Cost of Living
(Updated on February 14, 2023) 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 …
Lake Chapala Towns
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. Ringed by mountains, the Lake is 42 kilometers (25 miles) south of Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city. It lies at 1,525 meters …
Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos
IXTLAHUACAN DE LOS MEMBRILLOS “Ixtlahuacan of the Quince Fruit” In 1522, the Spanish Olid Expedition reached the eastern shores of what is today called Lake Chapala. When it arrived, its leader, Captain Avalos, met with little resistance. A royal grant from the king of Spain gave joint ownership of the area to Avalos, …
Jocotepec
JOCOTEPEC “Hill of Guavas” “Hill of Acid Fruits” – Nahua Perhaps as early as 100 BC, nomadic bands of Indians passed through the Lake Chapala Valley. Some moved on, others settled on the shore. Jocotepec, once Xuxutepeque, a small fishing village at the western end of the Lake, became a permanent home for the …
San Antonio Tlayacapan – Lake Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico
SAN ANTONIO TLAYACAPAN San Antonio Tlayacapan, Jalisco, Mexico “PLACE OF THE OFFERINGS TO MEN” Long before the Spaniards arrived, the Cazcanes and the Cocas lived in what is now known as San Antonio Tlayacapan, and both were dedicated to agriculture and hunting. In 1523, Cortez sent men to control the area. By 1539, both …
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San Juan Cosala: Videos, pictures, history, art and festivities
SAN JUAN COSALA “OF MANY WARM SPRINGS” In 1523, Spanish Conquistador Captain Alonso de Avalos arrived in Cutzalan. Chief Xitomatl, who now controlled the area from Ajijic to San Luis, surrendered peacefully, and was baptized by Fray Martin de Jesus. He was given the new name of Juan Bautista de Cosala. Saint John then became …
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Chapala – Lake Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico
In 1521-22, Franciscan evangelists, sent from Spain by Catholic King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to Christianize the natives, baptized Chief Chapalac, and named him “Martin of Chapala,” master of the people, owner of the land. In exchange, the Taltica Indian chief destroyed his god, Iztlacateotl. In 1538, Franciscan Fray Miguel Bolonia founded the city of …
Aerial Videos – See Lake Chapala from the sky.
Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico Ajijic Downtown, 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 …