Old Spanish Map of the Costalegre

Shortly after the fall of Tenochtitlan, Mexico, D.F., on August 13, 1521, the Spanish conquistadores continued their explorations crossing valleys, mountains and oceans.

By 1525, Garcia de Loaiza had already crossed the Pacific Ocean.
However the first Spanish ship that passed by the central Mexican coast in 1527 visited the beautiful bay of Zacatula, Michoacan. That was the brig "Spirit Santo", of the group of three boats ordered by Hernán Cortez and commanded by Alvaro de Saavedra Cerón, cousin of Don Hernando.

Eventually the Spanish ventured up the Costalegre as far as Chamela, which also made for an ideal shelter for their ships, and founded numerous ports between there and Manzanillo.

1564 - All the zone between ports of Navidad and Salagua (Manzanillo) (In line for supply routes to; Autlán, Ameca, Zapotlán, Amula, Tuspa, Tamazula, Guadalajara, Towns of Avalos, etc.) existed from the activities connected with the construction of ships for the trip to the Philippines. On November 21st, 1564, Miguel Lopez Legazpi, with the title of "Adelantado," along with the friar Andrés de Urdaneta, sailed from Puerto de Navidad to colonize an archipelago in the Far East. Legazpi named the archipelago FILIPINAS in honor of Felipe II, then king of Spain. In 1571 he founded Manila as its capital.

A viceroy named it Puerto de Navidad (Port of Christmas), because the Spanish explorers landed on Christmas Day. Since the town he built was on a sandbar, the name was later changed to “Bar of Christmas.” The Spanish conquistadors took advantage of the natural port of Barra de Navidad making it one of the major ship building and repair ports
 

      Costalegre y Colima en la Época Prehispánica

The oldest settlers on record were the Otomíes, that settled on the coasts of the Mexican Pacific, by years 250 to 750 a.d..

There were in addition other small tribes who lived in this region, but did not develop because stronger and numerous Nahua groups arrived from the direction of the center of Mexico.

Between years 900 to 1154 the Toltecas groups, who were the origin of the Nahua, bloomed by imposed their culture on the more primitive communities.

Finally the Chichimecas arrived, during the period from 1154 to 1428, leaving numerous signs of their life and customs.

Many years before the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards, this region was populated by Otomíes indigenous groups, Mexican Toltecas, Aztecs, of the types; Chichimecas, Popolocas, Tecos, Cocaines, Tecuejes, et cetera.

The work that the settlers of this region dedicated themselves, was mainly agriculture, fishing, harvesting of salt and mining. The main metal used was copper, with which they made adornments and utensils. The use of gold and silver seems to have been developed previous to copper.

They built their houses of sticks with palapa ceilings establishing the construction technique still in use: bajarete or pajarete, that consists of constructing walls of twigs or woven rattans and covered with mud. They were also skilled at; pajarete wood embroidery, palapa weaving, driftwood sculpturing and beach pebble and seashell flooring.

The dominant language was Nahuatl but with many variants and modifications.

It is seen from the lack of huge buildings and monuments, that the inhabitants of the region were not great engineers nor constructors. But however they were extraordinary potters and ceramists which is shown through the million archaeological pieces representing aspects of life, political customs, their ideas, their dreams, and their fantasies.

In the pre-Columbian pottery we can find men working, shippers raising heavy bundles, hunting, important soldiers with distinguished uniforms, sportsmen like runners and fighters, judges, women performing domestic tasks or pregnant women, musicians, and an animal infinity, fruits, plants and others. All made with skillful techniques that surprise by their reality and beauty.

The most important towns of the pre-Hispanic time in southern Jalisco and Colima were Tzalahua - present Salagua, Moyutla - Colomo, Totolmaloya - present Santiago, Chiametla, Camotlán, Malaoaztla - today Marabasco, Aguatán - Barra de Navidad, Cihuatlán, Gualataca - today Cualata, Cacalutla - disappeared, among others.

Copied and translated from Manzanillo's Historical Archives page

Archivo Histórico de Manzanillo