Chamela is a small town in the
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Jalisco, on the west coast of
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. The town of Chamela sits on the south end of a bay called the ''Bahía de Chamela,'' or "Chamela Bay", on
Federal Highway 200. San Mateo and Punta Pérula are the two other towns on the bay. It is 8 miles north of the better known resort of
Careyes.
Chamela was a port during Spanish colonial times, often visited by
galleon
Galleons were large, multi-decked sailing ships first used as armed cargo carriers by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries during the age of sail and were the principal vessels drafted for use as warships until the Anglo-Dutch W ...
s. Ruins of a colonial era fortification, built by Pedro de Alvarado, still remain.
Also known as ''Island Bay'', Chamela's islands were declared a protected nature sanctuary by the Mexican government on April 9, 2001. It is a mostly undeveloped
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...
destination, although several companies have announced plans to develop resorts on the bay.
MEXICO: Tourism Projects Trigger Conflict in Preserve
A project to develop a marina on the bay's north point (Punta Perula) has been superseded by Roberto Hernandez Ramirez plan to develop a marina in Careyes, approximately 8 miles to the south.
In 2015, the town was largely destroyed by Hurricane Patricia
Hurricane Patricia was the strongest tropical cyclone on record worldwide in terms of wind speed and the second-most intense on record worldwide in terms of pressure, behind Typhoon Tip in 1979, with a minimum atmospheric pressure of 872 mbar ( ...
.
References
External links
* Airstrip
* Marine entry point
Populated places in Jalisco
{{Jalisco-geo-stub