Getting there & around

Getting to Comala

Comala sits just above Colima city, so almost everyone arrives via Colima and covers the last short hop separately. Your route depends on where you’re coming from.

• By air into Colima (CLQ). Colima’s small airport, Aeropuerto Nacional de Colima, has limited domestic service, mostly to and from Mexico City. From CLQ it’s roughly a 40-minute drive to Comala. Handy if the schedule works, but the flight options are thin.
• By air into Manzanillo (ZLO). Many travelers instead fly into Playa de Oro on the coast, which has broader domestic and some international service, and drive up. Figure roughly 1.5 to 2 hours (approximate) inland to Colima, then the last stretch to Comala. Rent a car at the airport, because you’ll want wheels up here anyway.
• By bus. First-class buses serve Colima city frequently from Guadalajara, roughly 3 to 4 hours (approximate) on lines like ETN, Primera Plus and Autobuses de Occidente, arriving at Colima’s central bus terminal (the Central Camionera). From farther afield, ADO and others connect through Guadalajara. You arrive in Colima and continue the last 10 to 15 minutes up to Comala. A one-way from Guadalajara runs roughly 350 to 550 MXN (approximate) depending on class.
• By car. The easiest option overall. Comala is about a 10 to 15 minute drive from central Colima on a good, well-marked road. Driving also unlocks the Nogueras museum, Suchitlan and the volcano viewpoints, which are genuinely awkward without a car.

The last hop from Colima city

• Local combis and buses. Combis and local buses run frequently between Colima and Comala for just a few pesos, roughly 10 to 15 MXN (approximate), dropping you a short walk from the Jardin Principal. Cheap and easy, if a little slow and crowded at peak times.
• Taxi or rideshare. A taxi or app ride from central Colima up to Comala is quick and inexpensive, roughly 100 to 180 MXN (approximate). This is the move for the trip home after a botana afternoon, when you don’t want to be driving. App coverage exists in the Colima area but can be thinner than a big city, so a regular taxi is the reliable fallback.

Getting around town

Once you’re in the center, Comala is a walking town: the plaza, Los Portales, the church, the coffee spots and the second-row botana places are all within a few minutes on foot. Wear real closed shoes, because the cobblestones, high curbs and uneven pavement are the town’s most common cause of a turned ankle.

For anything outside the center, the Nogueras museum, Suchitlan or the volcano roads, you’ll want a car or a taxi. Honest comfort note: the uphill roads toward Suchitlan and the Nevado are narrow, winding and poorly lit, with blind bends and no shoulder. Drive them in daylight, take it slow, and don’t attempt them after an afternoon of ponche, arrange a ride instead. There’s no need for a car if you’re only doing the plaza; there’s every reason for one if you want the highlands. More on structuring it in the main guide, and coast logistics down in Manzanillo.