Colima
Travel Guide > North America > Mexico > Colima
In this Article
- Introduction
- Geography
- Municipalities and Towns
- Sights and Activities
- Events and Festivals
- Weather
- Getting There
- Getting Around
- Eat
- Drink
- Sleep
- Study
- Health
- Safety
- Keep Connected
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Introduction
Colima is a small state in western Mexico, on the Pacific coast. Away from the sea are mountains, a desert and a volcano. Colima is bordered by Jalisco and Michoacán, which are both popular destinations. Little Colima, however, is well worth a visit, boasting great beaches, friendly locals and one of Mexico's oldest cities.
The city of Colima was the capital of the Coliman Kingdom, an old civilisation from pre-colonial times. Now, it is the state's largest city - as well as its capital.
Geography
Municipalities and Towns
The state of Colima is divided into 10 municipalities (municipios), each headed by a municipal president (mayor). Municipalities are named after the city that serves as municipal seat. These municipalities could be best compared to counties in the United States, in that they have their own government, police, and services. They also hold their own culture which culminates to create the state's culture. Each has its own songs, dances, and traditional foods.
The municipalities are:
- Colima
- Armería
- Comala
- Coquimatlán
- Cuauhtémoc
- Ixtlahuacán
- Manzanillo
- Minatitlán
- Tecomán
- Villa de Álvarez
The main cities in Colima are Colima, Manzanillo and Tecomán.
Sights and Activities
There are many activities to do in Colima, including camping, bike riding, jogging, walking, watching crafts, visiting ruins, tasting authentic Mexican food and going to local fairs and markets.
Events and Festivals
The main event is the state fair, which runs from October 29 to November 10.
Another popular event is the festival of Charro Taurinas in February, featuring bull fights.
Fiestas de la Guadalupana is a colourful, local religious holiday that runs for the nine days leading up to December 12.
Weather
Colima's weather is hot and humid year round. The rainy season is between August and November.
Getting There
There are airports in Colima and Manzanillo. There are bus services and good roads to and from Guadalajara in neighbouring Jalisco, but there is no train service.
By Plane
Miguel de la Madrid Airport (CLQ) in Colima and Playa de Oro International Airport (ZLO) in Manzanillo are the two main airports. There are direct flights to Colima from Mexico's main states like Monterrey, Mexico City and Tijuana.
By Car
From Guadalajara, it’s about 2 hours on the main road. It costs $180 pesos, to use the road, and about $200 worth of gas.The secondary road is ok, but there are many big buses and it will take an extra hour, so it will take 3 or 4 hours to get to Colima.
By Bus
The bus from Guadalajara takes about 3 hours. One recommended bus service is ETN, which offers comfortable seats for $220 pesos. The buses have TV. Two cheaper options are La Lineal Plus and Primer Plus, which cost around $180 pesos. There are even cheaper services (around $100 pesos) which stop in many little towns.
By Boat
There are a few cruise ships that come to Manzanillo.
Keep Connected
Internet
There is 1mb of free wireless in downtown Colima.
Phone
See also International Telephone Calls
There are phone line in almost all the main towns.
Post
This is version 4. Last edited at 20:41 on Aug 14, 09 by Utrecht (+76). 1 article links to this page.
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