Ajijic Mexico

Weather | Restaurants | Things To Do | Emergency Info | Amenities & Business Services

Healthcare Info | Real Estate | Holidays and Events

Ajijic is a majestic mountain town on the foot of Lake Chapala at an elevation of 5,000 feet. For the most part, year round, the days are warm and sunny with an average temperature of 75 degrees. Where else can you plan an outdoor party or event in advance and not have to worry to much on how the weather will be when that day arrives. Ajijic may be rated #2 for weather but if you take into consideration the close proximity it is to an International airport for ease of getting to, many rate it #1 for a perfect travel destination.

Lets examine some of the reasons why so many North Americans prefer to live here full or part time.

1. The top reason has to be the weather, it’s simply the best you will find anywhere on earth. Pretty big statement I know, even National Geographic called it the 2nd best weather on earth year round after some place in Kenya.

2. Organizations for expats activities, There are more than 50 plus service organizations or clubs here. The most famous is of course the Lake Chapala Society which has over 4,000 members. This group is amazing they have the largest English book library in Mexico, a huge video/DVD collection, restaurant on-site, several meeting rooms both indoor and outdoor areas for meetings, enormous gardens with ponds and water features thru-out the grounds. They have daily activities scheduled from many levels of Spanish classes available to plays, Red Cross activities, book clubs, dances, weekly health fairs with on-site testing or screening for many medical issues covering eye exams, diabetes, cancer, etc. the list goes on and on. It’s a great way to meet people and become part of a larger community. There is an American Legion chapter celebrating their 50th anniversary this year in Chapala and they have a full agenda of activities too.

3. Food and Culture – While there are over 20,000 expats here during high season it still feels like old Mexico everywhere you go. You don’t get a sense of crowds at all except for the traffic sometimes on the road. Ajijic village is well over 400 years old with old historical churches and landmarks. We have an enormous amount of day trips available to surrounding towns or village to see art & culture that’s over 1,000-1,500 years old in many cases.

The restaurant scene is excellent ranging from the tacos or street vendors who always provide great food to a wide variety of choices, pizza, Italian, Chinese, German, Greek, etc. We even have a brewpub now serving excellent Mexican artisan micro-brews. You can eat cheap here but the food is wonderful. I had a huge breakfast yesterday of 2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon, 2 sausages links, 2 pieces of ham and hash browns with toast for $45 pesos that’s less than $3.50 US.

4. There are 3 local golf courses and many world  class courses in Guadalajara 40 minutes away, canoe or kayak clubs, sailing, water-ski, hiking clubs, photography, computer, gardening clubs and to many volunteer’s groups here to mention. You will never be bored here for options that’s for sure.

 

News & Stories About Ajijic On Lake Chapala


We got up last Sunday morning watched the morning news shows, made my usual big breakfast with a couple of bloody mary’s for good measure watched a little football, but as it was such a beautiful day we just couldn’t stay inside so we decided to load up Kona our lab and drive around to [...]

 

Every once in awhile you come across a product or service that just makes perfect sense and Vida Alarms is one of those. When I first ran into Michael Haskett of Vida Alarms and he told me about the new service he was offering, I knew that I wanted to get involved. For the Baby Boomer [...]

Many people come down to the lakeside area for their first time to rent to see if they will like it. That’s normal and a good idea.  There are a wide array of rentals available here from nice studio apartments, casitas, condos, single family homes to million dollar homes. If your single the market has [...]

Although Ajijic’s cobblestone village may seem like you are stepping back in time, many services are readily available. Pretty much everything you need is an enjoyable walk to get to. If not, taxi’s and the bus service is an easy way to get around or you can rent a car if walking or public transportation [...]

In case of an emergency, please refer to the listings below. Please feel free to print a copy of these services and keep them in your Rental Property.   It is a good idea to check the contact information when you arrive in Ajijic just to make sure it hasn’t changed. An advantage to Ajijic is [...]

La Perla del Occidente (the Pearl of the West), Guadalajara, with its year-round temperate climate, is a favorite destination for tourists and expats living in Mexico. Considered the most authentic Mexican city, it offers all things traditionally Mexican such as great Mariachi bands year round and an international Mariachi festival in September.  Other events include [...]

Ajijic is in the Lake Chapala region of Mexico.  Lake Chapala continues to grow in popularity among American and Canadian retirees looking for warm weather, water sports, and beauty.  However, there is a difference between spending 2 weeks in a lovely area and spending years or even the rest of your life in Mexico.  One [...]

  Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico is a narrow strip of land between the mountains to the north and the Lake Chapala to the South. It is flanked by San Antonio Tlayacapan to the east and San Juan Cosala on the west side. It is seven kilometers west of Chapala. Its average annual temperature is 19.9 degrees [...]

Some of my friends were shocked to say the least that I would give up the beautiful caribbean ocean for the central highlands of Mexico or more specifially the Lake Chapala area. We left Oregon in part because we never wanted to see snow again. We moved to Oregon from Hawaii and it was hard [...]

Housing in Lake Chapala Like many other winter destinations, seasonal rental prices have increased in the past decade in response to the increased demand. This year visitors at Lake Chapala will find the  two or three-bedroom homes renting for $400 to $1200 American dollars per month, plus utilities. Prices will vary of course depending upon [...]

September 7, 2011   You Can Drive to Lake Chapala from North America.   The link at the bottom of this article is a great mile by mile route from Laredo, Texas to Lake Chapala, Mexico. But, don’t miss the tips below.   Now. Let me share a couple of tips that will make your journey [...]

LAKE CHAPALA and surrounding towns and villages; Each year more American and Canadians abandon their former winter snowbird destinations to live happily for a few months or all year long in beautiful highlands of central Mexico. The most popular area for Mexpats (Canadians, Americans, Europeans) is located on the northwestern shoreline and is made up of [...]