Welcome to Ajijic and Lake Chapala Retirement Area
We want to congratulate you for looking into Mexico's largest
North American retirement community.
As pioneers in real estate (1st one lakeside) and the publishing business, we have introduced many to our local idyllic scene. We feel this is what we do best, showing you what graceful and carefree retirement is all about.
Let us share with you our excitement and knowledge on the Lake Chapala area. Be among the many that have already begun a new and enjoyable life.
Lake Chapala, the Area Known as “Lakeside”
Lake Chapala is the largest freshwater lake in Mexico, with 1112 km².
This area is known as “Lakeside” to residents from the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and Europe, among other places, and “la ribera” to Mexicans. Due partly to the eclectic mixture, it has developed a continental Old World charm which blends smoothly with a distinctly Mexican ambiance.
Cobblestone streets, tile-roofed homes, riotously colorful gardens blooming year around, and incredible open-air markets and restaurants are common sights, backdropped by lush green mountains surrounding the lake. The hills are laced with flowering trees and plants, and accented by waterfalls, caves, petroglyphs, indigenous sacred sites, and a variety of hiking trails and places to explore.
Over 10,000 retirees call lakeside their home, call us, we can show you around!
Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city, and its international airport are less than an hour away, so Lake Chapala area residents can have anything at their disposal. If for some reason it can’t be found in Chapala or Ajijic, it can be found in Guadalajara. With the airport so close, it is easy to travel to the United States or anywhere in the world.
Climate And Weather in the Lake Chapala Area
Other prime retirement locations cannot come close to matching the climate in the Lake Chapala area. High humidity, searing summer heat, hurricane and tornado threats and miserable winters are all foreign to the Lake Chapala area. Temperatures are consistent year round. The sun shines all day almost every day. Consistently low humidity adds to the comfort level. The wind is very gentle or non-existent. Sunrises and sunsets vary only about an hour from winter to summer.
A combination of tropical location, high altitude and a large body of water produce a climate in the Chapala area that is second to none in the world. Although National Geographic magazine has done the full analysis and declared Lake Chapala to have the second best climate, those who live here are quite content to be that close to the ideal.
Continue Reading more about climate and weather…
Cost Of Living
Other than excellent climate, the reason many North Americans have for moving to Mexico is the cost of living. Most prices are lower compared to those “back home”. It is hard to understand why so many people on small pensions or Social Security will struggle with miserable climates, high utility and medical bills, and other services, when they could live better in Mexico.
Enjoy this video of Lake Chapala area
Where is Chapala?
Chapala is located in the central area of the state of Jalisco, Mexico, at the north shore of Lake Chapala, 26 km. (16 mi.) east of the Lake’s western end, and 42 km. (25 mi.) south of Guadalajara, Jalisco. Chapala is the largest city on the shores of Lake Chapala, it is a traditional Mexican city, where you can take walks along the shore of the lake and contemplate the beautiful boardwalk. The climate in the Chapala area is temperate, with rains in summer. The rains occur between the months of June and October. The coldest periods are from December to February. Its average temperature is 72°F / 22°C. The temperature ranges from a low of about 50°F / 10°C in the winter months, to a high of about 90°F / 32°C in summer.
Read more about Chapala…
Living in Lake Chapala
Open Circle in Lake Chapala Society
The Lake Chapala Society hosts Open Circle every Sunday at 10AM, a popular community gathering in Ajijic, to enjoy a diverse range of presentations. For more information and to make reservations, see their website: opencircleajijic.org.
In order to follow State of Jalisco safety precautions, the presentations will be on the south lawn, close to the gazebo, the entrance will be by the side door on Ramón Corona, chairs will be socially distanced. Gate opens at 9:30. During this period, we recommend bringing a hat and bottled water, and please remove containers upon departure. Attendance is limited to 80 persons, please make your reservation if you want to attend https://opencircleajijic.org/reservation_form.php
Use of masks and temperature checks on entry is mandatory.
August 1, 2021 – Presentation by Dr. Beatriz Gallagher: My COVID Experience So Far
MORE ARTICLES
- The Magic Of Lakeside
Don Beaudreau explains how our ciclopista is a much-awaited and much-appreciated gift for many of us. As a distance runner for 60 years who became more and more competitive as I got older, I am thrilled by this gift! I know that it can provide not only a sense of increased community, but also give the individual some time to be away from the responsibilities and expectations of others. - Ajijic’s first cardiac catheterization!
