Volcancillos, La Palmera, El Camichín, El Achoque, La Siempreviva, El Borrego and Copala.

Important rivers in the municipality include El Colima, Salado and the Naranjo or Coahuayana. Feeding into these rivers are streams such as El Zarco, El Astillero Salitrillos, Cardona, Colomitos and El Chico. During the rainy season, the following flow: El Manrique, La Estancia, La Cañada, Tepames, Tinajas and La Palmera.

In the center, west and southeast, the dominant type of natural vegetation is low growth rainforest. About seventy five percent of these trees shed their leaves during the dry season. The southeast also contains areas with medium-growth rainforest, which also is deciduous. Most of this forest is near the Ixtlahuacán border. In the highest elevations, south and southeast of the Tepames community, there are some localized forests of holm oak.

The growth of the city in recent decades has put severe stress on the local environment, with subdivisions clearing areas of tropical vegetation, and large quantities of garbage and wastewater improperly disposed. The Manrique River is considered the dirtiest in the state, with an estimated eight to nine tons of garbage within it. However, there have been well run reforestation programs in the municipality.

Climate

Colima has a tropical savanna climate, with consistently high temperatures and extremely dry conditions from November to May followed by heavy rainfall from June to October. The annual average temperature of between 24 and 26C.

The city is sometimes affected by hurricanes, which can bring up to 140 millimetres (5.5 in) of rain per day and lengthy periods of heavy rain.

One exception to this is a section near the Cuauhtémoc border where the temperature is between 22 and 24C and annual rainfall is between 1,000 to 1,300 mm (39.4 to 51.2 in) as opposed to the 800 to 1,000 mm (31.5 to 39.4 in) average for the rest of the municipality.

Another exception are the communities of Estampilla and Las Tunas, where the climate is drier and hotter, with an average temperature of 26 to 28 °C (79 to 82 °F) and an annual precipitation of between 600 to 700 mm (23.6 to 27.6 in).

The name comes from the Nahuatl “Coliman” which refers to the pre Hispanic dominion of the area. It divides into syllables referring to the Colima Volcano, also called “grandfather” and the word for hand or dominion. This has been interpreted to mean “place conquered by our grandfathers” or “dominion of the old god or god of fire,” referring to the volcano.

The seal for the city was chosen in 1986 from a number submitted as part of a competition. The chosen seal contains fields of red to symbolize the hot climates and local flora such as bougainvilleas, pitayas, and palm trees. Blue represents water on which appears an image of King Collimán. Other images include an open book (education), the two volcanoes of the state, foliage called lambrequins and Mexican hairless dogs (Xolos).

The city’s nickname is “Ciudad de las Palmeras” or City of the Palms.

Colonial era

The Spanish colonial settlement of Colima was founded on 15 July 1523 at a location now known as Caxitlán, near present-day Tecomán. This settlement was founded by Gonzalo de Sandoval under orders from Hernán Cortés in order to control the newly conquered Central Mexico region. Due to disease, the settlement was moved on 20 January 1527 to the current location with the name of Villa de San Sebastián Colima. It was the eighth settlement founded by the Spanish in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Hernán Cortés visited the settlement in 1535.

19th century

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was in charge of the parish of Colima in 1792. This would lead to a friendship with Father José Antonio Díaz, who would be an insurgent leader in the area during the Mexican War of Independence. The Battle of el Llano de Santa Juana took place on 12 July 1811, with the city taken by the insurgents under Ignacio Sandoval and El Lego Gallaga. Insurgents under José Antonio Torres and Rafael Arteaga arrived to the city, bringing twenty Spanish hostages from Guadalajara. Eleven would be killed but nine were saved by Francisco Ramírez de Oliva. When royalist troops retook the city in March 1811, about three hundred insurgents and sympathizers were executed.

The city under Anastacio Brizuela swore allegiance to the Plan of Iguala in June 1821. When Independence was achieved in 1821, what is now the state of Colima still belonged to the province of Guadalajara. In September 1821, the municipalities of Colima and Zapotlán were ordered to negotiate their borders by the department of Guadalajara. During these negotiations, Zapotlán ceded Tonila to Colima, and Colima ceded Tecaltlán and Xilotlán to Zapotlán.

Colima and the territory it controlled were loyal to Iturbide. However, since it was then part of the territory of Guadalajara, it was forced to support the republic when it was proclaimed in 1823. The city and territory was made part of the state of Jalisco when it was established, with the city remaining the capital of the Colima province. The city tried to gain independence from Jalisco as a new state, but was denied. Anastacio Brizuela continued to work from 1823 to 1824 to separate the city and its province to make it a separate state. This occurred on 4 October 1824, separating from the state of Jalisco. However, this independence was not stable with the area passing back and forth between independent state and province of Jalisco. However, whether state or province, the city remained the seat of government for the area.

In 1824, the town of Colima was recognized as a city. The annual city fair was authorized in 1825 to occur for fifteen days in March.

When part of Jalisco, the city had problems because its political orientation was different from that of Guadalajara. It was also far from where political decisions were made, impeding economic development. This lack of support from Guadalajara kept ambitions for a distinct state alive, with city first petitioning for more support from Guadalajara, but not receiving it. The state and capital were formally recognized in the 1857 Constitution with Manuel Alvarez as the first constitutional governor.

The city hosted the government of Benito Juárez from March to April 1858.

During the French Intervention in Mexico, the state was taken over by those loyal to Maximilian I, reducing the state to an administrative department. Insurgent General Ramón Corona took the city on 31 January 1867 as part of efforts to restore the Mexican Republic.

The Manzanillo-Colima railroad was inaugurated in 1889.

Mexican Revolution to the present

Francisco I. Madero arrived to the city to campaign in 1909. After civil war broke out, forces loyal to this leader entered the city on 18 May 1911 under Eugenio Aviña. Insurgents under Juan José Ríos took control of the city between 1914 and 1916, beginning a series of social and economic reforms. Venustiano Carranza was in the city in 1916. While there, he was invited by Juan José Ríos to open the public library and formalize the state’s Red Battalion.

