Colima, Mexico

It is one of the oldest cities in Mexico. Following the fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521, the Spanish conquistadors were quick to reach the west coast. Colima's native king (Spanish: Rey Colimán) organized the defense of his kingdom against the Spanish. [1] In 1523 the conquistador Gonzalo de Sandoval founded the first Villa de Colima in Caxitlán, near modern-day Tecomán. However, poor settlement conditions resulted in the founding of the Villa San Sebastián de Colima in what is now the city of Colima. [2] The new location provided a better climate, lands better suited to cultivation, and proximity to mining.