Dr. Sergio Morret, The Ojo’s New Medication Columnists, describes how his experience performing Lakesides first Cardiac Catheterization. Dr. Morret divides his practice between Guadalajara and San Antonio Hospital in Riberas. - THE ROOTS OF HEAVEN ARE THESE: Freedom, Justice, Dignity
Dr. Lori Swinehart discusses a book written in the 1950’s “Man is destroying the forests, poisoning the oceans, poisoning the very air we breathe. The oceans, the forests, the races of animals and mankind are the roots of heaven. Poison heaven at its roots, and the tree will wither and die. The stars will go out, and heaven will be destroyed.” And how it is more relevant today than when it was written. - Mis Tres Amigos
Margie Harrell, tells her story in Mis Tres Amigos, about doing business in Chapala with some very familiar names!
More articles – El Ojo del Ojo – August 2021
Home of the Week
“Charming Home”
Quiet and traquil living, cozy home located on the west side of Ajijic in an excellent neighborhood. 2 bedrooms and 2 baths on the ground floor plus an independent room upstairs with complete bathroom. Covered terrace, big yard, bodega and carport for 2 cars. Mountain and lake view, solar powered, purification system, water softener and reverse osmosis system.
Home For Sale In Ajijic
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MORE ABOUT LAKE CHAPALA
15 Activities to Enjoy in Lake Chapala
Retirees find that keeping occupied is not a problem; the only dilemma is finding the time to do all the available activities. With over 200 existing organizations in the area, there is a variable of “things to do” year round. There are hundreds (maybe thousands) of activities in the towns of La Ribera de Chapala to keep you entertained and participating in this beautiful community.
This is a brief list of some of the activities, places and organizations, which are not numbered in any particular order. Hope this is of great help for you.
Let’s start and have some fun!
More articles:
Lake Chapala Videos
San Antonio Tlayacapan Tour
Take a look to this virtual tour of San Antonio Tlayacapan, a beautiful town at Lakeside....
Sunrise On Chapala Malecon!
Enjoy the beauty of the lake with the first rays of the sun....
Ajijic Spring
Spring in Ajijic – Jacarandas How beautiful Ajijic looks in spring!...
San Antonio Plaza
San Antonio Tlayacapan, is a charming town located between Chapala and Ajijic....
La Floresta In Ajijic
On the east side of Ajijic, is La Floresta, a neighborhood of lush trees and beautiful houses....
Lake Chapala Towns
For more than 10,000 expatriates, mostly Canadian and American, attracted by a climate described as “eternal spring,” the shores of Lake Chapala, Mexico’s largest lake, have become a permanent home.
Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico
Ajijic is situated on a narrow strip of land between the mountains to the north and the Lake to the South. It is flanked by San Antonio Tlayacapan to the east and San Juan Cosala to the west. It is seven kilometers west of Chapala. Its average annual temperature is 19.9 degrees Centigrade “68F”.
“In pre-conquest times, Ajijic (Ah-ee-heec) was spelled Axixique or Axixic (pronounced “Ah-she-sheek.”) The final “c” was pronounced by Spanish rules, but whenever anyone pronounces it, people in these parts know he is a stranger. Ajijic means “The Place Where the Water Springs Forth” in Nahuatl.”
Since Tuesday, December 1, 2020, the town of Ajijic, located on Lake Chapala, has been declared the ninth Magic Town of Jalisco (Pueblo Magico), delivered by the federal tourism government.
Read more about Ajijic: Location, Meaning, History, Flora, Fauna, Art, Festivities….
AJIJIC REAL ESTATE: Homes for sale and rent in Ajijic
Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico
Chapala is located on the north shore of Lake Chapala, 26 km. (16 mi.) east of the Lake’s western end, and 42 km. (25 mi.) south of Guadalajara. It is the oldest, most populated, and the most easterly of a string of villages – Chapala, San Antonio Tlayacapan, Ajijic, San Juan Cosala and Jocopetec – known locally as Lakeside.
Founded in 1538, the town probably took its name from Chapalac, one of its earliest Indian chiefs. Or perhaps it came from the Mexican “Chapatla,” the “place where pots abound,” referring to the primitive Indian practice of appeasing the gods by throwing pots, spotted with blood from earlobes, into Lake Chapala. “Grasshoppers Over the Water” – Nahuatl “Very Wet Place” – Coca “Place Where the Pots Abound”- Nahuatl
Read more about Chapala: Location, Meaning, History, Flora, Fauna, Art, Festivities….
CHAPALA REAL ESTATE: Homes for sale and rent in Chapala
More Lake Chapala Towns
