Felice and I never tire of Mexico and often travel south when we’re in dire need of a little rest and relaxation, like a few weeks ago.
We spent the first week of November in the Lake Chapala-area, about a half hour drive south of Guadalajara’s international airport. We wanted to see first-hand the spot where an estimated 30,000 American and Canadian expats call home, the largest concentration of foreigners in Mexico.
We can see why it is such an attractive area. Lake Chapala is nearly 50-miles long, the largest natural lake in the country. The length of the lake runs east-to-west and is populated primarily along its northern border by a string of charming villages and small towns.
The big draw here is the climate. Locals like to boast that National Geographic magazine named the shores of Lake Chapala the second best climate in the world (after Spain’s Canary Islands, southwest of Morocco).
We can vouch for the claim. Almost every day we were there, the sun was shining, the high was around 80 and the low dropped to about 60. We had one day of rain, a remnant of a hurricane passing along the western coast of Mexico.
Low cost of living is also a big attraction. By far the majority of expats who live along the lake are retirees. With prices on most items more than 50 percent less than San Francisco, retirees can stretch their social security checks a long way.
We stayed in a lovely old hacienda in Ajijic, a charming small town of about 10,000 people and the epicenter for local expat artists and writers. The glorious climate, pure air and spectacular views of the lake from the green, wooded hills above the town, provide an ambiance that creative people love.
The proximity to Guadalajara, a sophisticated city of well over 5 million people, brings culture, shopping and fine restaurants. We spent one day shopping in Tlaquepaque, a wonderful artisan community a few minutes from downtown that offers the greatest variety of artisan handicrafts in Mexico.
You’ll have a chance to learn a lot more about Ajijic and the Lake Chapala region in an upcoming article for December on renting homes and the sublime lakefront lifestyle.