Colima is Mexico's second-smallest state, a compact Pacific coast territory dominated by the twin volcanic peaks of Volcán de Fuego and Nevado de Colima. It pairs the whitewashed Pueblo Mágico of Comala with the resort and cargo port city of Manzanillo, self-styled the Sailfish Capital of the World, plus black-sand beaches, lime orchards around Tecomán, and a low-key colonial capital in Colima City.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Colima.
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1
Rise of the Capacha culture
The Capacha culture settles the Colima valley, producing one of Mesoamerica's oldest documented ceramic traditions; Capacha-style vessels found in shaft tombs across the region are considered foundational to later western Mexican pottery styles.
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2
Shaft-tomb tradition and Colima dog figurines
Colima's shaft-tomb culture produces the region's best-known archaeological legacy: hollow reddish-brown ceramic figures, most famously depicting the xoloitzcuintle dog, interred as grave offerings in deep vertical shaft tombs.
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3
La Campana reaches its Classic-period peak
The settlement now preserved as the Zona Arqueológica La Campana grows into a major ceremonial and residential center in the Colima valley, with platform mounds, a ballcourt and a distinctive circular altar structure.
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4
El Chanal flourishes as a Postclassic center
El Chanal develops as an administrative and religious center in the final centuries before Spanish contact, notable for carved stone reliefs depicting calendrical glyphs and ballgame imagery.
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5
Founding of Villa de Colima
Spanish conquistador Gonzalo de Sandoval, under orders from Hernán Cortés, founds Villa de Colima, one of the first Spanish settlements established in western Mexico following the fall of Tenochtitlan.
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6
Colonial salt and coastal trade economy
Colima's colonial economy grows around salt production near Cuyutlán's coastal lagoons, cattle ranching in the interior valleys, and shipping traffic passing through the natural harbor at Manzanillo.
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7
Pirate raids along the Colima coast
English and Dutch privateers periodically raid the Pacific coastline near Manzanillo's bay, targeting colonial shipping and coastal settlements as part of the broader pattern of piracy affecting New Spain's Pacific trade routes.
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8
Mexican War of Independence reaches Colima
Colima's towns and haciendas are drawn into the broader conflict of the Mexican War of Independence, with the region shifting between royalist and insurgent control before Mexican independence is achieved in 1821.
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9
Colima recognized as a Mexican state
Under the Reform-era constitution, Colima is formally recognized as a free and sovereign state of Mexico, consolidating its own territorial administration separate from the neighboring state of Jalisco.
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10
Major earthquake damages Colima City
A severe earthquake strikes the region, heavily damaging Colima City's colonial-era churches and government buildings and prompting the first major wave of 20th-century reconstruction in the historic center.
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11
Second major earthquake reshapes the historic center
A second major earthquake further damages Colima City's already-weakened colonial architecture, including portions of the cathedral and surrounding Centro Histórico, leading to further rebuilding that gives the city center much of its present-day appearance.
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12
Development of Manzanillo as a major Pacific port
Manzanillo's natural harbor is developed into one of Mexico's principal commercial ports on the Pacific coast, expanding the state's economy beyond agriculture and reshaping the coastal town's growth through the second half of the 20th century.
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13
Comala designated a Pueblo Mágico
The federal Secretaría de Turismo designates Comala a Pueblo Mágico, recognizing the town's preserved whitewashed colonial architecture and cultural traditions and accelerating its development as a heritage tourism destination.
Historical eras
The chapters of Colima's past.
Capacha and Formative Pre-Hispanic Colima
Classic and Postclassic ceremonial centers
Spanish colonial period
Independence, Reform and statehood
20th-century earthquakes and modernization
Contemporary heritage and tourism era
Historical sites
Places where Colima's past comes alive.
Zona Arqueológica La Campana
Where: Colima City, northwestern edge
Admission: MXN 75 (~USD 4.45) covering the site and small on-site museum; free for INAH-recognized categories
El Chanal Archaeological Site
Where: Colima City, northern outskirts
Admission: MXN 60 (~USD 3.55)
Ex-Hacienda de Nogueras (Museo Universitario Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo)
Where: Comala Municipality
Admission: MXN 20 (~USD 1.20)
Hacienda de San Antonio
Where: Comala Municipality, foot of the Nevado de Colima
Admission: Varies by tour arrangement, roughly MXN 200-400 (~USD 11.80-23.60)
Ruinas del Ex-Convento de Almoloyan
Where: Almoloyan, near Comala
Admission: Free
Palacio de Gobierno de Colima
Where: Colima City, Jardín Libertad
Admission: Free
Catedral Basílica Menor de Colima
Where: Colima City, Jardín Libertad
Admission: Free; donations welcome
Museo de la Sal, Cuyutlán
Where: Cuyutlán
Admission: MXN 20 (~USD 1.20)
Comala Historic Center Portales
Where: Comala town center
Admission: Free
Antiguo Muelle (Historic Port) of Manzanillo
Where: Manzanillo, downtown waterfront
Admission: Free
Museums
Curated collections that tell Colima's story.
Museo Regional de Historia de Colima
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 9:00AM-6:00PM, closed Monday
Admission: MXN 65 (~USD 3.85)
Museo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10:00AM-2:00PM and 4:00PM-7:00PM; Sunday 10:00AM-1:00PM; closed Monday
Admission: MXN 20 (~USD 1.20)
Museo de la Sal, Cuyutlán
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10:00AM-5:00PM, closed Monday
Admission: MXN 20 (~USD 1.20)
Museo Universitario Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo, Ex-Hacienda de Nogueras
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10:00AM-5:00PM, closed Monday
Admission: MXN 20 (~USD 1.20)
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.
Colima City Colonial Centro Walking Tour
A self-guided walk through Colima City's Centro Histórico linking the sites most affected by the region's earthquake history and colonial development, starting at the Jardín Libertad and moving between the cathedral, government palace and regional history museum.
Pre-Hispanic Colima Day Trip
A half-day route connecting Colima's two most accessible archaeological zones, tracing the region's Classic-to-Postclassic settlement history from La Campana's ceremonial platforms to El Chanal's carved stone reliefs.
Comala Hacienda and Coffee Heritage Route
A route through Comala Municipality's colonial-era haciendas and mission-linked sites, tracing the area's agricultural and religious history from the ruined Almoloyan convent to the working coffee estate at Hacienda de San Antonio.