Colima Tourist Attractions

The hotel at Tampuchamay (turn off for Los Azmoles 12km/7.5mi south of Colima; after 5km/3mi take the Los Ortices road) has an open-air museum with numerous sculptures; at the burial sites themselves, bones and fragments of pottery can sometimes still be seen. Various species of bat and other coelenterates inhabit the Gruta de Tampuchamay.

Situated about 10km/6mi north of Colima, the attractive small town of Comalá is the centre of the local crafts industry (furniture, paintings and wrought ironwork). About 6km/4mi outside the town is the site of an unusual magnetic phenomenon. Take a taxi from the main square; the driver will turn off his engine and the vehicle will be drawn uphill as if by magic.

Volcanos Some 40km/25mi north of Colima, across the state boundary in Jalisco, tower the peaks of Nevado de Colima (4339 m (14,240 ft)) and Volcán de Colima (3838 m (12,596 ft)). The former, also called Zapotépetl ("mountain of the zapote tree"), is the seventh highest mountain in Mexico. The Volcán de Colima, known as the "Volcano of Fire" (Volcán de Fuego; crater 1800 m (5607 ft) in diameter and 250 m (820 ft) deep) erupted several times between 1957 and 1975 causing considerable damage. A very poor track off to the left a short distance before the little town of Atenquique (timber factory), leads to the volcano and also the Parque Nacional de Volcán de Fuego 27km/17mi further on. In its present condition the track is only negotiable, when at all, using a 4-wheel drive vehicle. A little way beyond Atenquique a poorish country road/field track likewise branches off left for 37km/23mi to the Parque Nacional de Nevado de Colima, to which another track beginning 2km/1.3mi before Ciudad Guzmán (leading to Albergue La Joya and the Canal 13 radio station) also gives access. Once again neither route should be attempted without a cross-country vehicle. These tracks are heavily used by timber transporters.