by Renee Huang
 |
| View
of Karmina Palace, from
Puerto Las Hadas.
Photo
courtesy Mexican Pacific
Marketing |
The
fishing line had been in the water
for an hour when it gave a jerk and
the reel started whirring.
We
were aboard a tiny 30-foot sailboat
on a pleasure cruise to admire
Manzanillo's undulating coastline.
Already,
we had come upon a pod of dolphins
just offshore in the deep blue
Pacific as they cruised around
hunting fish. A few approached and
swam alongside the hull for a moment
before turning abruptly and moving
off. For us, fishing was an
afterthought. But the rapidly
spinning reel instantly called our
attention. The guys leaped into
action and fought to reel the
thrashing fish toward us. As it
neared our boat, struggling fiercely
and whipping its tail out of the
water, we were excited to see we had
snared a dorado, one of the tastiest
fish in the sea.
 |
|
The
colorful Dorado.
Photo
by Renee Huang.
|
Dorado
can weigh more than 50 pounds and
are stunning to see. This one was
about three feet long, with an
iridescent yellow head and tail and
a bright blue and lime green body.
The closer the dorado got, the more
fiercely it battled until at the
last second it gave one final leap.
The hook snagged on the boat,
dislodged and the dorado slipped
away like a mirage to the groans of
disappointment from everyone on the
boat.
Such
pure encounters with nature are
common along this stretch of
Mexico's Pacific Coast. Despite
weathering a 7.8 earthquake in late
January, Manzanillo's tourist zone
reported no major damage. The wide
sand beaches and hotels in the
curved bays of Manzanillo -- located
between Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco
-- remain a gateway for adventurous
folk looking for untamed beauty and
a plethora of activities.
In
contrast to more developed resort
playgrounds, the pueblitos
north of Manzanillo port are
pleasantly laid back and quaintly
small-townish and offer a wide
selection of accommodations, from
humble hotels to luxury resorts.
Due
to the region's diverse topography
and subtropical climate, vegetation
ranges from an arid, cactus-strewn
landscape during the dry months to
lush, green jungles during the rainy
season, which runs from June to
October. Nowhere else in Mexico does
such a concentrated area shift from
desert to mountains, beaches to
jungles, and volcanoes to wetlands.
Our
encounter with the dorado was
nothing new in these parts. For
years Manzanillo has hosted an
annual deep-sea fishing tournament
in November. But that's not all the
area has to offer.
Snorkeling in the clear water
reveals an abundance of marine life
including clown fish, puffers of all
sizes, moray eels, octopus,
starfish, damsel fish and enormous
manta rays. Giant sea turtles come
ashore in the fall to lay eggs,
which are often eaten by gulls or
poached for sale in markets. At
Cuyutlán Turtle Aquarium, guests
learn about preservation efforts and
help return newborns to the ocean.
Turtles
are not Manzanillo's only recurrent
visitors. We were on another fishing
expedition, fingers crossed for a
close encounter with a marlin or
sailfish, when our captain excitedly
pointed out to sea, shouting,
"Look! Whales!"
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|
Whales
near Manzanillo.
Photo courtesy Mexican
Pacific Marketing
|
No
more than 20 yards from our boat, we
saw a plume of cascading water and
the distinct popping sound of a blow
hole releasing. The glistening backs
of two enormous California gray
whales, fresh from their annual
journey down the Pacific Coast,
broke the water. They disappeared in
a shallow dive and resurfaced 100
yards away, backs rising again
before submerging completely, one
flipping us a wide tail in a
farewell gesture.
Each
winter, California gray whales
travel 5,000 miles, the longest
migration route of any mammal, from
Alaska to Mexico's Pacific where
their calves are born. Here, the
mothers teach their young to dive
and to feed in the warm water. The
calves grow protective layers of
blubber for their return migration
to Arctic waters which begins in
late January.
The
best time to see the marine giants,
which can measure 45 feet long, is
in February and March, when they are
just off shore. Lucky boaters often
spot them breaching with thunderous
splashes or poking their heads out
of the water and turning slowly
around to take a look, called
"spy hopping."
Manzanillo
offers a variety of other outdoor
adventures. On any given day, you
can traipse from ocean to off-road,
snorkeling, peeking at birds in
lagoons or hitting the paths that
wind through the foothills of the
Sierra Madre mountains. We visited a
100-foot cascade called El Salto,
and floated downstream into an
enchanting grotto with rocky ledges
to leap off and a smaller waterfall
perfect for frolicking under.
We
also spent an afternoon on a kayak
tour of the Centinela, a fresh-water
lagoon near Manzanillo's
international airport amid creaking
coconut groves and lush banana
plantations reminiscent of the South
Pacific. Our guide was Polo Ramirez,
a local restaurateur who also runs
biking and kayaking tours. As waves
crashed on the beach on the other
side of the sand spit, we paddled in
the lily-pad-covered lagoon under
the watchful eye of pelicans, who
sat motionless in the trees.
On
another cloudless day, Polo took us
and some mountain bikes to the dusty
trails in Jalipa, a tiny town 15
minutes inland from Manzanillo. It
took a few minutes to grow
accustomed to the trails, which were
covered with rocks and potholes.
Once I did, I was able to notice the
amazing scenery: towering palms
wrapped in vines, gorgeous tropical
flowers, multicolored butterflies
floating on the breeze. We were in
the heart of Mexico's coastal
jungle.
The
terrain was pleasantly challenging,
covering several manageable hills.
We also discovered the joy of
splashing through a couple of
shallow streams.
At
one point, Polo stopped to pick up a
wild, red-footed tarantula the size
of his palm, much to the horror of
several in our group.
"I
like tarantulas. I'm not scared of
them. They're my friends," he
said, placing it on his bike helmet
before letting it scurry into the
foliage.
We
breathed a sigh of relief. That was
one new friend we were happy not to
make.
| IF
YOU GO... |
|
ECOTOURS
AND ADVENTURE
- Mountain
biking, birdwatching and
kayaking tours are run
by Polo Ramirez Rentaria
(who owns El Fogon steak
house on the main
boulevard). Prices start
at $50 per person for
transportation,
equipment and snacks.
Call (011) (52) (314)
334-1166 or (011) (52)
(314) 333-1953 and ask
for Polo or Beinardo.
- Snorkeling,
scuba diving, fishing
tours, whale watching
can be arranged through
Hector Jimenez, who has
a watersports hut on the
Las Hadas beach.
Prices range from $40
for snorkeling and $150
for a boat tour for the
entire family to $350
for a deep sea fishing
tour. Call his cell
phone at (011) (52)
(314) 335 743 87 or
(011) (52) (314)
333-1848 to book a tour.
WEB
SITE
www.gomanzanillo.com
|
