The woman who captured Rafael's heart was the actress Bo Derek. She returned to Manzanillo in 2004 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the filming of the movie "10" at Las Hadas. The 1979 romantic comedy directed by Blake Edwards was a box-office hit. The movie made superstars of Derek, who played the alluring Jenny Miles, and Dudley Moore, who depicted the bumbling George Webber, a 42-year-old songwriter who became obsessed with Jenny's beauty.
Vacationers who remember "10" still come to Manzanillo in search of beautiful people, romantic sunsets, and exotic adventure. With the Pacific surf lapping at its feet, Manzanillo enjoys the same temperate climate and mountainous seaside setting of other world-famous destinations along Mexico's Gold Coast, including Puerto Vallarta to the north and Acapulco to the south. Its sun-kissed beaches have been featured in "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." More recently, the horror sequel "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" and a remake of "McHale's Navy" were filmed here.
During our afternoon jaunt around the gleaming white spiral towers and bougainvillea-draped walls of Las Hadas, Rafael took us to Room 420 where Jenny and George had their tryst. We lounged on the spacious bed in the master suite and watched a few minutes of "10," which runs continually on a closed-circuit television channel. Then we stepped outside to admire the suite's clois tered swimming pool enclosed by graceful white arches. As we bid Rafael goodbye, he slipped us the electronic key card he used to open the room as a souvenir.
Manzanillo can thank Hollywood for creating its aura of palm-fringed bliss. Since the movie's debut, this coastal stretch of the small state of Colima has burgeoned into a commercial patchwork of beachfront hotels, vacation homes, souvenir shops, and surfside restaurants. The main tourist area wraps around two crescent-shaped bays, Manzanillo and Santiago, which are separated by the Santiago Peninsula's steep outcropping of rocks. Volcanic hills to the east create a sweeping backdrop. Golfers are attracted by three world-class golf courses that offer stunning views of cool lagoons or mist-shrouded mountains.
