Where locals go

Comala, Colima

By Renata SolísBased in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco · updated Jul 3, 2026

Where locals actually go

The botana ritual on the plaza isn’t only a tourist thing, which is what makes Comala unusual: Colima families genuinely drive up every weekend for exactly that, so joining them is authentic, not a trap. But locals don’t sit where the tour groups sit, and they don’t come when the tour groups come.

  • The second-row botana places. A block off the Jardin Principal, away from the front arches of Los Portales, are the tables regulars actually take. They’re a little cheaper, a lot less crowded, and the food rounds are just as generous. The move: walk one street back from the square and follow where the Colima families are sitting rather than where the photos happen. Best from about 2 pm, when the kitchens hit their stride.

  • The neighborhood coffee spots. Away from the most photographed corner, the smaller cafes serving local Comala roast are where people get their real morning cup. Come early, before the day-trippers arrive, for the best light on the volcano and a quiet table.

  • Suchitlan, up the hill. The smaller village a short drive above town is where locals go for a cooler, greener, quieter day, more country food, mask-making workshops, and even clearer volcano air. It feels a world away from the plaza crowds and is a standard weekend escape for people who find Comala itself too busy. See day trips.

  • The Sunday plaza, and why to avoid it if you want quiet. Sunday is the big family day: the square packs out, the ponche flows, kids run around the church, and it’s genuinely fun if you want energy. But the real Comala, the one residents actually live in, is a Tuesday-to-Thursday afternoon, when the plaza slows and you can linger at a second-row table for hours.

  • Ponche straight from the makers. Locals buy the fruit liqueur by the bottle from the small ponche shops and family producers around town rather than paying restaurant markup, tasting flavors, tamarind, pomegranate, coffee, blackberry, before committing. It’s the standard thing to carry home to relatives.

What a friend who lives here would tell you: the Sunday plaza is a good time, but the town at its best is a slow weekday, a table one row back from the arches, a local coffee in the morning, and letting the botanas roll while the volcano does its thing behind the church. That’s the version worth planning around, and it pairs well with the wider Colima highlands.