Retire in Lake Chapala

Heart Of Ajijic Sign, Ajijic, Mexico You can retire anywhere in the world right? Maybe even retire right in your own home town? So why even contemplate a retirement move to Lake Chapala, Mexico? Great question! Answer = Because there is so much that the Lake Chapala area has to offer and all at half the cost (see my cost of living blog for 2026) and all within close and easy proximity to your home in the U.S. or Canada should you wish to or need to return. Read on to find ou

I recently had Retirement Seminar clients who came down for my week long Seminar. They ended up returning to the U.S after spending only one day at Lakeside! As it turns out, this is not rare. I have always said that Lake Chapala is not for everyone and there are pros and cons to moving to Lake Chapala. In fact, looking back through all my Seminars, approximately 25% of the participants did not return, or stayed for only a short while before returning to the U.S for good. Thi

Horseback riders along the Ajijic malecon At Retire In Lake Chapala, we understand that information in king and is paramount in helping you make the right decision with regards to retiring in Lake Chapala. That is why we have dedicated ourselves to regularly putting out information packed blogs on our website. We've got you covered with this special edition celebrating over 150 informative articles and more coming each and every month. If you want to make a successful and inf

Pickleball in Lake Chapala Looking for something to do in Ajijic, Mexico? It shouldn't be hard. With one of the largest and oldest expat communities in the world, there is virtually every club and organization represented. As of October 2016 there were 82 registered organizations! Add to that the large number of unorganized groups (my guess would be around 40 or so) and you have well over a hundred groups you could be involved in. After moving to Ajijic, you will be constant

Mexican pesos & Mexican debit card One of the most asked questions on web boards and Facebook Groups is, “What does it cost to live in Lake Chapala?” Obviously the answer can vary greatly. I know couples who live on as little as a $1200 per month including rent and it goes up from there. Suffice to say, depending on your lifestyle, and whether you own or rent, the true cost of living Lakeside can vary. Most notably, restaurant prices have increased significantly in the past

Old Church In Ajijic, Lake Chapala Last night, Michaela and I hosted a small dinner party with two close couples we’ve met since moving to Mexico. As the evening unfolded, something struck me in a very powerful way. After more than 12 years of living in Mexico, I was sitting at my own table where Spanish—not English—was the primary language spoken . It felt natural, comfortable, and deeply rewarding. Around the table was a true reflection of life in Lake Chapala, Mexico . Mic

We've had a rash of requests lately for information about assisted care/assisted living residences. And why not? Retirement homes in Lake Chapala are drastically cheaper than in the U.S and Canada. You'll find that most care facilities here are between $1200 to $4000 USD per month making it affordable for even those on social security. As always, Retire In Lake Chapala is here to serve you with abundant amounts of information regarding all your questions so to make it easi

Senior driving car in Lake Chapala If you’re thinking about retiring in Lake Chapala , one of the most common questions you’ll hear—both online and from new arrivals—is: “Do I need a car in Lake Chapala?” It’s a great question, and one that doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all answer. Whether or not you’ll need a car really depends on your lifestyle, health, and where you decide to live . With our near-perfect climate (often ranked among the best in the world), it’s easy to see

Scott & Camille Woodard in front of Ajijic Sign “Living here is an experiential process, not a logical one.” ~ Marc Miller My wife, Camille, and I are wrapping up our initial reconnaissance trip to Ajijic, preparing to move here permanently after the first of the year. We’ll have been here for two weeks when we catch our flight back to the U.S. The first week was spent under the guidance of Ricardo, as he took us through his Retire in Lake Chapala Seminar Pro Tip: Take, his s

Michaela & Ricardo - Retire In Lake Chapala Hi. This is Michaela. So many people told me I was crazy! That it took guts to move to Mexico. Well... yes and no. Mexico is not a third world country as many people think and living here is not much different than in the U.S. or Canada. Furthermore, moving to Lake Chapala in particular couldn't be easier due to it's helpful and long standing expat population. So why did I do it? What motivated my partner Ricardo to do it? Can you

