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Municipality and town in Jalisco, Mexico
Photo: Orlando jeronimo, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Tomatlán is a small town of about 9800 people (2020) in the Pacific coastal region of Jalisco, Mexico. The town is about 15 km inland from the ocean and several sparsely populated beaches within Tomatlan's municipality are considered part of Jalisco's Costalegre region. If you like wide sandy beaches where you won't see a human being for miles, the beaches of Tomatlan will be what you crave. The town itself is a quaint colonial town with a serene plaza facing the church of St. James the Apostle (Santiago Apostol). A large lake is nearby and the area has mountain woodlands that attract hikers and nature lovers. Tomatlán is one of Mexico's Pueblos Mágicos.
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Church of St. James the Apostle
The town's main church is a colonial-era treasure built by the Franciscan missionaries dating back to the 16th century. Its stone walls are up to 1-1/2 meters thick and it has a barrel shaped vaulted ceiling and two bell towers, which visitors can climb (50 steps).
The largest lake in Jalisco was created by a fortress-like dam built in 1976. The lake is secluded, but cabins are available for rent and it's a good spot for sport fishing, water skiing, and jet skis.
Casual seafood restaurant with an open-air palapa style dining room. The zarandeado and the coconut shrimp are recommended.
Traditional regional Mexican cuisine with excellent birria and hand-made tortillas. Open air riverfront dining room.
Casual seafood restaurant in the downtown area, fish and shrimp prepared however you like, but if you want to try something unusual, a house specialty is deviled octopus with garlic.
Moderate hotel with clean, comfortable rooms that have TV and air conditioning. Off-street parking and on-site bar and restaurant.
Moderate hotel with clean, comfortable rooms. On-site pool and good restaurant on site. Parking is about 2 blocks away.
Modern hotel with a/c and comfortable rooms. Off-street parking.
By bus
Primera Plus and Autocamiones del Pacifico operate buses from Puerto Vallarta to Tomatlan several times daily (about every 4 hours). The 2-1/2 hour trip will cost about M$200 (Aug 2023).
By car
The Costalegre region is sparsely populated and lightly traveled by tourists. This makes it an ideal region for exploring by car.
The downtown area is small and you can easily walk from the bus station to the zocalo and Centro area hotels and restaurants, but the attractions of the area are the beaches and the lake area, all of which are remote…
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Puerto Vallarta · International · PVR
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