Since then, most of the city’s history has revolved around its growth. The population is expected to grow by 38,000 during the 2010s, with job growth of 14,000 and 44,000 more cars on the road. Problems that the city faces now include transit problems, unregulated growth, deteriorating road conditions and street lighting, the lack of public transportation, lack of public security and insufficient water treatment. The city generates eighty seven tons of garbage every day. The municipal landfill receives about 175 tons of garbage each day. As of 2010, for every 1000 residents, there are 400 vehicles, ranking Colima third in the ratio of cars to people, down from first only a year earlier.

Unchecked urban sprawl, especially in the north and south of the city is a major environmental problem. Much of the building in the north is subdivisions which are only partially occupied. The Centro Universario de Gestión Ambiental at the University of Colima claims that there is apathy to environmental issues on the part of various levels of government.

The historic center of the city is a square called Jardín Libertad (Liberty Garden). It consists of a kiosk in the center, brought from Belgium in 1891, surrounded by palms and leafy trees and bushes. It often hosts live music on weekends.

The best known hotel of the city is Hotel Cevallos, located just off the main square called Jardín Libertad behind a set of arches. The hotel was begun by the Cevallos family. Hotel Cevallos has an area under and in front of the arches for outdoor dining. Here and in other restaurants in the city, one can try popular dishes such as atole with milk, white pozole, white menudo, tatamado, pipián mole, birria and sopes. On the side of the Hotel, there is pedestrian street called Andador Constitución. It retains traditional businesses such as the Joven Don Manuelito ice cream shop, which has been there since 1944. On the street proper, one can see street musicians and artists offering to paint or draw landscapes and portraits. At the end of this street, there is a large handcrafts store funded by a government agency called DIF, which focuses on crafts from the state such as indigenous clothing and ceramic figures, especially those of the Mexican hairless dog also known as the Xoloizcuintle or simply Xolo.

The Colima cathedral is called the Basílica Menor Catedral de Colima. The current structure as built in 1894, but since then it has been renovated various times, often due to earthquake damage. The style is Neoclassical with two towers and it dome in the front. The interior is sparse. The former state government palace is next to the cathedral. It is a two-story buildings in French Neoclassical design. It was finished in 1904 and designed by Lucio Urbe, who also did the cathedral. The façade contains a bell, which is a replica of the one Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang in Dolores Hidalgo and a clock brought over from Germany. The building surrounded an inner courtyard marked off by arches. The main stairwell contains mural work done in 1953 by the Coliman artist, Jorge Chávez Carrillo. The park behind the cathedral is Jardin Gregorio Torres Quintero, which contains mango, tabachin (Caesalpinia mexicana) and palm trees along with stands selling handcrafts, novelties and food. Stands here and other places in the city sell a local drink called the “bate” which is thick and somewhat gray in color, made from a toasted seed called chan or chía along with honey or piloncillo. Another traditional drink sold on streets and parks is called “tuba.” It is made from the flower of a type of palm tree, with apple, cucumber and peanut bits added.

On one side of Jardín Libertad is the Museo Regional de Historia, or the regional museum for Colima. The building dates from 1848, when it was a private home. Later it became a hotel and in 1988, it opened as a museum. The ground floor has a number of archeological pieces along with a replica of a shaft tomb, which is characteristic of the region. It recreates the burial of several peoples along with their belongings and Mexican hairless dogs (Xolos), which were thought to be guides to the next world. The upper floor contains documents and other objects which narrates the history of the state from the Conquest to the Mexican Revolution .

A short distance from Jardín Libertad is Jardín Hidalgo, dedicated to Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. This square contains an equatorial sundial which is exact. It was designed by Julio Mendoza and contains explanations in several languages. On one side is located the Temple of San Felipe de Jesús. The main altar of this church contains six niches, with a crucifix at the top. The Del Carmen Chapel is next to it, which is a simple building that contains the image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel with the Infant Jesus in her arms. On another side is the Pinacoteca Universitaria Alfonso Michel which is a museum dedicated to the history of art in Colima. It is dedicated to Colima artist Alfonso Michel who is considered the best of the state from the 20th century, and who focused on cubist and impressionist painting. The building is traditional for the city with its corridors lined by arches. Along with its permanent collection, the museum hosts exhibitions by local artists.

The Piedra Lisa Park is named after a large smooth monolithic stone which was thrown here by the Colima Volcano thousands of years ago. According to local legend, visitors to the city who slide down the smooth face of the stone three times are destined to stay or return. This is further assured if the visitor slides down three times. This park is also home to an interactive science museum called the Xoloescuintle.

The Conjunto de la Secretaría de Cultura (Secretary of Culture Complex) is a series of buildings around a central plaza that contains a Juan Soriano sculpture by the name of “El Toro.” The three main buildings are the Edificio de Talleres which is for workshops on various artistic disciplines, the Casa de la Cultura Alfonso Michel or Edificio Central, which hosts various exhibitions along with a permanent collection of works by Alfonso Michel and Museo de las Culturas de Occidente María Ahumada de Gómez (María Ahumada de Gómez Museum of Western Cultures.The Ahumada Museum has a large collection of archeological pieces from the region. It divides into two areas. The ground floor is dedicated to the history of the state divided into phases. The upper floor is dedicated to the various pre Hispanic culture of the area showing various aspects of their lives such as work, clothing, architecture, religion and art.

The Palacio Legislativa y de Justicia (Legislative and Justice Palace) is the work of architects Xavier Yarto and Alberto Yarza. It is a modern design. Its interior contains a mural entitled “La Universialidad de la Justicia” by Gabriel Portillo del Toro.

The Museo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar is not only dedicated to the region’s handcrafts and folk art, it also has exhibitions related to the area’s popular festivals and traditions. The collection includes festival costumes, toys, masks, cooking utensils, metal miniatures, wood objects, pottery and fiber crafts.

There are two main archeological zones in the municipality called La Campana and El Chanal. La Campana is about fifteen minutes outside of the city and is distinguished by a mound in the shape of a bell, which gives it the name. The site covers an area of about fifty hectares with only one percent explored. The site is also known for a construction style which uses rounded river stones and numerous burials.

El Chanal reached its height between 1000 and 1400 over an area of 120 hectares. The site has evidence of the extensive use of obsidian and metals such as copper and gold. Constructions at the site include a Mesoamerican ballcourt, the Plaza of the Altars, the Plaza of Day and Night and the Plaza of Time. Stairwells on pyramid bases often have glyphs similar to those found in central Mexico which may have a calendar function.

