Barra from Isla de Navidad

I drove over to Colimilla for a garage sale at Pizza-Pizza but there was nothing of interest. Poor guys opened and closed 3 stores in little over a year. Anyway, I hadn't driven into the Hotel Grand Bay for a long time and decided to look around. There are some nice views of Barra and the lagoon as you approach the hotel but not much has changed except a fancy house or two up on the hill. Way over my budget with rooms starting at $250 a night and I have no plans to hob-nob with the stars.

Looking at Barra with a litle of Colimilla in the forground

Barra de Navidad and the jetty looking over the Hotel Grand Bay

Hotel Grand Bay entrance

Hotel Grand Bay Marina

Barra de Navidad Lagoon

These two views of the Barra Lagoon are from Isla de Navidad looking south towards it's head waters. Both Arroyo Seco and the Marabasco River feed into the lagoon. The lagoon is beautiful, a popular moorage but is polluted from mining runoff upstream from the Peña Colorada iron mine in Colima. There is local sewer control so swimming in the lagoon is not an issue - but I would not eat any seafood found there

The bottom foto looks at part of the Playa de Coco peninsula, an area that comes into conflict between the states of Jalisco and Colima because the Marabasco river is the border ... and it changes course between summer and winter. Often in the rainy season the river will enter the ocean near Manzanillo airport because of the large amount of water. During the dry season there is only seepage on the Colima side and the river heads for Barra.

Barra de Navidad lagoon looking south

Looking towards Playa de Coco from Isla Navidad

Barra de Navidad Malecon

Is it really as white-hot as it looks - well almost. It was a very warm day and this was just after I'd walked the beach from Melaque. This was first day using this camera and all my exposures were off. A little photo adjusting came up with this and I think it's pretty cool but different

Barra de Navidad, Costalegre, Jalisco, Mexico

Barra Lagoon to escape Melaque Malagua

This Sunday we headed for the west end of Melaque beach and immediately were told by people and even the restaurant the water was full of Malagua (mal agua or jellyfish). This term refers to any sized jellyfish but here they are small and you seldom see them, you just feel the stings. The kids were only in a few minutes and all had multiple small red sting marks.

Marcos showed up about the time we decided to go to the lagoon in Barra de Navidad. Evidently these little drifting creatures end up along the beach due to wind and wave action and don't make it into protected areas like the lagoon.

So we had to rent a table and pay for parking near the Barra swimming beach ... but it's great for the kids and even Mia (3 years) could flop around in the shallows. Bring your own beer and food ... and mangoes on a stick are only 5 pesos.

Barra de Navidad lagoon swimming beach

A drive behind Jaluco

This is the road to Tequesquitlan with the little town of Almolon along the way. Marcos had not been out in this direction so we were just going to go as far as the new highway under construction and look around. All farmland and even pretty this time of year with irrigation. The highway has not been worked on in this area for well over a year - as you can see.

We were surprised to see a large brick yard just beyond the highway and I attribute it's size to all the construction in the area. At least 8 groups were working on their own bricks and ovens. It's located in a river bed that must have some clay in the dirt used. All materials used are found there except the Cocos to fire the ovens

Road behind Jaluco

The new highway wasting away

The brick yard - building an oven ( horno )

Drying tiles before they are fired

Jaluco, Costalegre, Jalisco