The name has a variety of possible meanings: “place of locusts above the water”, “humid or soaked place” or “place of vases or small pots”.  The lake may have been named after an Indian chief, Chapa, who apparently lived in the area when the first missionaries arrived.

There doesn’t seem to be the same kind of ancient history surrounding Chapala as other parts of Mexico – possibly because of its formerly remote location, very few ancient tribes passed through.  Once it was discovered, however, its reputation began to grow.  An abundance of fish and animals for food, fertile plateaus for planting, and an extremely benevolent climate all contributed to a succession of tribes inhabiting the region.

Resting in a tectonic basin south of Guadalajara, Lake Chapala is surrounded by quiet villages and volcanic hills.  It is situated at an altitude of 1,525 meters (5,000 feet) in the southeastern part of the Sierra Madre Mountains, and is the largest lake in Mexico.  Numerous towns and villages surround the central and western end of the lake: Ajijic, Atotonilquillo, San Antonio Tlayacapan, San Nicolas de Ibarra, Santa Cruz de la Soledad, San Juan Cosala,  El Chante, Jocotepec, San Pedro Tesistan, San Cristóbal Zapotitlán, San Luis Soyotlán, and Tizapán el Alto

Lake Chapala is part of the Lerma-Santiago River system, fed mainly by the Lerma River on the east side of the lake and draining into the Rio Grande de Santiago from the northeast corner of the lake. The water then flows northwest into the Pacific Ocean. It is the major water source for the nearby city of Guadalajara and its five million residents. The lake is also a critical habitat for several species of migratory, rare, and endemic (found nowhere else) waterfowl, such as the white pelican, and home to thousands of indigenous plants and animals and endemic fish species.

As in other parts of the world, increasing human demand and inefficient use of water have added stress to the naturally varying and ecologically unique system of rivers, lakes, canals, and wetlands. Conflicts over water use in the basin have arisen between states and among agricultural, industrial, hydroelectric, municipal, and environmental interests. Untreated industrial and agricultural runoff also threaten the health of this critical lake.
The surface area of Lake Chapala in March, 1986 was 1,048 square kilometers (259,000 acres). By March 2001, it had diminished to 812 square kilometers (201,000 acres). In 15 years, the lake lost 226 square kilometers or almost 60,000 acres of surface area. This loss corresponds to a water level decline between 2 and 4 meters (6.6 to 13.2 feet), and the change in depth was accompanied by at least a 50 percent loss of water volume. In 2004, the mean depth of Lake Chapala was approximately 7 meters.
Fortunately, the climatic cycle changed direction and in the past five years has produced above average rainfall, both in the immediate area and upstream.  The result has been a resurgence of the lake to levels not seen since the 1960’s.  Additionally, of course, heavy rainfall has reduced the demand on the lake for irrigation and industrial uses upstream so greater amounts of rainfall are finding their way into the lake.
Conservation efforts and more rational water management policies upstream have been put in place and will hopefully prevail during the next cycle of low rainfall.  There is still concern for pollution, and ongoing growth in usage from Guadalajara, but the immediate threat to the lake has been abated.

Tourism is not a recent phenomenon in Chapala. Back in the middle of the 19th century a lake steamer transported people from Ocotlan (near the eastern end of the lake) to Chapala and back.  When the Mexican railways built a line from Guadalajara in 1920 (possibly because former President Porfirio Diaz had spent some time with friends in the area), the tourism industry opened up.  The line was not very profitable, however, and was closed in 1926 after a very few years of service.  The main remnant of that era is an elegant terminal building on the northern edge of town that has been restored and houses art and archeology exhibitions.  The highway was first constructed to Chapala in the 1920’s. The current autopista was completed in the early 1980’s and now makes it possible for people to commute to work in Guadalajara from Lakeside (or vice versa).

Among the best-known attractions of the area are the beautiful natural hot baths found in several of the villages and spas in the area.  These thermal springs along the shores of the lake are a favorite both of foreign tourists and weekend visitors from Guadalajara.

The town of Chapala is a weekend destination for many residents of Guadalajara out for a family drive or visiting friends and relatives in the area.  Many Tapatios (residents of Guadalajara) also have weekend homes along the lake.  The town is the municipal seat, as well as a regional supply and distribution centre.  On market day (Mondays) people from the surrounding farms and ranches flood the town to do their business for the week.  Chapala has branches of four of Mexico’s largest banks, plus a savings institution. 

The village of Ajijic may now be more famous than Chapala.  It has evolved into a tourist mecca, and also a prime residential area coveted by many who move here.  The number of restaurants, bars and shops is truly disproportional to the population. It is also home to an increasing number of local and international artists, writers, and musicians.

All towns and villages in Mexico have an annual fiesta to honour their patron saint.  In Chapala, this festival occurs in early October, and in Ajijic at the end of November.  Chapala also hosts an annual parade to honor the Virgin of Guadalupe and Ajijic enacts the trial and crucifixion of Christ during the Easter celebration. Complete with period costumes and sets, a monstrous cross and viewed by many locals and visitors, this pageant is popular with residents and visitors alike.