SUMMER IN THE CITY

Manzanillo during rainy season...

What is it like?

Click on photos to enlarge

Manzanillo is located 165 miles south of Puerto Vallarta in the central western part of Mexico. It is in the state of Colima, which is bordered by the state of  Jalisco on the west, east and north; and by Michoacan on the southeast. 

The Pacific Ocean lies to the southwest, with balmy sea breezes almost all day long. In the early evenings, refreshing breezes flow from the mountains to the sea, once again cooling off the day. Manzanillo is on the same latitude as Hawaii, but our attitude and prices are much more tourist friendly!

Colima's 87 miles of coastline is a tourist mecca with a yearly average of 350 days of sunshine! So why does everyone think it rains all day, every day, in the summer? Summer is a time of growth and fresh air, of renewal and cleansing.

Manzanillo's unlimited and unpopulated beaches attract a large number of Mexican tourists, because they know the wonders that await them, but why doesn't anyone from the U.S. or Canada come to visit us during the summer?

MYTH #1:

IT'S HURRICANE SEASON!

The last big hurricane hit Manzanillo in 1959! Almost all hurricanes of the Pacific go past Manzanillo and end up near Pto. Vallarta and Mazatlan, or journey up the coast to Baja California. The reason Manzanillo's name always appears in the news when a hurricane bulletin or warning is issued, is because we have  the weather tracking station which sends out all the reports for the Pacific Coast. Manzanillo is the origination point for ALL weather bulletins, so the advisory might read: "Hurricane Gilda is 350 miles northwest of Manzanillo," when in reality, it is closest to Mazatlan! Manzanillo gets the bad rap, and Mazatlan gets the tourists, who thought they were avoiding bad weather by going there!

In looking at the statistics for 2000-03, only one storm affected Manzanillo with high waves, but no rain, in September. The Pacific had a very inactive and boring hurricane season last year, with only 7 tropical storms (named), and 5 tropical depressions in a 6 month period. Predictions for the year 2004 remain along these same lines. Your chances of encountering a tropical storm or hurricane when visiting Manzanillo are almost zero.

Since Manzanillo has an accurate satellite tracking and warning  system, you can feel totally safe in visiting us during "hurricane season." Last year, our government issued 398 permanent monitoring bulletins, and 157 bulletins of preventive alert.

In contrast to the low activity of the Pacific, the hurricane activity in the Atlantic and the Caribbean was above average.

MYTH #2:

IN RAINY SEASON, IT RAINS ALL DAY,

EVERY DAY

Some folks think we never see the sun during "rainy season," mid-June to mid-October. Usually it rains every three or four days, with the humidity finally building up enough to create a soft rain shower in the late afternoon or evening, cooling everything off and washing the dust off the tropical foliage. 

After more than 6 months without rain, the forest seems to come alive overnight. Most tourists are unaware of the advantages of visiting Manzanillo in the summer, and miss the spectacular tropical rain forests, the deserted beaches and lower prices, but for those who live here year-round, it's a favorite time to enjoy Manzanillo to the fullest.

Because we share the same latitude as Hawaii, the state of Colima has some of the best weather in Mexico. From November through April the daily temperatures range from 75-82 degrees F, while nights cool off to a comfortable 65-75 degrees. 

In May, the climate starts to change--becoming more humid, and building up to the beginning of rainy season in June. All of us who live here welcome it!

After the first warm rain, which is celebrated among the locals, the hills turn from a drab brown to the vibrant green of summer. The streams  and dry creek beds begin to fill, and the rivers begin to flow once again.  Colima just got a new face!

To see these changes--the brilliant colors of the flowers, the harvesting of Manzanillo's many fruits and vegetables, the fresh, clean smell of the air, and the washing away of six months of dirt and dust--that's our splendiferous summer!

Yes it's more humid, but the moisture in the air makes your skin feel wonderful! Yes, it's a few degrees hotter, but that's why we have an 85 degree ocean, swimming pools and siestas during the hottest part of the day! 

Plan a trip up to the volcanoes, or visit the Grotto of San Gabriel, and cool off at the higher altitudes, or snorkel a coral reef for a few hours.  There are rivers, lakes, creeks and waterfalls in Colima. Manzanillo is a cool place to go in the summer!

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