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Manzanillo Basics

Manzanillo is Mexico's busiest port, having surpassed Veracruz in 2005. But the city but still retains its tranquil, laid-back feel and authentic Mexican atmosphere. Manzanillo harbor is actually comprised of two bays: Manzanillo Bay is on the south side of the harbor, and serves as the city's industrial port, while Santiago Bay, on the north side of the harbor, is more tourist-friendly.

The mainstays of Manzanillo's economy are fishing, transportation services and tourism. Located in the State of Colima, Manzanillo's population is just over 100,000 people. A rail and road infrastructure takes the goods unloaded at Manzanillo's port to cities throughout Mexico.

Manzanillo has a tropical marine climate, with average Dry Season temperatures in the mid-70s F (about 27° C). Dry Season lasts between November and April, with pleasant daily temperatures and cool evenings, refreshed by Pacific Ocean breezes.

First Impressions

Judging from the amount of commercial ship traffic, Manzanillo is a very busy port. And it is, as Manzanillo now ranks as the busiest port in Mexico. But the city has a lot to offer tourists looking for a pleasant day in the tropics. Situated on the Costa Allegre (Happy Coast), Manzanillo is also a resort town with wide, curving beaches, legendary sportsfishing and a highly praised diversity of dive sites. Manzanillo is also the self-proclaimed "sailfish capital" of the world.

Manzanillo is an industrial port, handling container ships and breakbulk and fishing cargoes. Your ship will dock at the new cruise terminal located adjacent to the commercial port. All of the cruise excursions will depart from the cruise terminal. As fate would have it, just as Manzanillo completed its long-promised cruise terminal, Carnival and Holland America elected to cut back their visits to the city significantly, so it sits idle most of the time. Which is too bad, because the state of Colima is one of the safest in Mexico, and there's lots to see and enjoy in Manzanillo and surrounding areas.

There's nothing to do at the port itself, and the downtown area of the city holds little of interest to many visitors.

For these tourists, the main action takes place at the resort area. Sitting on a hilly peninsula dividing the two bays--Manzanillo and Santiago--is Las Hadas, a four star resort featured in the Bo Derek/Dudley Moore movie 10. There are several other high-end resort hotels in the area. When it comes down to it, Manzanillo is a resort town that doesn't have the over-commercialized feel of a resort town.

Time Zone

Manzanillo is on Central Time, six hours earlier than Greenwich Mean Time during standard time, or five hours during daylight savings time. In Mexico, daylight savings time begins on the first Sunday of April, and ends on the last Sunday of October.

Language

Spanish is universally spoken in Manzanillo; most of the shopkeepers catering to tourists also speak English.

Travel Advisory

The U. S. Department of State has issued this Travel Warning to inform U.S. citizens traveling to and living in Mexico about the security situation in Mexico.

"Since 2006, the Mexican government has engaged in an extensive effort to combat transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). The TCOs, meanwhile, have been engaged in a vicious struggle to control drug trafficking routes and other criminal activity...

"There is no evidence that U.S. tourists have been targeted by criminal elements due to their citizenship. Nonetheless, while in Mexico you should be aware of your surroundings at all times and exercise particular caution in unfamiliar areas..."

Currency

The Peso is Mexico's official currency, and uses the "$" sign to denote the peso amount.

As of February 3, 2012, the exchange rate was roughly 12.60 Pesos per US dollar.

Just be aware: larger notes (e.g., $500 Peso notes) are often difficult to change.

Banks and ATMs

Banks with ATM machines can be found in the downtown area as well as in the resort areas of the Santiago Peninsula. These ATM machines dispense pesos. Bank-specific ATM machines in the area can be found at the following locations:

BBVA Bancomer: At the Las Hadas resort; at Ave. Mexico #122, in downtown Manzanillo; at the left entrance to the Soriana/Plaza Salagua shopping center; and at the Plaza Manzanillo shopping center.

Banorte: At the left entrance to the Soriana/Plaza Salagua shopping center.

Banamex: At the left entrance to the Soriana/Plaza Salagua shopping center; and at the Plaza Manzanillo shopping center.

Citibank: On Blvd. Miguel de la Madrid, Km. 13.5, on Hwy 200, Santiago; and Ave. Mexico #136, in downtown Manzanillo.

Santander: On Morelos, across from the Cruise Terminal; at the right entrance to the Soriana/Plaza Salagua shopping center; and at the Plaza Manzanillo shopping center.

Banco Azteca: On Morelos, across from the Cruise Terminal.

HSBC: Ave. Mexico #99, in downtown Manzanillo; at the Right entrance to the Soriana/Plaza Salagua shopping center; and at the Plaza Manzanillo shopping center.

See our Manzanillo ATM map for the locations of the above ATMs.

Using US Dollars in Manzanillo

Pesos, or credit cards for that matter, would probably be a better way to pay for the things you're going to buy in Manzanillo. The larger hotels and higher-end shops do accept US dollars, but your exchange rate may be less than the market rate. And if you do use dollars in a smaller shop, they more than likely won't have change for anything larger than a $20 bill, unless the change is in pesos.

Weather

Manzanillo has the veneer of perfect weather: balmy temperatures and year-round sea breezes. During the Dry Season, lasting from November through April, the average high temperatures are in the mid-70s to the low 80s F. During the evenings, it frequently feels cool enough to wear a sweater. The wind blows off the Pacific, making the evenings feel quite pleasant.

The Rainy Season lasts from May to October, but as with most monsoonal areas, the rains tend to be fierce and brief in the late afternoon, leaving the evenings dry and refreshingly cool. Average temperatures are in the low 80s. September brings the highest levels of humidity and sees the heaviest rains.

