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

Colimilla by Water Taxi

We were going to go over to the Grand Bay Hotel to look at kayaks but the water taxi guys tried everything to dissuade us. Too expensive and there might be a problem walking from the hotel to Colimilla, which is very close. So we decided just to take the taxi directly to Colimilla, have a beer, lunch and walk around a bit. We ate at Restaurant Colimilla and could have done better. Prices were a little high, food not special ... and no options other than seafood.





Leaving the water taxi dock


Passing the "Mexican" side of the Barra beach


Passing by a few small boats in the Grand Bay Hotel Marina


Restaurant Mary on the south side of Colimilla


A young salesman working tourists in Restaurant Colimilla


Relaxing in Restaurant Colimilla

Barra de Navidad

Fotos from around Barra de Navidad

Barra de Navidad Beach from the Jetty
 

The town of Barra de Navidad (Christmas Sandbar)with a population of 7000+ is a small farming and fishing community located on the east end of the Bahía de Navidad, 60 km north of Manzanillo. In recent years, the Jalisco state government has promoted Barra as a tourist attraction of the Costalegre. The beachfront fronting the sandbar arks toward Melaque 4.5 kilometers to the west.

Fishing boats and water taxies along the lagoon

The history of "modern" Barra de Navidad dates back to the mid-1500's when the Spanish used it for ship building, repairs and a jumping off point to the Philippines.

Hotel Grand Bay looking across from the jetty

The large lagoon behind Barra de Navidad is criss-crossed by small fishing boats gathering scallops and transporting visitors and locals from Barra to Isla Navidad and the Grand Bay Hotel, recently voted the Number One hotel/resort in Mexico by the Travel Channel. These boats (panga taxies) also carry passengers to and from the small Colima community of Colimilla where restaurants line the shore.

Barra de Naviadad and Isla de Navidad from the air