People enjoying another sunny day along the Ajijic Malecon Are there legitimate reasons not to move to Lake Chapala? On Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms you'll find people trying to scare you off from moving to Lake Chapala with all sorts of claims. There are various reasons for people posting things like this ranging from trying to sell a book to an unfortunate bad experience but the bottom line is that most claims are untrue or greatly exaggerated. Is livi

What are some people telling us about their experiences in visiting Lake Chapala for the first time? Find out in this candid interview with prospective expats Bob & Janis who took our Personalized Retirement Seminar . Tell us a bit about yourselves. Where did you come from and why did you choose Ajijic? WE RETIRED FROM SAN DIEGO 7 YEARS AGO AND HAVE BEEN TRAVELING THE USA AND CANADA FULL TIME IN AN RV. ONE OF OUR TRAVEL GOALS WAS TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL RETIREMENT LOCATION

Ajijic offers the single woman the second best climate to live in Ajijic, Jalisco could be one of the safest and best places in the world for a single woman to retire. With it's large and well established expat community and almost infinite number of things to do, Ajijic is a safe and fun haven for retiring women of any age. Not only is it a great place to retire but with it's low cost of living it invites people of all back rounds and income levels to stay and play. Life f

Ajijic Malecon, Lake Chapala, Mexico Since starting the web page “Retire In Lake Chapala”, I have received countless emails about topics related to visiting Lake Chapala for the first time. Here are just a sampling of some of the questions and the answers I gave. Q. What do I need to bring on my trip to Lake Chapala? A. Starting as early as October you might need a very light jacket, although this is completely dependent on the person. Comfortable, walking footwear is mos

Basket street vendor Lake Chapala, Mexico “Peeescaaadooo!' The call is loud and booming. It is the local fish vendor coming up the street with his wheelbarrow full of tilapia and carp caught from Lake Chapala. He comes complete with knife, plastic bags and heavily stained plywood in order to fillet the fresh catch of the day. “Whiiistttlle!” The distinctive ,sharp, rising and falling sound of a whistle blows out across the street as the local knife sharpener walks up the st

Ajijic street mural, Lake Chapala, Mexico Thinking of expatriating to Lake Chapala? Are you aware of and considered the difficulties you might face on your expatriating journey? Do you have the right stuff? Changing countries is not for everyone. Leaving behind all your friends, all the things you know, all the conveniences. Can you adapt? Are you up to the challenge? You will find in Mexico that in order to enjoy yourself, you will have to adapt to the ancient rhythm of li

San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato This is a frequently asked question by potential expats looking to move to Mexico. So which is better? Recently I took a one week vacation to San Miguel to find out for myself. After having lived in Ajijc for the past 8 years and having heard and read lots about San Miguel, I had already formed some opinions, but what did I find out? Did San Miguel live up to all the hipe? First Impressions My first impression was that San Miguel is big!

Visiting Lake Chapala but want to explore a little further afield? There are several great trips that can (and should) be done so that you get a true feel for all that this area of Mexico has to offer. So make sure your visit is long enough to include some or all of these attractions. Tequila Let's start right off with the good stuff. The trip to Tequila is now only 1.5 hours with the opening of the Guadalajara Macro Ring Road. There are an astonishing number of tequila fac

Lake Chapala has been a retirement destination for at least 70 years now. Featuring a low cost of living and an incredible climate (often reported to be the second best in the world) you owe it to yourself to come and check it out. With the influx of foreigners, comes the increased demand for retirement homes. Unfortunately, the Lake Chapala only has a small hand full of options for "independent living" or "aging in place" which is what so many of you are asking for. The reas

There is more to Lake Chapala then just Ajijic! While many of our clients come down for the expat community of Ajijic, and enjoy all the many and amazing events and clubs, there are those who prefer to be more immersed in the lifestyle of Mexico. Lucky for you, there are many options as to where to live Lakeside, and the western most part of the lake from San Juan Cosala (a mere 15 minutes from Ajijic) to Jocotepec (30 minutes), may be for you. Why? Let's look at some of the