Lake Chapala including Ajijic and the town of Chapala

is only 40 minutes from Guadalajara and less than 30 minutes from Guadalajara's airport. Three main towns are featured, Chapala, Ajijic, and Jocotepec. There are an estimated 45,000 people living in the Guadalajara, Chapala/Ajijic area, and many of them are North Americans. Numerous support organizations exist, and they organize activities, provide assistance in purchasing real estate, legal, cultural, shopping, and financial advice. This support makes the Lake Chapala an excellent starting point if you want to investigate retiring in Mexico. It is just far enough away from the big city to be a comfortable retirement haven. It is only 2.5 hours to the coastal beaches south of Manzanillo, 3 hours to Manzanillo itself, and 4.5 hours from Puerto Vallarta. Ajijic appears to have more Canadian residents, and Chapala seems to have more American residents. Both are popular retirement destinations. Ajijic has a movie theater (new American movies) and a live performance theater.

Although shopping is good around Lake Chapala, it is only a short drive by bus or car to the big box stores in Guadalajara (WalMart, Sam's Club, etc.)

The real estate market is one of the best organized and regulated in Mexico, and hundreds of homes are listed for sale on the local MLS service.

The fabulous colonial cities of Mexico are mostly within 3-4 hours driving too. Of course we can't forget the great city of Guadalajara which is less than one hour away. You can shop till you drop there, eat gourmet meals, check out colonial buildings, and the entertainment is full-range. Prices are fairly low and the selection is unlimited.

The cost of living is lower around Lake Chapala compared to the coastal areas. Restaurant prices can much lower, but higher priced tourist restaurants exist too. Utility costs are lower because air conditioning is not required.

And of course, they have the world's most perfect climate.

Here are some local links for more information. To the right are the hills behind Ajijic.

Medical Services

Golfing in the Area

Other Links for Information

The picture to the left shows the Fountain of the Fishermen in the lakeside park in the town of Chapala. In the background is the cathedral. Chapala has a more defined commercial core compared to the village of Ajijic. Behind this fountain toward the lake are located many vendors selling products from arts and crafts to food.

Chapala is a great place for a Sunday afternoon stroll along this park, checking out all the Mexican tourists from Guadalajara. People from Guadalajara come to Lake Chapala for the weekend or just for dinner on the lake. Sometimes all the restaurants are very busy on the weekend. Ajijic offers great walking trips through a more traditional Mexican town. Watch your ankles on the cobblestone streets!

Here is the climate data for Chapala:

Summary of average monthly temperatures and precipitation.
Month:	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High Temp.	75	77	80	84	86	83	79	79	78	79	78	76
Low Temp.	46	48	50	54	58	61	60	60	59	55	49	47
Precipitation	0.5	0.2	0.2	0.3	1.0	6.3	9.7	7.6	5.8	2.3	0.4	0.5
The above numbers are degrees fahrenheit and inches.

The above current temperatures are for Guadalajara. The climate on Lake Chapala is generally a little cooler than Guadalajara in the hotter months, and warmer in the colder months.

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CHAPALA REAL ESTATE

Lake Chapala Real Estate                  Lake Chapala MLS Search

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CHAPALA ACCOMMODATIONS

See a list of B&B's, hotels, and motels in the Ajijic area.

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CHAPALA SHOPPING AND SERVICES

If you are feeling apprehensive about moving to Mexico, check out this great 7 day 6 night discover tour of Lake Chapala Mexico offered by GoMexicoway.com

Lots of handicrafts, and art works of all kinds can be found in the Lago Chapala area. Virtually unlimited shopping can be found in Guadalajara, a short distance away. Shopping bus tours are run regularly to Guadalajara. Excellent hospitals are in Guadalajara and offer affordable surgeries.

CHAPALA DINING

There is a good selection of restaurants in the Lake Chapala area. Including seafood, Italian, Mexican, Chinese and American. You won't go hungry!

Links to other web sites:

Ajijic Real Estate