The city of Manzanillo is home to the largest Mexican seaport on the Pacific Coast. Farther northwest, at the end of Bahía de Manzanillo, rises the Península de Santiago, a majestic natural seaside wonderland of rock and battered trees that juts up sharply from the deep azure-blue sea and is dotted with luxurious homes of the wealthy. The centerpiece of Mexico's jungle-clad coastline, the city is set between two magnificent bays — Manzanillo and Santiago — and was named after a tree used for shipbuilding. Tropical fruit plantations filled with coconut, mango, and avocado trees, and lush jungle line its beaches, dotted with coves. Two towns, Salagua and Santiago, plus the city of Manzanillo stand on the shores.

What really put Manzanillo on the map was the filming of the movie 10, starring Bo Derek and Dudley Moore in the 1980s. Shot on the grounds of Las Hadas (The Fairies), an Arabian-Nights-style resort built by Bolivian tin magnate Antonio Patiño, and on the beaches of Manzanillo, the film brought many others to these shores seeking romance.

Best Time to Go

The weather is always excellent. Manzanillo is on the same latitude as Hawaii, with January, February, and March the months of lowest humidity. However, summer months can be sweltering, though tempered by ocean breezes. Temperatures average 78 to 84ºF.

Cuisine

The waters off Manzanillo offer a delicious array of fresh seafood. So it's no wonder that you could eat some type of it for every meal if you wanted. Most of the time, you'll see seafood grilled over charcoal, but cooks also prepare it sarandeado style (flame-roasted), in shellfish soup, by marinating sailfish or dorado in lime juice for cevi-che, or raw in the case of clams and oysters. If you like seafood, you can get your fill of it here.

Cautions and Safety Concerns

The beaches along the shore of Bahía de Manzanillo are steep, creating a strong undertow. It's safer to swim at Playa de Miramar, along Bahía de Santiago.