In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Tecomán
Skip as a base unless you surf or want cheap seafood: 1 night, or a lunch stop between Colima and Manzanillo.
Tecomán is a working agricultural city of about 116,000 people, 30–40 minutes from both Colima and Manzanillo, and it calls itself the lime capital of the world. Travellers come for the seafood ramadas and the surf at Boca de Pascuales, not for the town itself. One night is enough; two if you are surfing.
- Country
- Mexico
- Best months
- Nov–May (dry season)
- Avoid
- Jun–Oct (rain and hurricane season)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MXN
- Money
- Currency is the Mexican peso (MXN, $). Cards work in hotels, chains and many restaurants; markets, street food, small shops and colectivos are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget M$700–1,200 excl. bed · Mid M$1,200–2,200 excl. bed · High M$2,200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telcel has the widest coverage; AT&T and Movistar are cheaper in cities. SIMs sell at OXXO shops and phone stores; registration with an ID may be requested — check.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 911 · Tourist assistance 078
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 127 V · 60 Hz · US plugs fit; many older sockets have no earth pin.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10–15%; check the bill for an included 'servicio'.; Bars: MXN 10–20 per drink or 10%.; Petrol station attendants: MXN 10–20; more for windscreen and tyres.; Guides and drivers: 10% or MXN 200–400 a day.; Supermarket baggers (often older volunteers): MXN 5–10.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; garrafón (20-litre jugs) and filtered water in hotels.
- Toilets
- Put paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places; public toilets charge MXN 5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | M$30–60 |
| Sopes or tacos at the market | M$60–120 |
| Seafood lunch (ceviche, snapper) | M$200–350 |
| Beer: bottle at a ramada / six-pack at an oxxo | M$40–70 / M$120–180 |
| Taxi around town | M$50–100 (check) |
| Basic hotel room | M$600–1,200 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CLQ · Colima (Miguel de la Madrid)
- About 70 km by road; Volaris and Aeroméxico serve it (check current routes).About 43 mi by road; Volaris and Aeroméxico serve it (check current routes).
- ZLO · Manzanillo (Playa de Oro)
- About 86 km via the Tecomán–Manzanillo toll road; more US and Canadian flights than CLQ.About 53 mi via the Tecomán–Manzanillo toll road; more US and Canadian flights than CLQ.
Typical fares
- Bus Colima → Tecomán
- about M$60–100, 1–1.5 h (check)
- Bus Manzanillo → Tecomán
- about M$60–100, 1–1.5 h (check)
- Taxi Tecomán → Boca de Pascuales
- about M$150–250 (check)
Get around
The centre is walkable. Taxis are cheap and easy to flag near the centre, harder in the colonias; save a radio-taxi number. Local buses and collectives reach the outskirts and the beaches, but a taxi is usually faster. A car helps for the beaches and lagoons.
See and do
Known for
- Lime and agriculture
- Seafood ramadas
- Boca de Pascuales surf
- Feria Nacional del Limón (January)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Boca de Pascuales | Taxi or car 12 km southTaxi or car 7.5 mi south | 20–30 min |
| Colima | Bus from the Central de Autobuses, or car on Highway 200 | 1–1.5 h |
| Manzanillo | Bus or car on the toll road | 1–1.5 h |
| Comala | Bus to Colima, then local bus or taxi | 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Centro
- Walkable to the market and cheap eats; basic hotels from around M$600 (2026 estimate).
- Boca de Pascuales
- Beach cabins and enramadas 12 km south; the reason most surfers come.Beach cabins and enramadas 7.5 mi south; the reason most surfers come.
- Highway 200 strip
- Chain and business hotels with parking; useful if you have a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| Where is the beach? | ¿Dónde está la playa?DON-deh es-TAH lah PLAH-yah |
| Is it safe to swim here? | ¿Es seguro nadar aquí?es seh-GOO-roh nah-DAR ah-KEE |
| I don't eat meat | No como carnenoh KOH-moh KAR-neh |
| Help | Ayudaah-YOO-dah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; a kiss on the right cheek among friends; avoid: Skipping 'buenos días' when entering a shop
- Punctuality: Be on time for tours and buses; avoid: Expecting social events to start on time
- Talking: Warm small talk, family, food, football; avoid: Jokes about cartels, the wall or migration
- Churches: Covered shoulders, quiet; avoid: Photos during mass
- Dining: Say 'provecho' to other diners when leaving; avoid: Rushing the waiter
Scams and watch-outs
- Tecomán was Mexico's deadliest municipality by homicide rate in 2016; violence has fallen since but check current local news before you go.
- The area around the Central de Autobuses feels sketchy at night: take a taxi, do not walk.
- Boca de Pascuales has strong shore break and currents: for experienced surfers and strong swimmers only.
- June–October is rainy and hurricane season; roads and beaches can close.
Tecomán is a working city, not a resort: the centre is fine by day, but check current local news, avoid the bus-station area at night, and treat the surf beaches as expert water.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tecomán yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lime and agriculture
- Seafood ramadas
- Boca de Pascuales surf
- Feria Nacional del Limón (January)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit México — Colima: www.visitmexico.com/en/colima
- Gobierno del Estado de Colima — Turismo: www.colima-estado.gob.mx/
- Wikivoyage: Tecomán, revision 5056456 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5056456
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/tecoman). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.