Tecomán
Tecomán is a city of 116,000 people (2020) near the coast in Colima.
It is situated a rich agricultural industries region and is known as the "lime capital of the world". Due to its soaring homicide rate, Tecomán became the deadliest municipality in Mexico in 2016.
Understand
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Tecomán is a fairly large city by Mexico standards, but it also has many characteristics of a traditional Mexican small ranching town. Agriculture is predominant in the region. Spanish is the language of choice but there are many English-speaking ex-patriates living in Tecomán and many city residents who speak English.
Get in
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By car
[edit]The Federal Highway 54 begins its journey in Ciudad Mier, Tamaulipas and ends in the West of Mexico in the city of Tecoman to be precise. It connects the Tecomán Valley with the Northeast of the country.
The Federal Highway 200 begins in the city of Tapachula, Chiapas, and ends in the city of Tepic, Nayarit. The coastal highway connects the city of Tecomán with the state capital, Colima, and with the main tourist developments of the Mexican Pacific.
Tecomán is about 250 km from the city of Guadalajara, and 800 km from Mexico City.
By bus
[edit]In Colima's state capital, there are two bus stations which have direct service to Tecoman. It's all downhill toward Tecomán, coming out of the mountains in which Colima is situated and it takes about one to two hours to arrive at the Tecomán central bus station. Buses run throughout the day, pretty much constantly and there's also some night service.
Traveling by bus from the Manzanillo central bus station to Tecoman doesn't take much longer than from Colima city. The road from Manzanillo to Tecomán will pass by the Manzanillo power plant and buses will sometimes make a quick stop in Armeria which is a small town near the city of Tecomán.
- 1 Central de Autobuses Tecoman, Calle Progreso 725. Dated bus terminal with small waiting area. Several bus companies have buses that depart here for many destinations in the region. The area feels a bit sketchy, so avoid walking around the neighborhood late at night.
Airports
[edit]The Miguel de la Madrid National Airport CLQ IATA is 70 km away along the Colima-Tecomán Highway. The companies Volaris and Aeromexico operate here.
The International Airport "Playa de Oro" (Manzanillo Airport) (ZLO IATA, 86 km from Tecomán by the Autopista Tecomán-Manzanillo/International Airport "Playa de Oro" . The following companies operate from this airport: Volaris, AeroMexico, WestJet Airlines, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Transat, Virgin America.
Get around
[edit]Taxis are very reasonably priced and you can jot around town easily by foot or by taxi. Write down the main dispatching station phone number because it can be sometimes hard to flag a taxi from the more remote areas of the city. Flagging a taxi near the center of town is pretty easy, except during special events, holidays or late at night. There are also collectives and local buses which make getting over to the outskirts or the suburbs, called colonias in Spanish, quite inexpensive. But taking a local bus to somewhere nearby will often take a lot longer than a collective, a taxi or sometimes by simply walking. The center of town has roads that go out in all directions and getting around by car is also pretty easy. Getting around by bicycle can be more difficult because of the many cobblestone roads and vehicle traffic.
The urban transport of Tecomán is managed through the Urban and Suburban Transport Service of Tecomán (SUSTUS). The characteristic buses connect the different neighborhoods and neighborhoods of the city.
See
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- Glorieta de El Limonero (Tree of Life): The column represents the strength and vigor of the municipality that is born from the earth and becomes the economic support of the State. The sculpture is adorned by 10 lemons, which represent the municipalities of the State of Colima. It has a height of 33 meters and a weight of 110 tons.
- Glorieta de Los Tlalchichis: At the junction that converges the north bypass Fernando Moreno Peña and south bypass Rubén Tello González, is the Los Tlalchichis roundabout, popularly called "Perritos Colimotes", it was a pre-Hispanic breed of dogs from the state of Colima. The monumental work was made by the Jalisco master-craftsman Guillermo Ríos Alcalá, the work is part of the pre-Hispanic identity of the state that was discovered in a shaft tomb and that belongs to the "Comala phase" of the year 300 BC. The sculpture represents the transition of power; the transmission of knowledge from the big dog to his puppy.
Do
[edit]Beaches & recreational areas
[edit]- Playa El Real. 10 km south of Tecomán. Open sea, good surfing.
- Playa Boca de Pascuales. 12 km from Tecomán. Surfing beach for the experienced. Enramadas serving fresh seafood.
