Our Visit to Lake Chapala, Mexico (Part 2 of 3)

 We spent the month of November, 2016 in the Lake Chapala area, specifically in Ajijic.  We stayed at the Ajijic Suites and highly recommend it.  It is right in the center of the village but far enough away from the central plaza to avoid the noise from the weekend celebrations.

Ajijic is the most popular town in "Lakeside" (what the area is known as on the north shore of Lake Chapala) because of the many dining options, along with art galleries, musical entertainment, etc.  Also, the Lake Chapala Society is found here, which is a good starting point if you're new to the area.  And you can walk along the malecon in Ajijic (another one is in Chapala).

Here are pictures of the village of Ajijic:

Chapel of the Virgin of Rosario, built in 1643 (in the Ajijic plaza)

Outdoor cafe in the Ajijic plaza

Ajijic plaza

A favorite restaurant of ours:  David's Cafe

Here is the owner Chuy, waving to us

Where we stayed (Ajijic Suites)

Outdoor courtyard at the Ajijic Suites

Indoor courtyard at the Ajijic Suites

Mike having coffee at David's Cafe

David's Cafe

Walking on the cobblestone streets to David's Cafe (be careful!)

Here are pictures of the lake and the malecon in Ajijic:

This is a huge lake.  We've only seen about 20% of it!

Here are pictures of the Chapala malecon (larger than the one in Ajijic):

Here are pictures of scenery in the area:

Our Visit to Lake Chapala, Mexico (Part 1 of 3)

We have heard a lot about the Lake Chapala area of Mexico (called "Lakeside" by the residents), and even know of some folks who have moved there from Cuenca.  So we decided to see for ourselves what that area is all about.

As of writing this, we are about 3/4 of the way through with our month-long stay in Ajijic (the main city, and home to many expats).  It is almost like an extension of the U.S., except that Spanish is the national language!

I was expecting a resort town (like Puerta Vallarta or Cancun), but this is a colonial village high in the Sierra Madre mountains at about 5,000 feet.  This makes the climate warmer than Cuenca, which is at about 8,200 feet in the Andes mountains.  (Warmth is good!)

Here is my list of Pros and Cons about the Lake Chapala area, as compared to Cuenca:

Pros 

• No diesel buses
• No car alarms, and drivers are courteous
• Streets are marked very clearly
• Meals and groceries are a lot cheaper
• Better weather (warm and sunny)
• Close to international airport (40 minutes away)
• More English is spoken here
• More shopping available (Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, Best Buy, etc.)
• Movie theaters showing movies in English

 Cons

• Mosquitoes
• Can’t drink tap water (unless you live in a newer home with a purification system)
• Uses pesos instead of dollars
• Cobblestone streets -- be very careful
• Not many taxis (you need to have your own car)
• Not as clean as Cuenca  
• Rents are higher

  Pictures to follow.