Steamy jungle meets creamy sand beaches in La Manzanilla and Boca de Iguanas on the southern tip of Bay of Tenacatita, roughly 20 kilometers north of Melaque or 40 minutes north of Manzaniallo's international airport.
These two beaches along the Bay of Tenacatita are relatively unpopulated expans
es dotted with palm trees and palapas, providing the perfect spot for quiet relaxation, SNORKELING, CAMPING and meditation. La Manzanilla estuary is a refuge which is home to crocodiles. One main street runs parallel to the beach and loops around at the far end of town where several expansive homes rise above the bay. Local children and Mexican families frolick in the gentle surf in front of a handful of beachside restaurants serving fresh fish and seafood.
La Manzanilla is fast becoming an escape for North Americans seeking a laid back lifestyle and stunning surroundings; the expat community is growing more and more each day. [To read about a successful expat-community driven charity spaying/neutering clinic, CLICK HERE.]
Condos and high-end homes have sprung up to the south end of the bay in La Manzanilla as well as back in the jungle-covered cliffside. Other signs the town is blossoming? An Asian fusion restaurant, a thriving arts scene led by a brand new Art Gallery and center, yoga classes, and shopkeepers who slowly test their English skills.
Further on along the bay, the wide creamy sand at Boca de Iguanas provides plenty of opportunities for gathering shells and interesting rocks that are washed up by the gentle surf. The sand is fine and smooth, and the beach covered by many rocks worn smooth by the pounding surf. At the north end of the beach, explore the cave with an alter to the Virgin Mary.
A smattering of hotels and other low budget accommodations dot both beaches as fishermen work their trade in the frothy waters. Most visitors enjoy the surroundings from the comforts of their RVs campers and trailers with hookups right on the beach.
Explore the mangroves that knit the local lagoon, a body of water teeming with wildlife of the swimming and flying sort.
For more on bird watching in the Mexican Pacific, CLICK HERE
To read more about the dying mangrove ecology of the Costalegre, CLICK HERE