Most of the traditional foods of the region of Colima are based out of corn, local fruits, pork and seafood found on the coasts near the region. Some of the most popular and representative dishes of Colima include: “Sopitos” Small deep fried tortillas topped with ground beef, shredded cabbage, onion, and cheese bathed in the juices where the meat has been cooked; “Sopes Gordos” which are medium-size, thick tortillas that are slightly pan fried, topped with refried beans and a variety meats which can include pork tenderloin, pork ribs, pork rinds or shredded chicken; “Tostadas” are larger tortillas that are thinned, deep fried and then topped with the same variety of meats as the “Sopes Gordos”; these two last dishes will also include shredded cabbage, onions, fresh tomatoes, a thin meat sauce, and shredded cheese as a garnishing.

A local variety of “Pozole” is also extremely popular as a lunch or dinner meal. Pozole in Colima is made with a variety of pork meats and is typically served dry (no broth), although you can easily also find the variety that will include broth.

Some other popular dishes include “Tatemado” -pork meat marinated in coconut vinegar and cooked with a thick, mild and very flavorful chilly sauce. “Pepena” – Cooked entrails from either cow or pork. “Coachala” -Ground corn, cooked with shredded chicken. The local varieties of “Tamales” such as “Pata de Mula”, which literally translates to mule’s feet -filled with spicy beans and covered in corn leaves or “tamales de elote” – Filled with sweet, tender corn; “Ceniza” – Similar to Pata de Mula, but less spicy, larger and less dry.

The neighboring town of Comala characterizes itself for its wide variety of milk products and local varieties of fresh or dry cheeses, as well as for the production of sweet breads and pastries.

Colima is also known for its wide variety of fresh seafood restaurants. Some of the traditional seafood dishes include “Ceviche” – Ground raw fish cooked in a marinade of lime juice, garnished with shredded carrots, chopped cilantro, onions, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers and served on top of a deep fried tortilla. “Pescado a la talla” – A whole fish (typically red snapper) cut open and covered with a variety of chopped vegetables, and cooked wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled on top of hot coals.

There are three drinks that are very characteristics of the region: “Tejuino” – Thick, refreshing drink prepared with corn masa and molasses and it is served with a lot of ice, salt and lime. “Tuba” – A drink brught from the Philippines, is the sap from the coconut tree, which is traditionally extracted making cuts at the top of the palm tree right at the base where the coconuts grow, and it is usually topped with peanuts, almonds or freshly chopped fruits. “Bate” – This drink is made with chia seeds and it is served with molasses. “Ponche de Comala” – This is the only alcoholic drink that it is traditionally made in the region, and it is produced in the neighboring town of Comala; You can find different varieties of Ponche which can be water-based or milk-based. Water-based Ponche include pomegranate, prune, guayabilla, and the milk variety include flavors such as coffee, almonds, among others. To prepare Ponche, locally produced mezcal is used, which is locally known as “Tuxca”.

The region is also known for its interesting variety of sweets based out of coconut which are known as “Cocadas” or “Alfajores”. Sweets made out of tamarind, pineapple or guava as well as dehydrated plantain are also very popular.

As municipal seat, the city of Colima is the local government for 145 communities, with the most important being Colima, Tepames, Piscila, El Chanal and Los Asmoles. The only urban community is Colima with a high population density with almost all involved in commerce, services and some industry. These communities cover a territory of 668.2km2 and are bordered by the municipalities of Cuauhtémoc, Ixtlahuacán, Tecomán, Coquimatlán and Villa de Álvarez with the state of Jalisco to the east and the state of Michoacán to the southeast. The municipal government consists of a municipal president, an officer called a síndico and eleven representatives called regidores.

The municipality contains about one quarter of the state’s total population. About 92% of the municipality’s population lives in the city proper. (123,543 in the city versus 8,730 in the rural areas as of 2005). As of 2005, only 574 people spoke an indigenous language, with 239 of them living in the city proper. Over 95% of the population is Catholicism, with about two percent following a Protestant or Evangelical form of Christianity.

The city has radio stations, two broadcast television stations (channels 5 and 11), cable television services, and eight newspapers. The main highways that connect the municipality to the outside include Highway 4 to Manzanillo and Guadalajara and Highway 110 to Jiquilpan, Michoacán. Other modes of transportation include the Guadalajara-Colima-Manzanillo rail line, the Central Camionera and Central Suburbana de Autobuses bus stations and the Miguel de la Madrid Airport .

Lic. Miguel de la Madrid Airport serves the city, it is located 22 km outside the capital. Most of the Colima airport flights go to Mexico City, with about 100,000 passengers going through the terminal in 2009. Colima is linked to Guadalajara by a four-lane toll highway (Highway 54D).

Two companies manage the public transport: SINTRA (Sistema Integral de Transporte S.A. de C.V.) and SOCACOVA (Sociedad Cooperativa de Autotransportes Colima-Villa de Álvarez S.C.L.).

You can dial 078 from any phone, where you can find free information about tourist attractions, airports, travel agencies, car rental companies, embassies and consulates, fairs and exhibitions, hotels, hospitals, financial services, migratory and other issues.

Or dial the toll-free (in Mexico) number 01-800-006-8839.

You can also request information to the email correspondencia@sectur.gob.mx

MORE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

General Information: 040 (not free)

National Emergency Service: 911

Radio Patrols: 066
Police (Emergency): 060
Civil Protection: +52(55)5683-2222
Anonymous Complaint: 089

Setravi (Transport Mobility): +52(55)5209-9913
Road Emergency: 074

Cruz Roja: 065 o +52(55)5557-5757
Firefighters: 068 o +52(55)5768-3700

The phenomenon taking place at the “Magic Zone” near Comala, where objects appear to roll uphill contrary to the force of gravity, has puzzled many, and there are different theories and explanations for this event.

This “magical” phenomenon can be just an optical effect.

The phenomenon could be an optical illusion caused by the topography and the surrounding landscape. The hill’s shape and the horizon blocking might create a visual effect that distorts the perception of the slope.

This “magic” could also be a gravity anomaly. While the official scientific stance suggests there are no anomalies in gravity, some local legends and beliefs attribute it to a “magnetic” or “magic” property of the hill.

This phenomenon can be explained by the way the brain processes visual information, which can sometimes create erroneous perceptions. This is unusual, but there is no real change in the laws of gravity.

