Expat Living

The visiting holiday revelers have packed it in and headed home.  We had a great holiday season with tour buses lined up on the streets, stores running out of totopos and tomatoes, and the one tortilla factory in town opened from sunup to sundown trying to meet the demand for fresh tortillas.  We won’t see that many national tourists until Easter.

Christmas Tree Festival

For eight years running the Christmas Tree Silent Auction Festival has marked the kick-off to La Manzanilla’s holiday season.   

La Manzanilla’s first Green Technology and Sustainability Fair was Friday, December 5.  The event took place throughout the village and highlighted the mission and programs of local non-profit Tierraglegre.

Health food products

Dean Klompas and Daniela Zuleima Klompas, the husband and wife owners of La Manzanilla’s popular day spa Spacifico, have just introduced a new line of health food products. Vegan, raw, and gluten free snacks can all be found for sale at the spa this season. For a quick snack or to top off a salad try the kale crisps; dried kale, raisons, pumpkin seeds, and spices. Flax seed tortillas, gluten free bread, organic almond butter, Chia, mojote and amaranth cookies, and garbanzo bean tofu round out the offerings. You’ll also find a very refreshing aloe drink, sweetened with a dash of Stevia and made with alkalized water. As you can image the shelf-life is limited on these all natural products. Stop by the spa and see what’s available that day or to place an order.

La Manzanilla’s Best Bites

At last count La Manzanilla had over 40 restaurants!  I’ve sampled most of them and have discovered each has its own personality and particular culinary delights.  If you are visiting our fair village by the sea let me suggest a few of my favorite dishes.

Magnolia’s Kitchen & Drinks

At the end of last season, after an eight year run, we said “adios” to restaurant Café de Flores.  The owners decided it was time to retire and enjoy some beach time.