AUTHOR: ARTSY CHOW ROAMER

Ajijic, Mexico

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE

While San Miguel de Allende normally sucks all the air out of the room when talking about expat paradise, those in the know are leaning towards a different little jewel of a destination. Ajijic, (pronounced AH-HE-HEEK) is located about a half hours drive outside the very pleasant Guadalajara airport on a big lake.

Known for seeming to have some magical healing powers, Lake Chapala is one of the largest lakes located in Jalisco, Mexico; over 45 miles long and 13 miles across. This means a lot of little cities populate the entire ring around it. When we decided to visit with friends it was on assignment to check it out as a possibly great spot for retirement. This post will give you a good idea why you should plan a visit.

FLIGHTS, AIRPORTS & GUADALAJARA

The Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport in Guadalajara is quite nice, busy and very navigable. For a short four hour nonstop flight this time of year you will find anything from $450 to $650 out of Atlanta, which ain’t so very bad. I suggest you plan on a flight that lets you have a least a day or two in the city because there is a lot to see and do.

We exchanged money at our own bank before departing for Mexico so we would have some mad money for incidentals along the travel route. I’d suggest you do the same rather than paying higher rates at the airport or looking for ATM’s.

You will want to walk the historic downtown area with it’s beautiful colonial architecture including the main cathedral and Degollado Theater. Take a look see in the enormous Mercado Libertad or Liberty Market where you’ll see products of every kind on offer for very good prices.

TO UBER OR NOT TO UBER-THAT IS THE QUESTION

Uber is iffy in some parts of Mexico. It was fantastic and the best option in Merida. For this purpose it seems to change from year to year but you can always taxi to Ajijic for around $20-25 or take a bus for half that if not feeling up to driving. The bus is the scenic route with pick ups that will take closer to two hours. We rented a car as we wanted to be able to make stops along the route for shopping and photo ops.

First up was Tlaquepaque. Not only does it have a musical name that is hard to forget but it is a cute little place with a fabulous artisans market. Great for picking up nice art, pottery and home goods for super prices. We wondered around for hours, snatched up a small painting for our art collection and had a nice lunch before continuing a pleasant easy drive on to Ajijic.

THE CULTURE, CITY AND WEATHER

Driving down the main street of Ajijic gives you a good idea of what you are going to get. Narrow alleyways, cobblestones and murals depicting the culture in this quaint little Mexican town are everywhere. Shop fronts cling to the bold colors and beautiful flowers that are native to the area. The streets are lined with big beautiful blooming trees that look very old.

Take a left turn anywhere and you almost immediately open yourself to a luscious view of Lake Chapala- and it is breathtaking. Look back and you will see real estate that gently climbs the hills for ever better views. Be careful with that left turn-not doing so properly we found out will get you a quick pull over by the police which needed an interpreter to straighten out. 😬

We rented a perfect place on AirBnB with a full bedroom, bath and kitchen on both floors and a connecting patio that looked out to the lake. It was done with charming Mexican flair. We were very happy with it as well as the weekly rate of $600 that we split with our friends.

Our mornings always began with the gas man calling out to customers….”Gaaaaaaaasssssaaaa…” or the odd rooster crow and sometimes the church bells. It was nicely quiet compared to city life with all the traffic and sirens and felt more like waking up on a farm.

We usually started the day with coffee, hot tea and fresh local breads, meats and cheeses. You could buy in small local stores or head to the Walmart-yes they have one of those too! 🤣

The weather was fantastic. Simply didn’t need air conditioning and you don’t really need heat although I did see a lot of small fireplaces on rental ads. There were not a lot of bugs either. In some places we have visited like Merida, the mosquitoes will carry you off in the summer months.

As I hinted before, many of the locals as well as the expats have come to Ajijic and seen their medications cut in half or disappear altogether for certain kinds of chronic problems.

Our landlady, who was Canadian, said she had been able to stop all of her arthritis pain meds since moving to Ajijic. Others told us the same. Is it the lake, the weather, the lifestyle change, a placebo effect-or a combination of all of the above? Who knows? It just seems to work.

CHURCHES, TOWN SQUARES & SHOPS

The town squares are a daily gathering spot. Women meet with children and watch them play while gossiping with each other. Men sit on benches and discuss important topics such as the weather, politics and women.