The Magic Zone is located around kilometer 6 of the Comala-Suchitlán highway.

The trip from Colima City to Comala takes about 20–25 minutes:

• By Car or Taxi: A 20-minute drive will get you there.
• By Bus or Colectivo: It will take around 25 minutes.

Reaching the Magic Zone from Comala

Once in Comala, you can get to the Magic Zone in several ways:

• By Bicycle: Enjoy a scenic ride along paved roads.
• By Foot: A 1.5 to 2-hour hike on a scenic route.
• By Bus or Colectivo: Head toward Suchitlán and ask the driver to drop you off near kilometer 6.

Walking from the Comala Central Plaza

From Comala’s Central Plaza, head north on Fco. I. Madero. After a few kilometers, the road will merge with the Comala-Suchitlán highway. Follow this highway toward Suchitlán, and the Magic Zone will be around kilometer 6.

The main mountain area of the municipality is the Cerro Grande. This mountain is at the edge of the Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve. The mountain offers views of the Colima Valley and the volcanoes.

The summit is accessible by automobile. Some areas of the Colima Volcano allow for hiking and even skiing. At the edge of the municipality, where Colima borders Jalisco, there is a large canyon that forms the border.

The Amería River divides the municipality into two regions. The west is more rugged with the Cerro Grande and the Sierra de Manatlán. The southeast is more level as it is part of the Valley of Colima.

The two volcanos form part of the municipality’s and state’s northern border. Other rivers and streams in the municipality include Zacualpan, San Antonio, Los Mezcales, La Caja, San Juan, Nogueras, and the Comala River tributaries Reynosa, Suchtlán, and Barragana.

There are also lakes called Carrizalillos, La Joya, El Obispo, Palo Alto, Las Cuatas, El Calabozo, El Epazote, La Escondida, El Jabalí, and La María. The Peñitas Dam was constructed in Comala in 1963 to provide water for the municipalities of Colima, Comala, Coquimatlán, and Villa de Alvarez.

Today the reservoir covers 10,217 hectares and is fed by the Armería River.

The south has a hot and fairly humid climate. The north has a more humid climate and the southwest is the most humid. The average temperature for the entire municipality varies between 23C in January and 27C in June. Most rain falls from May until September.

The natural vegetation of the area is low-growth rainforest with some species that lose their leaves in the dry season. The most important commercial species are ash, holm oak, and a species called librillo.

Most forestry occurs on the Cerro Grande. Wildlife consists of mammals such as deer, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, opossums, and wild boar. Other species include squirrels, moles, quail, chachalaca, woodpeckers, buzzards, parrots, and many other types of birds.

The municipality has a large percentage dedicated to conservation. The Volcano de Colima National Park is partly in the municipality and was decreed in 1936. El Jabalí was created in 1981 as a protected forest and wildlife refuge.

The Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve was created in 1987 and the Las Huertas de Comala is a protected area created in 1988.

The area was originally called Ajuchitlán or Valley of the Flowers with indigenous settlements located near water flowing down from the Colima Volcano.

The name means “place of comals” a type of cooking vessel. Comala means place of comals derived from the word comalli with the suffix –an meaning place from Nahuatl.

The municipal seal was created by Alvaro Gabrial Rivera Muñoz and chosen during a contest held in 1984.

It contains emblematic images related to the municipality such as the volcano, a walnut tree, the former hacienda of San Antonio, the Carrizalillos Lake, a glyph for a comal, and the ceramic dog figures that characterize Colima.

The first humans to Colima were estimated to arrive around 3,000 years ago. The area has evidence of Olmec, Nahua, Toltec, and Chichimeca habitation or influence.

However, after the 12th century, the dominant culture here was the Purépecha culture until the Spanish arrived. The town of Comala has pre-Hispanic roots along with neighboring Suchitlán and Zacualtipan in the municipality.

After the Conquest, the Comala area became an encomienda under Bartolomé López in 1527. The area was evangelized by the Franciscans, establishing the chapel of Ajuchitlán.

By 1554, the villages of Comala, Suchitlán, and Zacualpan were officially established under Spanish rule. Sometime before 1815, it became a semi-autonomous Indian Republic with its own governor.

It became a municipality in 1820 with Cayetano Pizarro as the first mayor under Spanish law, and again in 1857 under that year’s constitution. It has conserved this political organization to the present day.

In 1883, a German businessman by the name of Arnold Vogel established the first coffee plantation in the municipality. This plantation would spur agricultural and industrial development in the area.

The first electrical plant in the state of Colima called El Remate was built in 1906, supplying electricity to Comala, Colima, and Villa de Alvarez.

A train line connecting the city of Colima to the Cerro Grande to ship lumber began to function in 1910.

Suchitlán was the site of the area’s first ejido in 1918.

The Cristero War in the mid-1920s was particularly divisive in the state of Colima.

The municipality has two strongholds of Cristeros, those who opposed the liberal reforms of the area against the Catholic Church. One was located in the Cerro Grande and the other near the edge of the Colima Volcano.

In 1961, the town decided to paint itself white as a way to distinguish itself from the surrounding communities. Today, it is filled with structures with white walls and red tile roofs.

The Vasco de Quiroga School of Social Work was established in the town, the first of its kind in the state. The Escuela de Artesanías con Diseños (School of Handcrafts with Design) was established in 1969, and the Centro Estatal de Menors was established in 1981.

The historic center of the town was declared a Historic Monument Zone by presidential decree in 1988.

In the 1990s, the Zacualpan- Colima aqueduct was built through the municipality to supply water to the capital.

Historically, Comala has been a small agricultural village/town. At the beginning of the 20th century, the town had only three streets around the main square.

It is also associated with Juan Rulfo’s novel Pedro Páramo, although it is not known if Rulfo was referring to the town directly in the novel.

The town is still surrounded by papaya, banana, mamey, almond, and palm orchards, with orange and palm trees found within for decoration. It is possible to see the Volcano of Colima from the town.

Many of the older buildings, especially in the town center have walls made of adobe, and many of the houses have small yards with flowers guarded by iron fences.

The historic center of the town was declared a Historic Monument Zone by presidential decree in 1988 and is distinguished by streets paved with river stone.

In 1961, the town decided to paint itself white as a way to distinguish itself from the surrounding communities. Today, it is filled with structures with white walls and red tile roofs.