The hurricane season stretches from June to the end of October.

Manzanillo Average Temperatures
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High - F	81	79	78	79	81	85	86	86	85	85	84	81
Avg High - C	27	26	26	26	27	29	30	30	29	29	29	27
Avg Low - F	66	65	65	67	70	75	75	75	75	74	71	68
Avg Low - C	19	18	18	19	21	24	24	24	24	23	22	20

Manzanillo Average Precipitation
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg, Inches	1.1	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.3	4.7	5.6	8.5	10.7	5.0	1.0	0.6
Avg, mm	29	7	4	4	9	120	141	216	271	126	26	16

Manzanillo Weather Forecast, Mexico

Keeping In Touch

Internet Cafes

Internet Cafes in Manzanillo and surrounding areas can be found in the downtown and on Santiago Peninsula. Rates at a cafe run from $25 to $35 pesos per hour. The following establishments provide internet access:

Juanitos Restaurant & Cyber Cafe, Km. 14 Hwy 200. More a celebrated restaurant than a cyber cafe, Juanitos serves up excellent burgers, homemade sausage, and provides a public internet connection. $35 pesos/hour, 4 computers available. Tel: +52 (314) 333-1388

internetcafe la luna, Ave. Mexico #69, in downtown Manzanillo. $30 pesos/hour, 8 computers available.

Burger King, located in front of the Soriana/Plaza Salagua shopping center, along Miguel de la Madrid, is a WiFi hotspot.

Simplemente Deli, located at the corner of Miguel de la Madrid and de las Garzas, sells excellent sandwiches, as well as providing WiFi hotspot services.

Starbucks has a store located on Miguel de la Madrid #8714, just east of the Santiago peninsula, across the street from the Walmart. Starbucks offers public Wi-Fi in their Mexican stores too.

See our Manzanillo Internet Cafes & Wi-Fi Hotspot Map for the locations of the above internet access points.

Finding US Newspapers

US newspapers are tough to come by in Manzanillo, even at the larger hotels catering to international tourists. An English language newspaper from Mexico City, the News, is sometimes available, however.

Kindle Connectivity

In Manzanillo, you can download your Kindle newspaper and magazine subscriptions, as well as books and selected blogs, through Telcel's EDGE/GPRS coverage in the city.

Local Holidays & Festivals

Look fhe following local festivals, holidays and events taking place in Manzanillo in 2012:

Ano Nuevo (New Year's Day), January 1. National holiday celebrated with dances and fiestas.

Dia de los Santos Reyes (Day of the Three Kings), January 6. A national holiday celebrating the New Testament story of the arrival of the three wise men who each brought a gift to the Christ child. It's the day that children receive gifts as well as shoes full of candy, and people buy a pastry called rosca de reyes.

Dia de la Constitucion (Constitution Day), February 5. Public holiday commemorating the signing of the Mexican Constitution of 1917. The day is usually marked by a government-sponsored parade.

Carnaval (Mardis Gras), February 15 to 22. Manzanillo's Carnaval is celebrated exuberantly in the city, with parades, floats and dancing in the city streets.

Birthday of Benito Juarez, March 21. A public holiday celebrating the birthday of Benito Juarez, who rose from humble origins to occupy the Presidency of the Republic in the second half of the 19th century. Since it takes place on Wednesday in 2012, people also get off on Monday, March 19.

Semana Santa (Easter Week), April 1 to 8. The week before Easter is the busiest week of the year. The city provides free concerts, theater performances and fiestas.

Fiesta de Mayo, May 1 to 13. Manzanillo's main celebration. Festivities include numerous events, such as art exhibits, parades, concerts, native dances and a carnival.

Primero de Mayo (Labor Day), May 1. A national holiday.

Cinco de Mayo, May 5. A Mexican holiday that commemorates the Battle of Puebla in 1862, when the Mexican army defeated a French force twice its size just south of Mexico City.

Election Day, July 1. A national holiday set aside for the election of a new Mexican president in 2012.

Independence Day, September 16. Look for the delivery of the "El Grito de Dolores," the official grunt that marks the day.

Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day), October 12. Dia de la Raza is how Mexico celebrates Columbus Day.

Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), November 1 to 2. Celebrants build private altars to honor the deceased, using sugar skulls, flowers and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed.

Revolution Day, November 20. A national holiday celebrating the Mexican Revolution of 1910.

Inauguration Day, December 1. In 2012, this national holiday celebrates the inauguration of the new Mexican president.

Fiesta de Guadalupe, December 1 to December 12. Celebrating Mexico's patron saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe, the event includes parades, native dances and costumes, displays and offerings for the Virgin of Guadalupe. This event includes the following two feast days:

Fiesta de la Inmaculada (Feast of the Immaculate Conception), December 8. Marks the beginning of the Christmas celebration season.

Dia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe (Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe), December 12. Commemorates the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint. In Acapulco, they have street parties, carnival rides, contemporary and folk music concerts, dancing and parties. It's a festive occasion.

Navidad (Christmas Day), December 25. A public and religious holiday celebrating the birth of Christ.

Cruise Lines Making Port

Manzanillo has been relegated to a boutique destination for ships making 7- to 15-day Mexican Riviera cruises from Los Angeles and San Diego. The cruise ship season in Manzanillo extends from November through April. In 2012, Manzanillo will host just under 20,000 cruise ship passengers sailing on 9 ships. If you'd like to see what ships are scheduled to be in port, check out our Manzanillo Cruise Ship Schedule - 2012.

The following cruise lines make port in Manzanillo: