La Manzanilla on the Pacific Coast

La Manzanilla is a fishing community on Mexico’s Pacific coast, in the Costalegre tourist corridor. Fishing is the town’s traditional livelihood. The area’s character is shaped by the beach on Bahía de Tenacatita and Estero La Manzanilla, which borders the town. When planning your trip, you can choose what you’d like to focus on: should the beach shape your stay, or would you rather get to know the lagoon and its wildlife?

Beach and coastal paths

The beach at La Manzanilla in Bahía de Tenacatita is known for its calm waves and gentle slope. Water sports are possible at the beach at La Manzanilla in Bahía de Tenacatita, and fishing is also considered a suitable activity there. Kayaking is a recreational activity at the beach beside the estuary. Camping is also possible in the beach area near the lagoon. The beach experience therefore offers a range of options—from spending time by the water and activities on the water to staying overnight in a tent.

A coastal path connects La Manzanilla with Boca de Iguanas. If you’d like to include seaside walks in your trip, this gives you another specific option alongside the beach activities. The beach, coastal path, and lagoon appeal to different interests, so you don’t have to focus your stay on just one way of exploring.

Estuary, mangroves, and wildlife

Estero La Manzanilla covers 263.96 hectares and borders the town. It is a Ramsar site in the municipality of La Huerta, in the state of Jalisco; its listing is dated February 2, 2008. In the municipality of La Huerta, the mangrove area of Estero La Manzanilla covers 200.48 hectares; 55 waterbird species have been recorded in its lagoon.

Crocodiles also shape the way people perceive the town: the crocodile is considered a symbol of La Manzanilla and its main tourist attraction. In the municipality, the estuary is home to one of the three largest American crocodile populations on the coast of Jalisco. In La Manzanilla, crocodiles are observed from specially built viewing platforms. Local guides also lead trips to see caimans, birds—including fish-eating birds and herons—and other animals.

Nearby, the local organization CIPACTLI organizes panga boat trips through the mangroves of Estero La Manzanilla. These trips focus on observing birds and crocodiles, as well as the scenery. They complement viewing from the platforms with an exploration of the mangroves by boat.

Local cuisine and getting there

The traditional beach palapas in La Manzanilla offer a chance to try the region’s typical cuisine. Along with fishing, food is one of the town’s distinctive features, so your stay doesn’t have to be limited to the beach and wildlife viewing. If you’re looking for a vacation rental in La Manzanilla, you can decide whether to focus your trip mainly on the beach and water sports, the wildlife of the estuary, or a mix of these interests.

La Manzanilla can be reached via Federal Highway 200 between Tepic and Barra de Navidad. The town is 60 kilometers from the municipal seat. La Manzanilla is also about 60 minutes north of Manzanillo and three hours south of Puerto Vallarta. This location places the town on the Pacific coast; the beach, coastal path, and estuary shape the local options described here.

Discover other places

You can also discover Tamazula De Gordiano, Tesistan, Jocotepec, Sayula, Atotonilco, Municipio Zapotlanejo, Unión de Guadalupe, and Zapopan as other destinations.

For the broader travel overview: Jalisco.