Lake Chapala Half an hour south of the metropolitan zone, grand, cloud-tipped Lake Chapala and its diadem of shoreline villages—Chapala, San Antonio, Ajijic, San Juan Cosala, and more—make up the celebrated Chapala Riviera. Lake Chapala’s colony of permanent North American and well-to-do Mexican residents supports a bounty of amenities. These include comfortable lodgings and restaurants, handicrafts and fine-arts shops, music and dramatic events, social and charitable organizations and plenty of swimming, tennis, golf, walking and hiking opportunities.
Boats at Chapala town line up at the pier, ready to take parties to historic Mezcala Island, stopping on the return at Alacranes Island for lunch. Kayaking is possible from most anywhere along the lakeshore. Interesting stops in Chapala town include the colorful lakefront Parque Cristiana. Likewise, in Ajijic, be sure to pause at the shady town plaza and the scenic pier. The folks who live around shallow Lake Chapala, Mexico’s largest lake, pride themselves on their lake’s brilliant sunsets, its quiet country ambience, and its famously temperate weather. Formed by gigantic earth movements millions of years ago, the lake originally spread far beyond its present cucumber-shaped 50- by 20-mile basin south of Guadalajara. Now rounded, gentle mountains shelter the sprinkling of small towns and villages that decorate the shoreline. Chapala’s rural southern lakeside contrasts with the northern shore, which has become both a favored holiday retreat for well-to-do Guadalajara families and home to a sizable colony of American and Canadian retirees. The 10-mile procession of petite, picturesque towns—Chapala, Chula Vista, San Antonio, La Floresta, Ajijic, San Juan Cosala, and others—scattered along the northern shore have collectively become known as the Chapala Riviera. A stream of visitors and an abundance of resident talent and resources sustain good restaurants and hotels as well as fine shops that offer the works of an accomplished community of artisans and artists. The Towns of Chapala and Ajijic Approximately 20,000 North Americans (some estimates go up to 30,000) now have residences on this north shore, which also includes the villages of San Nicolas, Vista del Lago, La Floresta, Chula Vista, San Juan Cosala, San Antonio and Jocotepec. Although the lake measures sixty miles long by sixteen miles wide, most of the expats live within twenty miles of one another. Also, with its green and leafy surroundings and slow-paced lifestyle, the Chapala Riviera has become a popular spot for expat retirees with many taking advantage of the relatively cheap cost of living. Cost of Living in the Lake Chapala AreaGone are the days when one could "live in Mexico on US$500 a month," but compared with the United States and Canada and, indeed, most developed countries, the cost of living here is quite low. Any expense in a labor intensive field such as restaurants, construction or auto repair is generally a bargain. One must search to find a first rate evening meal exceeding US$15. Building costs are in the US$45 per square foot range, and an oil change, lube and complete tune-up about US$50. Nearly all construction is masonry, so fire insurance is seldom purchased. Real estate taxes are minimal at about .015% of fair market value. An annual physical check up by a well-qualified, bilingual, often U.S. educated physician is about US$50 plus tests. Maids and gardeners work for US$2 per hour or a little more depending upon their length of service with you. While some items are more expensive than one may be accustomed to (such as gasoline, phone service and goods imported from the United States), other items are much cheaper (such as fresh produce, property taxes, utilities and services), and still others are about the same. One thing to make note of is that used merchandise maintains a value close to that of new merchandise. Return to top |
