Mexico Vacation Activities

The beach in Melaque is a popular area for skimboarding and windsurfing enthusiasts, as the waves break close to shore and the water is warm. Set your sails, glide across the water, and experience the warm sea breeze that will carry you from one side of the beach to the other.

Just a short paddle away is Barra de Navidad, where a regular set of waves break close to shore, making for a great day of surfing. The entrance to the Navidad Lagoon has the best surfing around, providing surfers with plenty of big waves and long hours of surfing every day. Other surfing beaches in the area include El Ranchito, La Manzanilla, and Boca de Iguanas. Check the surfing reports every day to find out where the big waves are!

The villages of Melaque and Barra de Navidad have a long history with the sea, and fishing for red snapper, sailfish, and marlin is a popular local activity. You can choose to rent a boat and equipment from local Mexican guides or fishermen or charter a boat with an expert guide to help you land the big one.

Once you catch your trophy fish, have your picture taken with it as you come off the boat, then have one of the local restaurants prepare your catch for a bit of exquisite dining. If you are interested in tournament fishing, there are several international fishing tournaments held in the area, including one in Barra de Navidad in January and one in Manzanillo in November. Recently, one of our guests landed a monster marlin weighing in at over 440 pounds! Maybe you'll break the record on your visit!

Often on a fishing trip you will also get to see dolphins, whales, porpoises, and sea turtles.

Day tours of the colonial city of Colima offer vacationers the unique opportunity to visit one of Mexico's majestic active volcanoes and see the temples built to align with it. In the 11th century, Colima was known to the Aztecs as Cajitlán, meaning "where pottery is made."

Colima is an area of Mexico rich in archaeological sites and Spanish colonial structures and was an important waypoint for the Spaniards traveling from the coastal town of Melaque to the interior of Mexico.

Horseback riding is a popular sport, either on the beach or designated trails. El Palmar can set you up with great rides for beginners or experts, complete with a bilingual guide if you prefer. There are a variety of horseback tours of the Mexican countryside, mountains, ranch lands, and the beaches near Melaque and Barra de Navidad.

We suggest using Daniel Rodriguez here in Melaque (315 355 6316), or Jaime here in Villa Obregon. Be sure to head out in the early morning or early evening in order to avoid the midday heat.

The abundant and varied birdlife of Mexico is well represented in the tiny state of Colima, and surrounding areas of Jalisco. The remarkable diversity of habitats, from pristine Pacific beaches to cool mountain forests on the Volcanoes del Colima, offer some 400 species within a small area.

Some of the spectacular birds you may see while bird-watching are: Blue-winged Teal, Vermilion Flycatcher (pictured here), Colima Pygmy-Owl, Green Jay, Yellow Warbler, Blue Mockingbird, Green-winged Teal, Little Blue Heron, Merlin, Magnificent Hummingbird, Snow Goose, Brown Pelican, Acorn Woodpecker, Tropical Kingbird, Pacific-slope Flycatcher and so much more.

Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World -- This checklist includes all bird species found in Jalisco, Mexico - including rare, near-threatened and endemic species.

New free book and review -- Guide to the Birds of the Primavera Forest, by Oscar Reyna Bustos. This guide to birds of the Primavera Forest has 197 color pictures and is free. Primavera Forest is also known as Forest of the Spring (Bosque de la Primavera) and is located right outside Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco. Guadalajara, the colonial city is 280 kilometers northeast of Melaque, Mexico.