Tiny Hopland contains a number of tasting rooms which deliver down to earth experiences for visitors - focusing on wines from Mendocino County. Although there are many wineries in Mendocino County including a number of tasting rooms in Hopland, this area does not have the recognition that perhaps Napa and Sonoma County have obtained over the decades. For the consumer, that is not a bad thing. Mendocino County is producing some stellar wines (the … [Read more...]
Manzanillo, Mexico
This is the second of 4 articles that originally appeared on Dave's Travel Corner about select locations in Mexico. The first one was about Oaxaca City, and the 3rd and 4th articles include Colima City and Guadalajara. A 5th article about Xcalak on the Yucatan Peninsula is also available. The beautiful town of Manzanillo is located in the state of Colima, Mexico. For reference, Manzanilla is located about 4.5 hours south of Puerto Vallarta. … [Read more...]
Manzanillo, Mexico – Weather
We visited Manzanillo in December. We were treated to very warm conditions - uncomfortable with long pants and long sleeves during the day but ideal for those wearing shorts, t-shirts and flip flops. The days were partly cloudy, warm, and very humid. Manzanillo temperatures during the daytime hovered in upper 80's Fahrenheit. One word of caution is that it is very easy to get sun burnt even if one is not exposed to the sun for very long. As a … [Read more...]
Manzanillo, Mexico – Beaches
Playa San Pedrito is the closest beach to the central part of the city. It is about 1km from the zocalo. However, it is not the cleanest beach due to its proximity to the port. Playa Las Brisas is slightly further from the city; it is used by guests at several resorts but is also open to the general public. Playa Azul is a long beach that curves around the Bahia de Manzanillo Bay. Our favorite beaches in the region are on the … [Read more...]
Manzanillo, Mexico – Las Hadas
Words cannot begin to describe the beauty of Las Hadas Resort. It is listed as one of the top 400 resorts in the world. Almost every amenity that that one can think of can be found on site. It attracts a wealthy set of of well-heeled travelers from all over the world. Besides the main hotel the resort features numerous white washed Arabian looking buildings nestled into the sides of a steep hill. Las Hadas is located on the Santiago Peninsula … [Read more...]
Manzanillo, Mexico – Cuyutlan & Paraiso
Cuyutlan & Paraiso are located 30 miles southeast of Manzanillo. Not built up, a number of smaller fishing villages are located in the region along with several fine seafood restaurants. I like this area compared to the city of Manzanillo because this is rural Mexico and is well-removed from the beaten path of many tourists. It is a popular spot for vacationing Mexican families, many of whom are from Guadalajara. Cuyutlan like several of the … [Read more...]
Manzanillo, Mexico – Restaurants
Most of the fancier restaurants are located on or quite close to beaches. There is also a good selection of restaurants in or near the center of town surrounding the primary zocalo (public square). Most of the good restaurants will serve bottled water instead of tap water. However, I recommend asking if they serve bottled water at all restaurants you eat at. Or simply drink beer. Restaurant Bar Roca del Mar is located on the east side of … [Read more...]
Manzanillo, Mexico – Hotels
There are many hotels in Manzanillo. Most of the hotels listed below are located very close, if not actually on the beach. All hotels listed below are in the (333) code unless otherwise specified. Lastly, the prices tend to be generally higher during the busy season - from December to April. Dave is always looking for hotel recommendations in Manzanillo across a diversity of budgets - if you have any comments regarding the hotels listed below … [Read more...]
Manzanillo, Mexico – More Info
Numerous excellent travel books have been written about Mexico and Manzanillo in particular. The Lonely Planet Mexico travel book is the authority on Mexican travel in general. This book should be available at any major book or travel book store and online. It sells for about $20. A tourist office is located on Boulevard Miguel de la Madrid. This is the offical tourist office for the state of Colima and they have lots of information for not … [Read more...]
Oaxaca, Mexico
We first visited the city of Oaxaca in December, during the dry season so some of our mentions in this article may be seasonally related. For example, some of the fruits we saw in the markets are only ripe during that time of year, and some of the festivals we experienced certainly only occur during December. Oaxaca (elevation 5,084 feet, population 265,000) is located in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. The Oaxaca airport offers … [Read more...]