The town is centered on a main square or plaza, dedicated to Benito Juárez, and renovated several times during its history. In the center of the plaza, there is a white kiosk with a stone base topped with a metal roof structure, manufactured in the early 20th century.

Surrounding the kiosk are garden areas with palm trees and rose bushes, four fountains in each of the corners, and Gothic-style iron benches created by Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo.

Just off the square on two opposing sides, there are arcades that contain businesses.

These businesses sell local products and restaurants serve local cuisine. This includes a dish called tatemado, which is pork in a thick sauce made with guajillo chili peppers, as well as pozole and white menudo.

The first Tortilleria was opened by Filiberto Lopez Montero (El Fey) one of the first pioneers in the agriculture Tortilla business the tortilla business was distributed throughout the town which later was sold to F. Rocha.

One important beverage sold here is ponche. It has been made for generations in Comala with at least twenty families currently involved in its production although there are thought to be more who produce it clandestinely.

The drink has been given a certification of the name so that products called “ponche de Comala” must be from the area, similar to tequila. Ramon Salazar Salazar was one of the pioneers in the making of ponche, and his son Ramiro Salazar Trujillo is still involved in the craft.

Ponche has been made in at least fourteen different flavors with the most traditional being pomegranate, coconut, and nuts such as pistachio and almond. Other common flavors include coffee, peanut, tamarind, blackberry, plum, and rompope.

The drink has a relatively low alcohol content and is drunk as an aperitif cold or at room temperature. Another beverage is called bate, which is a type of atole served with ice made with sugar cane.

Also facing the main square on opposite sides are the municipal palace and the parish church. The municipal palace dates from the beginning of the 20th century, on which are a clock and the coat of arms of the municipality.

In 2000, the clock in the tower of the municipal palace was replaced but not after some controversy.

The building is a historic site, as part of the historic center of the town and there was conflict between municipal authorities and INAH as to whether the work should proceed. In the end, the clock was replaced with the old one preserved by the municipality.

The parish church is named San Miguel del Espiritu Santo. The current building was constructed in the early 20th century.

The arch that leads into the atrium is older, dating from 1832. One distinguishing feature of the church is that one of its towers is unfinished which can plainly be seen.

Between the two towers, there is a white statue of the Archangel Michael.

Comala was named a Pueblo Mágico in 2002 and in 2006 it invested about ten million pesos in projects to promote the town’s image for tourism. The town hosted the 2011 convention of Mexico’s forty Pueblos Mágicos to exchange ideas on how to increase tourism.

***

Other buildings which have been named historic monuments include the Nogueras Church from the 18th century, the former Nogueras hacienda from the 19th century, the former hacienda of San Antonio and its aqueduct from the 19th century, the parish church from the beginning of the 20th century, the Los Aguajes Bridge from the 20th century, the municipal palace from the 20th century, the Máquinas House from the 20th century, El Fortín from the 20th century and the former Los Colonos hacienda from the 19th century.

The Nogueras Cultural Center belongs to the University of Colima. It features an area dedicated to pre-Hispanic ceramics.

The Zacualpan Cultural Center was constructed in 1996 by the state government through the Instituto Colimense de Cultura.

It is dedicated to the community’s history and indigenous identity and includes agrarian implements and documents, arms from the Mexican Revolution, pieces of the old railroad, and testimonies from the Cristero War.

There are also documents related to Indio Alonso, who was assassinated here, and photographs related to the medicinal plants in the area.

The Suchitlán Community Museum was established by the local community and the municipal government and is located in the arches alongside the main garden area of the community. It consists of a single hall with murals of the town, wooden masks, traditional tools, musical instruments, and dolls representing traditional dances.

The museum also contains documents related to the establishment of the Suchitlán ejido.

Thousands of visitors come each year to the municipal seat and some of the natural attractions around it. Hiking is popular in the areas on and around the Cerro Grande and the slopes of the volcano.

Tourism is supported by a number of restaurants serving local dishes and hotels.

Tourist attractions include the former hacienda of San Antonio, the Jabalí, La María, and Carrizalillos Lakes. These have hotel and restaurant services along with boating and fishing at the lakes. La Maria Lake is surrounded by oaks and pines and has cabins and restaurants.

Nogueras Hacienda

In addition to the historic center of the town of Comala, the most important attraction is the former hacienda of Nogueras, a restored hacienda located just outside the town and belonged to artist Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo.

Nogueras was granted by Hernán Cortés to a now-forgotten general, and over the next centuries, the land changed hands several times. In the 17th century, it was the property of Captain Juan Vicente of Nogueras who dedicated it to sugar cane, which thrived in the volcanic soil.

Behind the main house, a tall chimney still stands, which was part of the processing plant. The Nogueras hacienda chapel was founded by the Franciscans and services are still held here.

By 1873, the hacienda was bankrupt and eventually sold to the Rangel family, who ran the sugar cane mill until the Mexican Revolution. They lost all but a few hectares of the original hacienda, changing from sugar cane to limes, which could be intensively cultivated.

After the Revolution, Alejandro Rangel inherited the property and helped to keep it running through his talents as an artist. He renovated the hacienda and established a museum to house his collection of antiques, art, and furniture.

This museum, which still exists, also contains numerous examples of his artwork and furniture designs.

Another section of the museum is dedicated to local pre-Hispanic ceramics, mostly funerary offerings from shaft tombs. Prominent among these are the “Colima dogs”, depictions of xoloizcuintles.

Upon his death, Rangel donated the hacienda to the University of Colima, allowing the art and the pre-Hispanic artifacts to remain on the land on which they were created.

The university runs the hacienda as a center for archaeological, historical, and anthropological studies. The complex is called the Centro Cultural Nogueras with the main house dedicated as the Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo Museum.

This museum features Rangel’s artwork as well as a large collection of pre-Hispanic ceramics from the area. There are also rooms dedicated to the recreation of a traditional hacienda and another dedicated to Rangel’s furniture designs.

This furniture has made its way to many Mexican embassies and the style is known as Rangelino. The gift shop sells prints of Rangel’s work including those made for Christmas cards for UNICEF in the 1960s.

The museum also has exhibitions of furniture, ironwork, glass, and more from local artisans.

