Kevin K Posted December 1, 2009 Report Share Posted December 1, 2009 Would appreciate recommendations for a place to get in a quick beach trip before the Christmas crowds descend. Have spent time in PV and the villages north but thought of heading down via Colima and Manzanillo for a change. I see La Manzanilla is very popular with folks at Lakeside but places I've looked at online are very expensive ($70-100 U.S.). We prefer simple but clean places - don't need or want to pay for luxury - with decent swimming (beach or pool) and good local food. Any recommendations appreciated. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gringal Posted December 1, 2009 Report Share Posted December 1, 2009 Would appreciate recommendations for a place to get in a quick beach trip before the Christmas crowds descend. Have spent time in PV and the villages north but thought of heading down via Colima and Manzanillo for a change. I see La Manzanilla is very popular with folks at Lakeside but places I've looked at online are very expensive ($70-100 U.S.). We prefer simple but clean places - don't need or want to pay for luxury - with decent swimming (beach or pool) and good local food. Any recommendations appreciated. Kevin Manzanillo: La Posada. Ads in Guad Reporter weekly.314 333 1899 $58 right now, goes up a bit Dec.15th. Discounts for us locals living in Mexico. Plusses: Right on the beach. Clean. Nice folks. Free breakfast. Small pool. Nice lounge area and palapas. WiFi in lounge. Minuses: Picture a 60's motel. No phones, no TV, pretty funky. My opinion: We always have a good time there, regardless, and the price is right. Besides, if you stay there, you can afford a fine dinner at Toscana, on the main drag. Also beachfront. Lunch: also on beachfront: Dona Concha...big yellow building. Delicious shrimp quesadillas for 20 pesos. Likewise, tacos and other stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doolittle Posted December 1, 2009 Report Share Posted December 1, 2009 La Manzanilla is not close to Manzanillo. We like Manzanillo and stay at the Posada, about $50US. They always have an ad in the Guadalajara Reporter. If you're a resident you even get a discount. www.gomanzanillo.com/hotels/posada/ Lots of good restaurants in Manzanillo and the prices are comparable to Lakeside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ga356 Posted December 1, 2009 Report Share Posted December 1, 2009 Not being much of a city guy, I prefer the smaller towns north of Manzanillo on the Costalegre, such as Barra de Navidad and Melaque. Different strokes. Anyway, if such places are more to your liking, you might try The Sands in Barra. Barra is kind of touristy, but it's fun with some good watering holes and restaurants. It's located on a narrow penninsula with The Sands located on the lagoon side of it and only a couple of blocks from the beach on the ocean side. Rooms are inexpensive - in the $350 peso range the last time I was there - not terribly fancy but clean, and they have a very nice pool with a poolside lounge (two for one in the afternoons), breakfast included in the room rate, close to everything that's going on. There are also some nice and reasonably priced places to stay right on the beach in Melaque, which is quieter and only about a mile to the north of Barra. La Manzanilla and Tenecatita are a several miles farther north of there, both nice towns but not a lot going on when I spent a day there last year in January. GA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted December 1, 2009 Report Share Posted December 1, 2009 We just returned from a four-nighter, spending two nights in Melaque and two in Manzanillo. (We had a free condo in Manzanillo.) Previously, we've stayed at La Posada in Manzanillo and enjoyed it. But the big question is whether or not you want to be in Manzanillo or a smaller town. We stayed at Hotel Puesta del Sol in Melaque. Spotless clean room. A/C if you need it (we didn't). View of the ocean. Even had a small outdoor terrace with a mini-fridge and a sink area. Nice, friendly staff. Some on-site parking. $550 pesos. (google for a website). Does not include breakfast but it's right on the beach and an easy walk to tons of places to eat. We even walked to Barra one morning for breakfast, about a 45 minute walk along the beach. There are lots of lodging choices in Melaque.....we looked at one other before choosing PdS. The beach in front of this spot is quite calm and good for swimming, or was while we were there. There are plenty of cheaper places to stay in Melaque as well. The place next door (Monterrey) had a big sign out that said "170 pesos". Their pool, which we could see from our room, was green. I don't think it was the tile color. We had previously been to Barra and, as described, it's a little more polished and cutesy than Melaque, but still pleasant. We also drove up to La Manzanilla to have a look, and it's a nice spot on that beach. Very calm water, beautiful long bay. A bit more remote with a little less going on, perhaps. If this is the first time down there, I'd probably do a Melaque/Barra combo.....and during that time drive up to La Manzanilla at some point and have a look, as well. It's only about 40 minutes further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry Posted December 1, 2009 Report Share Posted December 1, 2009 Hey Kev, just tossing in my two cents worth. It is not the area that you asked for, but in Rincon de Guayabitos about 40 miles north of PV if you have not been there. This is an all inclusve resort, very small, bar open 12 hours a day and the food sucks, except for breakfast. Get an oceanfront room. Spartan, but clean. Private patio and within 200 hundred feet from the ocean and a wonderful beach. Check it out at www.costaalegresuites.com Ask for Wendy or George when you call. This is a very Mexican resort. I have been there twice and it is wonderful. Please do not share this with any other foreigners. Less than 50 dollars a night per person at current rates. We checked out the buffet each day and decided whether to eat or walk. We walked a lot. Many restaurants with good food at half of Ajjic prices. Any more info, please pm. Just got back from a week there on Friday, my second visit. Shh. Please do not let any foreigners know about this. They will just raise their prices. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin K Posted December 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2009 Thanks everyone for the helpful suggestions! I think we'll follow Travis' recommendations and spend a couple of nights in Melaque and explore Barra and La Manzanilla from there. Really appreciate the advice. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ga356 Posted December 2, 2009 Report Share Posted December 2, 2009 If your stay in Melaque/Barra may include some ocean fishing, which, depending on such things as the weather and the phase of the moon (I'm not kidding) can be excellent out of Barra, send me a PM and I'll give you the phone no. of the best fishing guide (IMO) in the area. GA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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