36 / 66
Tourists may not be attracted to the poverty and industrial parks of Tepic, but
visitors do love Nayarit’s beach towns. Nayarit’s beaches lack the luxurious resorts
found along other areas of Mexico’s coast, but surfers, birdwatchers, and other
adventuresome tourists enjoy the quieter atmosphere to be found in communities
like San Blas.
Colima
If you leave Nayarit and once more cross Jalisco to the south, you will find
yourself entering Colima. This is one of the smallest of Mexico’s states, but this
little area has a variety of geographical features. The beaches along the Pacific
coast give way to farmland, while at the northeastern tip of the state, two
volcanoes tower over the neighboring villages—and one of them is still active!
The capital city of Colima was founded in 1523 by the Spanish, and in the
1800s the city became an important stop when President Porfirio Díaz
Mexican Facts and Figures
34
A bird’s-eye view of
Manzanillo, the main port
of Colima and one of the
state’s most important
cities.