The El Remate reserve

The El Remate Reserve is part of a project to protect the cultural history and ecology of the area while promoting it for tourism. Here the first electrical power plant for the state was constructed.

There is a retreat called the “Centro de Reflexión” in Suchitlán, constructed along the ravine of the Suchitlán River.

It can accommodate 100 people, with special dining options as well as motivational speeches. It is located near the city of Colima in an area chosen for its climate and natural landscapes.

Local religious festivals include the feast of the Virgin of Candelaria in Suchitlán on 2 February, Saint James on 25 January, and Isidor the Laborer on 15 May in Zacualpan.

Suchitlán is known for its traditional dances, such as “morenos,” “gallitas,” “negros,” “sonjaeros” and “del rebozo.” Zacualpan’s noted dance is the Danza de Conquista. Suchitlán has an annual carnival, celebrated with foods and drinks such as nijayote, pinole, and sour oranges.

The opening ceremony features people with crowns and scepters made of bread, flowers, and necklaces who give solemn and emotional speeches. One special guest treated this was Rigoberta Menchú.

During festivals in Comala, it is traditional for women to dress up in costumes meant to imitate indigenous dress and form a procession to announce rodeos called jaripeos as well as an event called Día de los Hijos Ausentes.

During the festival of La Caja, dancing horses create a show accompanied by music.

In various locations in the municipality, Independence Day is celebrated with horse and foot races by people of all ages. During the Feast of Saint John in Zacualpan, the winners receive prizes such as pigs, hens, and turkeys.

Mostly modern pop and norteño music is popular in the municipality. However, it does have nine well-known bands that play traditional music on wind instruments. One event in which this music is commonly played is at bullfights.

Manzanillo has a tropical savanna climate. The dry season, which is from November to May, has low amounts of precipitation, and temperatures tend to be cooler than in the wet season.

The average temperature in March, the coolest month, is 24 °C (75 °F).

The wet season, which runs from June to October, has warmer temperatures, averaging 28.3 °C (83 °F) in July, and humidity during this time is higher.

In 2012, the port of Manzanillo initiated an ecological project consisting of dredged canals and creating islands in the Lagoon of the Valle de las Garzas, a protected wildlife area. With this work, the port plans to increase the flow into the lagoon, thus increasing the viability of the enhanced ecosystem that includes the planting of 15,000 mangrove trees.

Extensive use of geotextile tubes (TITANTubes), manufactured by Flint Industries, was included in the channel creation. These geotextile tubes, often referred to as “geotubes” were used to create 2 parallel breakwaters on either side of the dredged channels.

Hurricane Patricia

On Friday, October 23, 2015, Manzanillo was caught in the path of Hurricane Patricia. A Category 5 on the Saffir Simpson Hurricane wind scale, it was the most powerful cyclone ever measured in the Western Hemisphere, with sustained winds speed up to 200 mph (320 kph). Hurricane Patricia made landfall on October 23 at 7:45pm with catastrophic damage. The center of the storm hit just north of Manzanillo, saving the town from the 200 mph winds. Puerto Vallarta was also near the catastrophic damage zone. Wind and high surf created a catastrophic damage zone. Damage totaled at least $283 million.

16th century

In 1522, Gonzalo de Sandoval, under orders from conquistador Hernan Cortes, dropped anchor in the Bay of Salagua (north of Manzanillo Bay), looking for safe harbors and good shipbuilding sites.

In the year before he left, Sandoval granted an audience to local Indian chieftains in a small cove, which today carries the name Playa de La Audiencia.

A great part of his fleet, which left to conquer the Philippines, was constructed in Salagua.

Manzanillo Bay was discovered in 1527 by navigator Alvaro de Saavedra, naming it Santiago de la Buena Esperanza, or Santiago’s Bay of Good Hope.

Manzanillo was the third port created by the Spanish in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It became a departure point for important expeditions. Cortes visited the bay twice to protect his galleons from Portuguese pirates.

Over the next 300 years, the Pacific Coast’s history is filled with accounts of pirates from Portugal, England, France and even Spain assaulting, looting and burning ships for their rich cargos.

19th century

In 1825 the Port of Manzanillo opened, in recently independent Mexico, and so named because of the abundant groves of native Manzanilla (Hippomane mancinella) trees that were used extensively in the early days of shipbuilding.

Manzanillo was raised to the status of a city on June 15, 1873. The railroad to Colima was completed in 1889.

20th century

In 1908, President Porfirio Diaz designated Manzanillo as an official port of entry to Mexico.

It was the state capital of Colima from February 20 to March 1, 1915, while Pancho Villa’s troops were threatening to capture the city of Colima.

Also at the north end of Manzanillo bay is the resort Las Hadas (“the fairies”), which is the most famous of the city’s resorts, having been featured in the movie 10 starring Bo Derek and Dudley Moore. Beach scenes were filmed on La Audencia Bay, just over the hill from Las Hadas.

Manzanillo is a popular cruise ship port of call. Many tourists go from their cruise ships on city tours. Excellent swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving is found in Santiago Bay, a few miles north of the city where a cargo ship sank in a hurricane in 1959. Other wrecks and reefs plentiful with fish are scattered throughout the bay.

Manzanillo consists of two bays with crescent-shaped beaches, each about 4 miles in length. Bahía de Manzanillo is closer to downtown and is the older tourist section. Bahía de Santiago, to the west, is the newer and more upscale area. The two are separated by the Santiago Peninsula, a steep outcrop on whose slopes are some of the most beautiful hotels.

Ship channels are located at the southeast end of Bahía de Manzanillo where large cruise ships enter the port area. Manzanillo was once the scene of piracy and adventure. Nowadays, its peaceful bays and sophisticated tourist and port infrastructure have made it one of the main tourist resorts and trading centers in the west of Mexico.

Manzanillo is the busiest port in Mexico, as measured by total tonnage and volume of containerized cargo.

In 2007, the port moved 1.4 million TEUs and 18.0 million tons of total cargo. Port business experienced a significant surge during the USA’s West Coast Lockout in Long Beach, California, in 2002.

The port is connected by Ferromex rail lines to Guadalajara and Mexico City.

Manzanillo is also home to the Navy’s Pacific Naval Force. Manzanillo also hosts the most efficient port for tuna landings in Mexico. It handles exports like fish, corn, copra, lemons, bananas, canned foods, wine, lumber, and minerals.

