Geography
Colima covers 5,627 km² and is divided into 10 municipalities, making it the fifth-smallest state by area after Mexico City, Tlaxcala, Morelos and Aguascalientes; with 731,391 residents it has the smallest population of any state in Mexico. The territory is a short ramp from the Pacific to the volcanoes. The coast runs about 157 km from the Jalisco border past Manzanillo and Cuyutlán to the mouth of the Río Coahuayana, which forms the boundary with Michoacán. Behind it lie coastal plains at sea level, then hills, and then the Colima volcanic complex: Volcán de Fuego, about 3,850 m, sits on the Jalisco border and is the most active volcano in the country, with the higher and extinct Nevado de Colima, 4,260 m, just beyond it inside Jalisco.
The capital sits at only about 500 m, roughly 30 km from the crater, which is why the volcano dominates the view from the city. The state has a hot, humid climate with a sharp rainy season from June to October and about 900 mm of rain a year on the coast; it is also on the most seismically active stretch of Mexican coast, where the Rivera and Cocos plates meet, and the 1995 and 2003 earthquakes both had epicentres offshore. Laguna de Cuyutlán, behind the beach south-east of Manzanillo, is one of the largest coastal lagoons in Mexico and has produced sea salt since before the conquest. Far offshore, the four Revillagigedo Islands — Socorro, San Benedicto, Clarión and Roca Partida — belong to the municipality of Manzanillo and were listed by UNESCO in 2016.
Main cities
Colima has no large city; the four biggest municipalities hold about 85% of the population between them. Manzanillo is the working centre of the state and the busiest container port in Mexico, moving on the order of 3.5 million TEU a year and handling much of the country’s trade with Asia. Tecomán, on the coastal plain to the south-east, is the main lime-growing district in Mexico, and Colima is consistently the country’s leading producer of the fruit. The capital and Villa de Álvarez run together as one urban area of about 300,000 people at the foot of the volcano. Comala, 10 km north of the capital, is a Pueblo Mágico of whitewashed arcades, and Cuyutlán on the coast is known for the Ola Verde, the green-tinted surf that appears in spring.
| Municipality | Population (2020) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Manzanillo | 191,031 | Busiest container port in Mexico |
| Colima | 158,142 | Capital, 500 m, below the volcano |
| Villa de Álvarez | 149,762 | Joined to the capital |
| Tecomán | 123,191 | Lime capital of Mexico |
| Cuauhtémoc | about 30,000 | Colima airport (CLQ) |
| Armería | 29,599 | Coastal plain, Cuyutlán lagoon |
| Coquimatlán | 21,271 | South-west of the capital |
| Comala | 21,244 | Pueblo Mágico, coffee estates |
| Minatitlán | about 8,000 | Iron ore in the northern hills |
| Ixtlahuacán | about 5,500 | Smallest municipality |
Neighbouring states
Colima has only two land neighbours. Jalisco surrounds it on the north and west, sharing the volcano and reaching the sea again north of Manzanillo at Barra de Navidad; Michoacán lies south-east across the Río Coahuayana. The Pacific forms the whole southern edge. The state belongs to Pacific Coast, the run of coast from Sinaloa to Chiapas, and its economy is tied northward to Guadalajara rather than to Michoacán: the rail line and toll road from the port both head for Guadalajara and the El Bajío factories beyond it.
Getting there
Playa de Oro International (ZLO) is 35 km north-west of Manzanillo near the Jalisco border and takes seasonal flights from Mexico City, Guadalajara and a small number of US and Canadian cities in winter. Colima airport (CLQ), at Cuauhtémoc about 20 km east of the capital, has flights to Mexico City and Tijuana.
MX-54D is the toll road down from Guadalajara through Ciudad Guzmán to Colima, 220 km and about 2 hours 30 minutes, continuing to Manzanillo for a total of about 310 km and 3 hours 30 minutes. MX-200 is the coastal highway, running north to Puerto Vallarta and south-east through Tecomán into Michoacán towards Lázaro Cárdenas. MX-110 heads inland from Colima towards Jiquilpan and the Michoacán lake country. Mexico City is about 700 km away by way of Guadalajara or Morelia, roughly 8 hours. See the road map, the volcanoes map and the beaches map.
Questions about Colima
Where is Colima on the map of Mexico?
On the Pacific coast of west-central Mexico, between Jalisco and Michoacán, about 700 km west of Mexico City. It is the least populous of the 32 states, with 731,391 people at the 2020 census.
How far is Manzanillo from Guadalajara?
About 310 km, roughly 3 hours 30 minutes on the MX-54D and MX-200 toll roads. Colima city is 220 km from Guadalajara, about 2 hours 30 minutes, and 100 km from Manzanillo.
Is the Volcán de Colima still active?
Yes. Volcán de Fuego, on the Jalisco border, is the most active volcano in Mexico, with major eruptions in 1913, 2005 and 2015. CENAPRED monitors it continuously and access to the upper slopes is restricted.
Do the Revillagigedo Islands belong to Colima?
Yes. Socorro, San Benedicto, Clarión and Roca Partida are administered by the municipality of Manzanillo. The group lies about 700 km out in the Pacific and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2016.