Manzanillo, Mexico

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ad Zamora.

Manzanillo lies on a peninsula at the southern end of two curving bays, the Bahía de Santiago and Bahía de Manzanillo, surrounded by luxuriant jungle and by banana and coconut plantations. It is an important Pacific port, but has also developed into a popular holiday resort in recent years, thanks to its extensive beaches and the excellent deep-sea fishing.

History

Near the site of Manzanillo there stood in pre-Columbian times the settlement of Tzaiahua (Náhuatl, "where cloth is laid out to dry"), at one time capital of the Indian state of Coliman. It has been suggested that during this period the port was already engaged in trade with Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. In 1526 Cortés and his Spaniards reached Tzalahua, and soon afterwards founded a settlement here, Santiago de Buena Esperanza. From here they sailed along the coast as far as the Gulf of California. After 1560 the Spanish vessels which sailed to east Asia (e.g. for the conquest of the Philippines) were built and fitted out here. It is only within recent years, however, that the building of roads and railways and the establishment of air services have enabled Manzanillo to develop to its present size.