Manzanillo is well connected by Highway 200 to Colima City, to the Northwest and to Puerto Vallarta.

The Playa de Oro International Airport (ZLO) is a small airport located about 35 minutes north of Manzanillo along Highway 200. The airport offers international and national flights. In addition to flights to and from the USA, the airport has international service to and from Canada. The airport is operated by “Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico”. Ground transportation is limited to taxis and car rentals. It has daily domestic and international flights and has recently been remodeled.

You can dial 078 from any phone, where you can find free information about tourist attractions, airports, travel agencies, car rental companies, embassies and consulates, fairs and exhibitions, hotels, hospitals, financial services, migratory and other issues.

Or dial the toll-free (in Mexico) number 01-800-006-8839.

You can also request information to the email correspondencia@sectur.gob.mx

MORE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

General Information: 040 (not free)

National Emergency Service: 911

Radio Patrols: 066
Police (Emergency): 060
Civil Protection: +52(55)5683-2222
Anonymous Complaint: 089

Setravi (Transport Mobility): +52(55)5209-9913
Road Emergency: 074

Cruz Roja: 065 o +52(55)5557-5757
Firefighters: 068 o +52(55)5768-3700

Montículo Cinerítico (front) and Bárcena (behind), volcanic cones on San Benedicto, one of the Revillagigedo Islands. Bárcena has existed only since 1952. The total area is almost 158 sq km, spread over an east-to-west extent of about 420 km.

A naval station in the south of Socorro Island has a population of 45 (staff). On Clarión is a small naval garrison with 9 men.

The islands are otherwise uninhabited.

The islands are named after Don Juan Vicente de Güemes, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo, the 53rd viceroy of New Spain.

The three eastern islands are called the inner islands.

They fall in the time zone UTC-7 (Mountain Time), while the major part of Colima is UTC-6 (Central Time Zone). Clarión is comparatively far to the west, by more than 200 km in comparison with the inner islands, and in UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone).

The Revillagigedo Islands are one of three Mexican island groups in the Pacific Ocean that are not on the continental shelf; the others are Guadalupe Island and Rocas Alijos.

16 to 19 century

No evidence of human habitation on Socorro exists before its discovery by Spanish explorers.

Hernando de Grijalva and his crew discovered an uninhabited island on 19 December 1533 and named it Santo Tomás (Socorro Island) and on 28 December they discovered Isla de Los Inocentes (San Benedicto) which owed its name to having been found on the day of the Holy Innocents.

In November 1542, Ruy López de Villalobos, while exploring new routes across the Pacific, rediscovered Inocentes and Santo Tomás and charted the latter as Anublada (“Cloudy”). Villalobos was the first to report sightings of Roca Partida Island giving it its present-day name.

In 1608, Martín Yánez de Armida, in charge of another expedition, visited Anublada and changed its name to Socorro.

In 1779 José Camacho was the first to report a sighting of the island remaining, which he charted as Santa Rosa (“Saint Rose”). Santa Rosa was later renamed Clarion after the vessel commanded by Henry Gyzelaar at that time.

The Revillagigedo Islands have been visited by a number of other explorers:

Domingo del Castillo (1541), Miguel Pinto (1772), Alexander von Humboldt (1811), Benjamin Morrell (1825), Sir Edward Belcher (1839) who made the first botanical collections, and Reeve, who witnessed the eruption of Mount Evermann in 1848.

On 25 July 1861, President Benito Juárez signed a decree awarding territorial control over the four islands to the state of Colima. His plan was to build an offshore penitentiary on Isla Socorro; although this never happened, the decree whereby they were attached to Colima has never been repealed.

In 1865, the island was explored by ornithologist Andrew Jackson Grayson, who discovered the Socorro dove, Socorro mockingbird, and the Socorro elf owl which were later given scientific names in his honor.

20 century

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Dr. Barton Warren Evermann, director of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, California, promoted the scientific exploration of the islands. The most comprehensive biological collections were obtained at this time.

The volcano on Isla Socorro was renamed in his honor.

In 1957 the Mexican Navy established a naval base on Socorro and has had a permanent presence on the island since then. A tiny outpost also exists on Clarión, as noted above.

On 21 March 1972, Pablo Silva García became the first Governor of Colima to visit his state’s island territories. A plaque was unveiled to mark the event and cement Colima’s claim.

The seas surrounding the larger islands are popular with scuba divers.

A variety of marine life such as cetaceans, sharks, and manta rays can be observed. Visitors usually stay aboard expedition vessels during their visit to the islands, which is desirable from an ecological standpoint to prevent the introduction of further invasive species.

The islands are occasionally visited by amateur radio operators, who usually use the ITU prefix XF4. Because of their distance from the mainland, for award credit, they are considered to be an “entity” separate from Mexico.

Expeditions from organizations engaged in biological conservation of the islands visit the islands for fieldwork on a regular basis.

No tourism facilities exist; the islands have no reliable sources of freshwater of their own.

21 century

On 24 November 2017, President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto created North America’s largest marine protected area around the Revillagigedo Islands.

This protected area covers 57 thousand square miles or 150,000 square kilometers around the islands and bans fishing, mining, and tourism development in the protected area and on the islands.

The Revillagigedo Islands are home to many endemic plant and animal species, and are sometimes called Mexico’s “little Galápagos”. They are recognized as a distinct terrestrial ecoregion, part of the Neotropic ecozone.
Socorro is the most diverse in flora, fauna, and topography.

The Mexican Government established the islands as a Biosphere Reserve on June 4, 1994.

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), 14 of the islands’ 16 generally accepted resident taxa of land birds as well as one seabird are endemic, as are all of the islands’ native terrestrial vertebrates.

The latter, however, consists only of a whip snake, a night snake, and two Urosaurus iguanids.

Numerous seabird taxa breed no further north(east)wards than San Benedicto; storm petrels are notably absent as breeders though they breed in the region and visit the islands to forage.

Albatrosses are also not normally found here. Among land birds, the absence of the house finch, widespread on northeastern Pacific offshore islands, is the most conspicuous one.

Apart from the native birds, migrant shorebirds and others are often found on the islands.

Bahia Azufre (Sulfur Bay) on Clarión seems to be a favorite stopover location, as it is one of the few long stretches of beach on the islands; mostly, the shoreline is steep cliffs. The archipelago is also a part of wintering grounds for humpback whales in the north pacific.

