Comala () is a town and municipality located in the Mexican state of Colima, near the state capital of Colima, being the northernmost and second smallest municipality in Colima behind Villa de Álvarez. It has been nicknamed the "White Village of America" as the façades of the buildings in town have all been painted white since the 1960s. The historic center of the town was declared a Historic Monument Zone and the town became a Pueblo Mágico in 2002. It is the municipal seat of the Comala Municipality, the local governing authority for over 400 other communities, including the former Nogueras Hacienda, the home of artist Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo.
Comala municipality
The town of Comala is the municipal seat of Comala Municipality, the local governing authority for over four hundred other communities, which together cover a territory of 254 km<sup>2</sup>. The area was originally called Ajuchitlán or Valley of the Flowers with indigenous settlements located near water flowing down from the Colima Volcano . Aside from the municipal seat, the main communities of the municipality are Suchitlán, Zacualpan and the Cofradía de Suchitlán. The municipal government consists of a municipal president, a general secretary, one officer called a "síndico" and nine officers called "regidores." The municipality borders the municipalities of Cuauhtémoc, Minatitlán and Villa de Álvarez with the state of Jalisco to the north. It is also associated with Juan Rulfo's novel Pedro Páramo, although it is not known if Rulfo was referring to the town directly in the novel. The town is still surrounded by papaya, banana, mamey, almond and palm orchards, with orange and palm trees found within for decoration. The historic center of the town was declared a Historic Monument Zone by presidential decree in 1988 and is distinguished by streets paved with river stone. In 1961, the town decided to paint itself white as a way to distinguish itself from the surrounding communities. Today, it is filled with structures with white walls and red tile roofs. Another beverage is called bate, which is a type of atole served with an ice made with sugar cane. The parish church is named San Miguel del Espiritu Santo. The current building was constructed in the early 20th century. The arch that leads into the atrium is older, dating from 1832. One distinguishing feature of the church is that one of its towers is unfinished which can plainly be seen. The town hosted the 2011 convention of Mexico's forty Pueblos Mágicos to exchange ideas of how to increase tourism.
Tourist activities
Its main tourist attractions are the "Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo" and the "Eco park", of the University of Colima, as well as the same "Ex hacienda de Nogueras", famous for its "chacuaco" of the extinct sugar mill.
The Nogueras eco-park is dedicated to the preservation of flora and fauna research in the region, where you can see medicinal plants, fruit trees and compost, an area where the use of alternative energy is shown, recycling workshops and environmental training.
In the Alejandro Rangel University Museum, the University of Colima shows the prehispanic ceramic collection selected by the artist Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo. You can also see an excellent sample of personal work as a set designer painter, designer and graphic illustrator.
The Nogueras Cultural Center is located in the building of the Ex Hacienda de Nogueras. Nowadays the restaurant industry is developing.
Nogueras Hacienda
thumb|Nogueras chapel
In addition to the historic center of the town of Comala, the most important attraction is the former hacienda of Nogueras, a restored hacienda located just outside the town and belonged to artist Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo.
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History
The name means "place of comals", a type of cooking vessel.