Antiguo Muelle (Historic Port) of Manzanillo

The Antiguo Muelle marks the site of Manzanillo's original wooden pier, which served as the town's principal maritime gateway from the late 19th century until the port's modernization in the 20th century transferred large-scale shipping operations to a purpose-built container terminal further along the bay. Manzanillo's harbor was designated a port of entry in the 1820s, and the historic pier area on the downtown waterfront grew into the commercial heart of the town, handling passenger traffic and regional cargo including salt, coffee, and later minerals from the state's interior. The surrounding Zona Centro waterfront retains buildings from this port-town era, including warehouses and merchant houses that once served the pier's shipping trade, though many have been repurposed for restaurants and shops along the modern malecón. The old pier structure itself no longer survives in its original form, but the waterfront promenade preserves the orientation and public character of the historic port area, with plaques and monuments, including the well-known sailfish statue on the malecón, commemorating Manzanillo's identity as a fishing and shipping town. The area's layout reflects the linear waterfront-and-plaza pattern typical of Mexican Pacific port towns established in the 19th century, connecting the harbor directly to the town's central commercial streets.