Socorro has numerous endemic plant taxa, whereas Clarión which is farthest from land has but a few.

The San Benedicto ecosystem was nearly wiped out in the devastating eruption of Bárcena volcano on August 1, 1952, but has since recovered; apparently, just the San Benedicto rock wren became entirely extinct.

Most if not all native plants found on San Benedicto today are shared with Clarión, not with the closer Socorro to the south, due to the prevailing winds and ocean currents. The native flora of Clarión is about equally shared with other large islands.

As opposed to the interchange between the islands, the animals and plants that colonized them initially are apparently all from mainland populations generally to the northeastward of the Revillagigedos.

Plants are most often derived from Baja California founder populations, whereas the endemic nonavian reptiles seem to be rather derived directly from mainland populations of the Sonora-Sinaloa area.

The ancestors of the islands’ terrestrial birds probably came from the general area of southern North and northern Central America.

As illustrated by the fact that no endemic land bird taxon occurs on more than one island and the cases of the Socorro and Clarión wrens as well as the Socorro dove and Clarión mourning dove, each bird population seems to have arisen independently.

“The future of the avifauna of the islands appears to be secure at present. There are no human inhabitants, and no mammals of any kind except the moderate and apparently stable population of sheep on Socorro.”

The unique ecology of the islands has since then come under threat from these and other exotic species. Sheep were introduced to Socorro in 1869, and cats have become established after 1953, probably in the early 1970s.

Pigs were introduced to Clarión in 1979, and rabbits became feral at some earlier date.

Several endemic species of Socorro are now threatened with extinction. The Socorro mockingbird numbers less than 400 individuals altogether. The endemic Socorro parakeet and Townsend’s shearwater, are also endangered.

The Socorro dove is now extinct in the wild but is being bred in captivity. The elf owl’s Socorro subspecies Micrathene whitneyi graysoni appears to be extinct. Other plant and animal taxa in the archipelago are also considered threatened or nearly so.

A number of conservation initiatives are dedicated to halting the destruction of the native ecosystems of the islands.

Dr. Harmunt Walter of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Dr. Luis F. Baptista of the California Academy of Sciences have coordinated breeding and reintroduction efforts for the Socorro dove since 1988, through the Island Endemics Institute.

The Comité Científico para la Conservación y Restauración del Archipiélago Revillagigedo (“Scientific Committee for the Conservation and Restoration of the Revillagigedo Islands”) was founded in 1996 and is a committee representing several organizations, including the Island Conservation & Ecology Group, Island Endemics Institute, the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL), the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and others.

It is chaired by Dr. Walter and Dr. Luis Medrano of UNAM is its secretary.

The committee has been advocating the removal of the exotic species from the islands, especially the estimated 2000 sheep on Socorro, to allow the islands’ ecology to recover, and the adoption of a management plan to promote the recovery of the island’s native species, including the reintroduction of the Socorro dove.

Brattstrom and Howell who gave the optimistic outlook in 1956 went on to caution that “it may be hoped that the Mexican government will guard against the introduction of mammals such as rabbits, cats, goats and others that have invariably brought disaster to the flora and fauna of insular regions.”

On 25 November 2017, President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto acted to protect the biodiversity of the region by creating North America’s largest marine protected area around the islands and prohibiting mining, fishing, and tourism development on or near the islands.

You can dial 078 from any phone, where you can find free information about tourist attractions, airports, travel agencies, car rental companies, embassies and consulates, fairs and exhibitions, hotels, hospitals, financial services, migratory and other issues.

Or dial the toll-free (in Mexico) number 01-800-006-8839.

You can also request information to the email correspondencia@sectur.gob.mx

MORE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

General Information: 040 (not free)

SNational Emergency Service: 911

Radio Patrols: 066
Police (Emergency): 060
Civil Protection: +52(55)5683-2222
Anonymous Complaint: 089

Setravi (Transport Mobility): +52(55)5209-9913
Road Emergency: 074

Cruz Roja: 065 o +52(55)5557-5757
Firefighters: 068 o +52(55)5768-3700

• Playa El Real. 10 km. south of Tecomán. Open sea, good surfing.
• Playa Boca de Pascuales. 12 km. from Tecomán. Surfing beach for the experienced. Enramadas serving fresh seafood.
• Playa de Tecuanillo. Narrow, fine-sanded, not-too-steep beach.
• Playa Paraiso. Open sea, Ramadas serving delicious freshly cooked food with Coconut drinks. Usually a calm beach except during rainy season.
• Boca de Apiza beach.

• Laguna de Amela. Deep lagoon surrounded by lush vegetation.
• Laguna de Alcuzahue. Lagoon 8 km from Tecomán. Visit the Crocodile reserve.

If you drive from Lazaro Cardenas to Mazatlan, passing by Tecoman, these route saves you an average 25-40 minutes.

• Exit autopista at Tecoman off ramp.
• Proceed toward Tecoman for 2 miles.
• Encounter huge glorietta with monument.
• Signed left turn to Cerro de Ortega. Make the turn.
• Lightly traveled boulevard. Follow for about 1-1/4 miles. Next turn will be to your right.
• See fairground on your right. Note surrounding cyclone fence.
• When fence ends there will be a street on your right. Turn here.
• Street runs straight for about 2 miles. No curves no turns. Very light traffic.
• Street ends at Mex 200 junction at another large highway glorietta
• Make left turn (southbound) onto Mex 200.
• Pemex gasolinera on your right is best bet for fuel next 150 miles.
• Reverse instructions when northbound.

You can dial 078 from any phone, where you can find free information about tourist attractions, airports, travel agencies, car rental companies, embassies and consulates, fairs and exhibitions, hotels, hospitals, financial services, migratory and other issues.

Or dial the toll-free (in Mexico) number 01-800-006-8839.

You can also request information to the email correspondencia@sectur.gob.mx

MORE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

General Information: 040 (not free)

National Emergency Service: 911

Radio Patrols: 066
Police (Emergency): 060
Civil Protection: +52(55)5683-2222
Anonymous Complaint: 089

Setravi (Transport Mobility): +52(55)5209-9913
Road Emergency: 074

Cruz Roja: 065 o +52(55)5557-5757
Firefighters: 068 o +52(55)5768-3700