- Playa de Tecuanillo. Narrow, fine-sanded, not-too-steep beach
- Laguna de Amela. Deep lagoon surrounded by lush vegetation.
- Laguna de Alcuzahue. Lagoon 8 km from Tecomán. Visit the Crocodile reserve.
- Playa Paraiso. Open sea, Ramadas serving delicious freshly cooked food with coconut drinks. Usually a calm beach except during rainy season.
- Boca De Apiza.
Festivals
[edit]- The Feria Nacional del Limón (FENALI) is a tradition. It takes place during the month of January and the first days of February. Artisanal, commercial and industrial and livestock exhibitions are added to the fair, where you can also witness cockfights and presentations by a variety of artists at the Centro de Espectáculos del Palenque Joan Sebastian.
- Festival Internacional Puesta del Sol (sunset festival) It takes place during the Easter holiday period, with the Malecón as the main stage. The festival is accompanied by artistic and cultural events of national and international stature.
Buy
[edit]- 1 Mercado Cuahtemoc, Ramón de La Vega 10, Centro, ☏ +52 313 138 5196. Daily 07:00 - 20:00. The city's traditional marketplace. Fresh farm produce, meats, and a variety of stalls selling the town's most flavorful and authentic regional cuisine.Great place for a fast and cheap breakfast or lunch.
Eat
[edit]Tecomán is the second most visited town in Colima, due to its proximity to the Port of Manzanillo, they place it as an alternative destination to taste the excellent sea cuisine offered by the traditional "ramadas", along the Tecomense coast.
The ceviche made with sailfish meat and served on tortillas toasted on a comal or fried is typical . Mexican-type snacks, red chilaquiles, such as sopes, tamales, ash tamales, tatemado, pozole and birria, are typical of the region.
In the Pacific coast region, typical dishes are prepared with fish and shellfish, such as shrimp a la diabla, prawns with garlic sauce or with chile de arbol, grilled crayfish and a wide variety of stews prepared with fish and shellfish, such as tuna, sailfish, dorado, and octopus.
- 1 Mariscos Ho...mero, Manuel Acuña 985, Residencial del Valle, Unión Sur, ☏ +52 313 325 3344. Daily 09:00 - 18:30. Popular seafood restaurant that takes their beach motif seriously, right down to having sand around the tables! Lots of unusual and very tasty dishes. Locals recommend the huachinango (snapper) as well as the caldo de pescado con camarones. M$200 (Feb 2024).
- 2 Mariscos Campo Mar, Torres Ortiz Sur 500, Benito Juárez, ☏ +52 313 962 6594. Daily 10:00 - 18:30. Popular seafood restaurant with a casual, colorful dining room and flavorful dishes. Locals recommend zarandeado pulpo (octopus) in season and the molcajete de mariscos. Large drinks.
- 3 Sopes y Café Carmelita, Ramon de la Vega 10, Centro, ☏ +52 313 324 2131. Daily 07:00 - 13:00. Super casual eatery that specializes in sopes (a handheld entree that could be more satisfyig than the ubiquitous taco). M$100.
- 4 El Osito Polar (La Polar), Calle Prol. 2 de Abril 151, Centro, ☏ +52 313 324 2583. Daily 08:00 - 23:00. Clean, casual restaurant with a wide variety of dishes. The chilaquiles are recommended for breakfast along with hot, freshly brewed coffee. Stick to the Mexican and regional dishes for the best quality. They have some dishes that cater to the gringo crowd, but they're a bit of a disappointment. Smoothies available.
Drink
[edit]The production of punches stands out , especially the one made with pomegranate. Some spirits and tequilas of respectable quality are also produced.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Hotel Gina, Calle Francisco Javier Mina 460, Centro, ☏ +52 313 324 1142. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Basic rooms with cold AC. Location close to centro is easily walkable. Swimming pool. M$600.
- 2 Real Hotel, Av. Insurgentes S/N, ☏ +52 313 324 0100. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Attractive hotel with rooms set around a courtyard with a large swimming pool. On-site restaurant serves a tasty breakfast (extra charge). Rooms could use a bit of remodel.
Connect
[edit]As of 2023, 5G service is limited to a small area near the Centro, though 4G service is good throughout town and nearby areas and on major highways. Service often drops to 3G as you get into more rural nearby areas.