Visitors, expats and locals alike stroll around and pop into their favorite little coffee spots to have a cup, do some reading or writing. The largest church you see in the skyline shots is the San Andres Catholic Church and is a great place to tour, sit quietly and take a few photos.

Another favorite of mine is the little church on the plaza which rings its bell so consistently for the town. It is the best spot for people watching and just taking a pause for the day to appreciate where you are.

The winter months while all the expats flow in are when the open shops are at their best. There really are lovely hand-made items available for good prices like jewelry, pottery, clothing and home goods. I snagged an awesome silver contemporary necklace with a moonstone of green that works with almost everything I own!

BOUTIQUE HOTELS

If you don’t prefer to find your own rental there are great B&B’s available both in and out of town. Since the taxi rides are inexpensive it is more than OK to stay in a quieter area if you don’t want to be in the middle of things and go walk about.

Budget options can begin as low as $30 a night and go up to $125 a night for more luxurious properties. Still a bargain by US standards. Two of my favorite properties to recommend are the Hotel Villa Corona and Casa Tres Leones. Both have lovely views of the lakes, swimming pools, large rooms and are walkable to town. Check them both out as an option to an AirBnB rental.

RESTAURANTS

For anyone who has tried to do research on the restaurant scene in Ajijic outside of Trip Advisor you will have found the same thing as me; few websites, a myriad of bad photos and what looks like a less than vibrant food scene.

You would be wrong however. There are enough restaurants to keep you very busy for a two week visit. We found just walking around and talking to the locals was more than enough to find a lot of gems.

That is how we discovered one of our favorite hangouts called The Peacock Garden. Tucked away with a fairy like entrance, gardens and their own brilliant peacocks you will want to visit over and over again. Just plain good food with a nice bottle of wine on a beautiful day or enchanted evening…what else do you need?

Some other choices that you might like would be Yves’ Restaurant which is a cozy romantic spot; simple, healthy and flavorful dishes with an international flair. Machi Ma which boasts vegan Mexican dishes for those with the need or want to have the local food without some of the issues that can come with it!

For French, many say Qui Qui is their vary favorite. In fact, it often wins best restaurant in town for many. True French flavors and dishes in a romantic setting especially for that special dinner just for two. Lobo de Mar gets high marks for both it’s seafood and Mexican menu in town while Masayume wins for Japanese. I could go on but you get the picture-plenty of good eats in Ajijic and the prices run around half for similar in the US.

THINGS TO DO IN

The first thing to do as just a visitor would be to walk the Malecon that lines the lake. There are little shops and cart vendors selling ice cream and souvenirs as well as galleries, restaurants and bars. There are areas of La Floresta where you can rent horses and ride along the lake.

The waterfalls at Tepalo are a great hiking destination. Take a picnic and swim at the base and take some fabulous pics of the breathtaking views. Like dancing? You can find a place with live music almost every night of the week; everything from rock, oldies and jazz to mariachi and salsa.

Explore the other towns on the North side of the lake from Mezcala to Jocotepec. They have good things to offer from nice dining to great shopping and more beautiful photo ops than you can count. Take in shows and events at the Auditorio de la Ribera.

Tour the towns murals and visit its’ art galleries. You will be surprised at how much there is to see and the quality you will find as well. The artists aren’t just doing typical native Mexican kinda stuff. You will find beautiful abstract paintings and drawings as well as sculpture and glass.

For the more sporty among us there are many places to work out, grab a game of tennis or pickle ball and play a round of golf. You can also rent a boat and head out for some pleasure time in the sun on the water. Relax those strained muscles afterwards with a great massage at any of the wonderful little spas.

CONCLUSION

In visiting there, I could see why it is a great destination for expats and locals as well as for retirement consideration. While real estate prices are rising and more buildings are coming up every day to cater to the interest there are still good deals to be had-better than the market in San Migel de Allende.

If you don’t want to buy there are long term rentals available. But even if you aren’t considering retirement, you will not be sorry you came just to visit and enjoy the beauty of this area. It is a relaxing pretty place with good food, drinks and things for anyone to be interested in.

I hope you enjoyed reading about Ajijic. I highly recommend it as a destination both for a visit or for retirement. If you enjoyed what you read, you might also read the three blog posts on Merida as well as other blogs in Explore the World. Look for another blog in this series on San Miguel de Allende coming down the road. Until next time…

Cheers,

ArtsyChowRoamer

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