Lots of towns in Mexico, as do lots of towns in the US, have the same or similar names.  But it’s important not to get them confused.   As, for example, you shouldn’t confuse Springfield, Illinois, with  Springfield, Missouri, or Springfield, Ohio, or Springfield, Massachusetts, or “The Simpsons” Springfield.  And you shouldn’t confuse Manzanillo, Colima, with La Manzanilla, Jalisco. 

During my vacation from my vacation, my friends Kathi, Warner, Jonnie, and I went to La Manzanilla, Jalisco.  And Kathi, Jonnie, and I promptly fell in love with the place.  [Warner is a bit more reticent about yelling out how much he loves a place, so I’m not entirely sure what his reaction to La Manzanilla was.] 

And what made La Manz so different from towns like Barra de Navidad and Melanque, also just a bit north of Manzanillo?  Well, primarily, it didn’t feel like a snowbird destination.  While Barra is packed with tourists and Melanque has a lot of both snowbirds and expats, we didn’t see that many in La Manzanilla.  Another tipoff was the low number of beachside vendors asking you to buy … or at least look at … their wares.  Mexican souvenir vendors, like vendors worldwide, are smart.  They go where the money and tourists are. 

Another big plus was the fact that the beach was comparatively deserted, even on the day we were there, part of a three day national holiday in Mexico for Constitution Day.  Check it out:

As you can see, there are quite a few boats on the beach, but you can also see that they are primarily fishing … i.e. working … boats. 

So that was the number one attraction for we three women … semideserted beaches, even on a holiday weekend.  But the other main attraction was some of the houses around the beach with nary a highrise in sight, except for this one:

And, even better, these two.  Kathi and Jonnie were infatuated with the one on the right.  I was enamored of the white one on the left, because we all know that I just don’t do stairs:

Then, thinking that La Manz couldn’t get any more appealing, we decided to stop by one of the bars on the beach, have a couple of cervezas each, and discuss what we had just seen.  And this is what we found:

Not just a beachside bar, but one with WiFi access …. and with “indoor” or “outdoor” service:

So is it any wonder that all four of us want to return for an extended stay … even if Warner did not squeal like a little girl with delight like we three supposedly grown women did? 

Of course, now that Jonnie and I have returned to our respective homes at Lake Chapala and have done some research on La Manzanilla, we find there’s a reason why there are not a lot of expats there.  The rental costs are high and the availability is low.  But, oh, to be there next winter, even if we have to throw up a tent on the beach!

P.S.  Thanks, Jonnie, for the pictures of La Manz since we were there during the time that my camera “disappeared” and before it miraculously reappeared.  And thanks to the Virgin of Guadalupe for making it reappear!  Hey, I live in Mexico…I gotta believe!