| Tomatlán & Cajon de Peña |
| Tomatlán is a town of approximately 8,500 inhabitants located on the coastal plain about an hour-and-a half north of Barra de Navidad and Melaque and about the same distance south of Puerto Vallarta. Translated from Náhuat Tomatlán means place of the tomatoes. In his 1982 study Proyecto Tomatlán de Salvamento Arqueológico, Dr. Joseph B. Mountjoy found evidence of settlement in this fertile agricultural region prior to 2000 B.C.
The Spaniards arrived in the area in 1525 but met with resistence and the conquest was not complete until 1541.
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| Tomatlán features some colonial architecture such as the Templo de Santo Santiago that dates from the mid 1700s and petroglyphs can be found at different sites throughout the area. |
| The town of Tomatlan, seat of government for the Municipio of Tomatlan, lies almost at sea level though it is located aproximately 20 miles from the ocean. It is is the main commercial and business centre for the region, the main industries of which are farming and ranching. El Chilpete a producer of Salsa picante and pickled chilies provide local product for both the national and US market. |
| Cajon de Peña, aka Cajon de Peñas, is a 707,000,000 m3 fresh water reservoir located near Tomatlán. Constructed in 1976 it provides irrigation water through a series of canals to the Tomatlán farming area and beyond. |
| Stocked with Florida large mouth bass, bass fishing at the lake is superb. One can Bass fish with the local fishermen or bass fishing charters with a Puerto Vallarta company are available. Fresh bass, tilapia, chakale, and langostina can be enjoyed at the restaurants around the lake. |
| Over 150 bird species, including wild parrots the most notable of which is a large colony of wild Military Macaw, are found around the lake and the forested area around Cajon de de Peñas plays host to a variety of other wildlife. |
| There is currently no accommodation at the Cajon de Pena but there is a new company operating at the lake that provide water skiing tours and they are constructing tourist cabins on one of the islands. Check back for updates! |
