Manzanillo

Whether you plan to vacation, retire, or work here, Manzanillo, Mexico's spectacular beauty and special people will make you feel right at home. Sourced with thanks from Go Manzanillo The port of Manzanillo, Mexico is made up of two separate bays, divided by the Peninsula of Santiago. On the left is the Bay of Santiago, followed by a smaller notched-out area, known as Playa Audiencia. On the right-hand side, is the Bay of Manzanillo. Both bays are more than five miles long and offer a variety of water sports activities. Manzanillo Bay was discovered in 1527 and it became a departure point for many important expeditions. Hernando Cortes visited the bay twice to protect his galleons from Portuguese pirates. In 1873 it gained city status and a railroad to Colima was completed in 1889. Other amenities, such as electricity and potable water soon followed. It was even the state capital for two weeks in 1915, while Pancho Villa's troops were threatening to capture the city of Colima. In recent times, the harbor has been modernized and deepened, allowing access to all major shipping lines from around the world. As the largest port on the western coast of Mexico, it can admit ships of more than 30,000 tons. Manzanillo is often touted as the "Sailfish Capital of the World," made famous by the fishing tournaments held in November and February, with prizes worth thousands of dollars. Anyone can charter a boat and enter. Then, in 1979, Bo Derek and Dudley Moore starred in he popular movie, "10," filmed at Las Hadas resort and La Audiencia beach. Other movies done at or near Manzanillo include the made-for-TV mini-series, "Return to Eden," the remake of "McHale's Navy," and "I Still Know," (the sequel to "I Know What You Did Last Summer"). Manzanillo's pristine beaches and exclusive resorts have been featured in "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," and numerous celebrity golf tournaments are held here every year.

The Las Hadas Golf Course has been named as being among "the 100 greatest in the world" by Golf Digest magazine, and the finish destination for the classic 2,500-mile San Diego to Manzanillo Yacht Race is at Las Hadas 70-boat marina. Sports Illustrated has featured Manzanillo in a photo shoot of famous models for their swimsuit edition. Manzanillo is part of Mexico's "Pacific Riviera", with exotic tropical vegetation, plantations of coconuts, bananas, limes, mangos and papayas, and the most beautiful unpopulated beaches in the country. With a year-round average temperature of 27 degrees C (80 degrees F), it has the best climate of the west coast--dryer than Puerto Vallarta and cooler than Acapulco. Sourced with thanks from Villa Los Angeles/Manzanillo