Colima sits within reach of three very different excursions. Comala, just twenty minutes north, is a postcard-perfect colonial village all painted white with red roof tiles, set against the volcanoes. Its main square is ringed by botaneros — the snack-and-beer bars that Colima state is famous for. Half a day is enough.
Manzanillo, ninety minutes south on the toll road, is the state's beach city and the largest cargo port on Mexico's Pacific coast. The beaches at Las Hadas and La Audiencia are the pick. A long day trip is feasible; an overnight is more relaxed.
La Yerbabuena and the Nevado de Colima national park lie an hour north, in the saddle between the two volcanoes. The dormant Nevado has marked hiking trails to viewpoints below the summit; the active Volcan de Fuego can only be admired from a distance. Tours from Colima combine both with a stop in Comala.