7 Best Sights in Manzanillo, Mexico

At the beginning of the harbor, Carretera 200 jogs around downtown and intersects with Carretera 110. Avenida Morelos leads past the shipyards and into town. The zócalo, known as Jardín de Alvaro Obregón, is right on the main road by the waterfront. It's sunstruck and shadeless during the day but can be quite lively in the cool of the evening. A collection of restaurants and bars whip up quick meals and stiff drinks. Streets leading away from the plaza have ice cream and shops selling souvenirs.

On the west side of the Península de Santiago, between two rock outcroppings, Playa la Audiencia is small but inviting, with calm water (though be on the lookout for riptides and a steep drop-off) and shade umbrellas for hotel guests—the Tesoro Manzanillo sits here—and those who order drinks or snacks. Pacifico Water Sports rents Boogie boards, kayaks, and Jet Skis, and has equipment for waterskiing, snorkeling, and diving. Although many of Manzanillo's waters do not have good visibility, this is a good spot for snorkeling, and with its shallow depth and slow current it has several good dive spots as well. The cove got its name when indigenous people granted Spanish conquistadors an audience here. It can get extremely crowded on weekends and holidays. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming; walking.

A little corner of serenity at the far west end of Bahía de Santiago, this beach has basic and inexpensive amenities. Sit in the shade of a palm-frond palapa and order seafood or iced coconuts from the informal restaurants. You can rent water toys from vendors on the sand. The calm, waveless water is Manzanillo's safest for kids, perfect for swimming and snorkeling, and an offshore wreck is a good spot for diving. The beach in front of Club Santiago, once the favored hangout for locals, is now accessible only by walking north along the sands from the highway or through the club gates. There's no fee to enter; just stop and let the guard write down your car's license number if you're driving. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; sunrise; swimming; walking.

Long, wide, and often empty, this is a wonderful place to stroll. Swimming is more problematic: although the waves are not generally big, they tend to crash right on the beach. At the south end are most of the modest hotels that make up Manzanillo's Zona Hotelera. An artificial rock jetty divides Playa las Brisas from the boat harbor and creates a place to snorkel, although the water tends to be murky this close to the harbor and the waves that surge against the rocks can surprise. Although this is basically one 6-km-long (4-mile-long) stretch of brown sand, it technically becomes Playa Azul and then Playa Salahua at the bay's west end, just before the Barceló Karmina Palace. Amenities: food and drink; parking. Best for: solitude; sunset; walking.

This secluded, nearly private man-made beach is just a tiny crescent of sand on the opposite side of Península de Santiago from the Playa la Audiencia. Framed at both ends by rocks, it's a good snorkeling spot. Expensive restaurants at both Las Hadas and the nearby Barceló Karmina Palace serve drinks, snacks, and full meals. Although located on Playa la Audiencia, Pacifico Water Sports rents Jet Skis and kayaks here as well; it also arranges dive and snorkel trips. Nonguests of the hotels pay MX$375 per person for use of their pools and facilities; this fee is credited toward consumption of food or drink at the snack bar or restaurants, which makes it slightly more palatable. You can see the beach from the top of the cobblestone road that leads to the resort's main entrance; take a look to make sure it's your idea of paradise before shelling out the fee. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; sunrise; swimming; walking.

Local families like to enjoy their weekends at Miramar, a long, brown arc of sand that means "Look at the Sea." They camp out for the day in front of beachfront palapa restaurants and rent shade umbrellas and lounge chairs. There are water-sports outfitters and horses for hire, though such concessions are scarce midweek in the off-season. Vendors sell jewelry and beachwear from stalls. Although the waves are a little stronger than at Playa la Boquita, this is still a good spot for swimming. The beach fronts the Laguna Miramar, a small park with a variety of local birds. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; sunrise; swimming; walking.

Some locals call this beach Playa de Oro, but its alternative name means "high waves," and they do pack a punch here. That's what draws the surfers and Boogie boarders to this comparatively empty stretch between the hotel zone in Playa Santiago and the popular Playa Miramar. They don't mind the lack of services available at more popular stretches of sand elsewhere in the area. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; surfing; walking.