Mexico's Volcano State Capital — the fire cone of Volcán de Colima, palm-lined colonial plazas, and a regional cuisine built on iguana tamales and tejuino corn beer
Colima is the small, handsome colonial capital of Mexico's smallest state, set between two towering volcanoes: the eternally smoking Volcán de Colima (also called Volcán de Fuego), one of Mexico's most active and dramatic stratovolcanoes, and the older, dormant Nevado de Colima — together forming one of the most spectacular volcanic skylines in North America. The city itself is immaculately maintained, with pastel-painted colonial buildings around the central plaza, palm-shaded boulevards, and a languid pace of life that makes it one of Mexico's most liveable cities despite its proximity to a…
The area around Colima has been inhabited for over 3,000 years — the Colima shaft tomb culture (300 BCE to 900 CE) produced some of Mexico's most recognized pre-Columbian art: fat clay dog figurines (xoloitzcuintli), believed to guide souls to the underworld, found in burial tombs throughout the region and now housed in major museums worldwide. The Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1522, and Colima was one of the first Spanish colonial cities established west of Mexico City. The city sits in a volcanically active zone and has been repeatedly damaged by eruptions and earthquakes throughout its…