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Lake Chapala/Ajijic

Overview

Located in the hills 25 miles (40 kms) south of Guadalajara, Lake Chapala/Ajijic (ah-hee-HEEK) boasts a wealth of amenities, including fine dining, shopping, community activities, English-language newspapers, theater and concerts, and a well-developed system of real estate brokerage and sales, not even to mention homes with spectacular lake views. Living in Lake Chapala and Ajijic and environs are more happy foreign residents than perhaps anywhere else. Buying houses and real estate in and around Lake Chapala has become common enough to allow many English speaking residents to live here comfortably and happily.

Most trips to the lake pass through Chapala, where lancha (boat) operators set sail from the municipality’s pier, taking passengers to nearby Scorpion Island. Vendors hawk charales (finger-sized fish) on the sidewalks and mariachi bands play in the town plaza on some weekdays.

Further to the west, Ajijic has a charming town center, cobblestone streets and some of the best dining in Western Mexico. As the region has grown, Jocotepec, at the lake’s west end with easy access to Highway 54, is rapidly developing and a new outlet mall and the suburbs of southern Guadalajara are within easy reach. To the east of Chapala, the Chapala Country Club welcomes guests to its nine-hole course.

U.S. consulate officials make regular visits to Chapala, along with case workers from the Mexican immigration office, sparing residents the inconvenience of a trip to downtown Guadalajara. The municipal government and local police have recently attempted to start offering some services in English.

Lake Chapala is the largest lake in Mexico. Upon arriving at almost any destination in the region, the lake is unavoidable. Due to issues in the Lerma River basin upstream and a serious dry spell, the water level dipped earlier this decade, but the lake bounced back recently thanks to two generous rainy seasons. Lake Chapala’s health has been a major focus of several community groups and their successes have benefited residents and visitors throughout the region. The large foreign population, which swells to an estimated 25,000 residents in the winter, also pitches in with charitable events. Most notably, the annual Chili Cook-off which supports local organizations, ranging from the Red Cross to scholarship funds for local youth.

Livtopia has plenty of experience helping people to relocate to Lake Chapala and to buy and rent real estate. If you don’t see the property you’re after right away, drop us a line, and we’ll be happy to locate one for you.And don’t forget to check out Real Estate news as wells as news on living in or relocating to the Lake Chapala area on our blog.