Colima is the small, relaxed capital of Mexico's smallest state, sitting in a lush valley between two volcanoes -- the active Volcan de Fuego and the dormant Nevado de Colima. The volcanoes dominate the landscape and the local imagination; on clear days their peaks frame the city beautifully, and Fuego occasionally sends up plumes of smoke as a reminder that nature runs the show here. The city has a well-preserved colonial center with a handsome cathedral, shaded portales around the main plaza, and the kind of unhurried provincial atmosphere that the big Mexican cities have largely lost.
The Museo Regional de Historia has a good collection of pre-Columbian ceramics, including the distinctive Colima dog figures that turn up in museums worldwide. The city is walkable and safe, prices are low, and the climate is warm year-round. Colima makes a good base for visiting the coast at Manzanillo, about an hour and a half away, or for hiking on the lower slopes of the Nevado. It sees very few foreign tourists, which is part of its appeal.