During the week of Dec. 16-21, 2013, we had the privilege of staying at the luxurious resort villa, Palace By The Sea, in Manzanillo Bay, Colima, Mexico. The accommodations were surely the most luxurious that we’ve ever experienced. From the gorgeous location, to the beautiful and impressive villa, to the warm and professional staff, to the sumptuous and delicious meals, to the breathtakingly upscale community with all of its many recreational and leisure activities, we reveled in the experience for five days that passed all too quickly.
The Palace is a grand and gracious white stucco villa perched on a steep hillside of the point (“La Punta”) that rises abruptly out of the bay. There are five guest suites, a media room, and a large sitting/dining area in the central portion of the home, which is reached by descending one of two mirrored staircases which flank the entryway. The grounds are meticulously kept, beautiful and inviting. The 180 degree view of Manzanillo Bay from the volcanic stone poolside terrace is lovely, and the sound of the Pacific surf some 80 feet below is relaxing - almost hypnotic. You can walk down a long set of stairs to a small pavilion on the rocks below the house and enjoy the view, with the waves pounding against the rocks some 30 feet beneath you. With marble floors throughout, gracious furnishings and touches, all the amenities you can imagine and attentive staff at our beck and call, we felt like royalty.
We enjoyed Swedish massages, horseback riding, snorkeling, lazing about by and in the swimming pool and jacuzzi, touring the lovely La Punta community in the golf cart which was at our disposal as Palace guests, walking the community’s private beach, going on shopping jaunts to the market in nearby Santiago in the SUV which was also provided us, and spent the time in between reading or watching a bit of TV. Sometimes we just sat on the terrace and watched frigate birds, pelicans, vultures and the occasional hawk fly by. It was a supremely wonderful environment in which to decompress from the stresses of life. (And we haven’t begun to mention all the other recreation and entertainment options available, such as zip-lining, evening cruises, ATV tours, world-class golf courses, and more.)
Did we mention the food? Every multi-course meal was thoroughly delightful, thoughtfully prepared and presented, and absolutely delicious. Our accomplished chef (who is trained in Mexican, Mediterranean and American cuisine) allowed us to
