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RETIRE IN MEXICO
We have three primary recommendations:
San Miguel de Allende, Lake Chapala and Puerto Vallarta
The first two are inland communities, while Puerto Vallarta is a beach community. This is a big distinction and you must give some thought to which types of living you might prefer. Each carries its own advantages and disadvantages.
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| Our house in SMA with our neighbor, Teo |
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Secondary locations that deserve your considerations would be Cabo San Lucas, Guanajuato, Mazatlan, Merida (including nearby Playa del Carmen) and Queretaro.
One city we can not recommend is the capital, Mexico City. Too much crime. Kidnapping has become its main growth industry. Sad to say, because it’s a beautiful city with top-notch cultural and entertainment venues.
Let’s look at our first-tier cities.
SAN MIGUEL de ALLENDE
We spent a lot of time traveling around Mexico before we settled on San Miguel. It’s a very picturesque colonial town high in the mountains.
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| Elena relaxing on our patio |
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Let's look at our Pros & Cons for SMA:
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| Pros |
Cons |
Good year-round weather (does
occasionally get frost in winter |
Small town (about 100,000) |
| Many good restaurants |
Little first-class entertainment |
Local, small doctor-owned
hospital |
Mexico City nearest (150 miles) top
quality hospitals |
| Moderate cost of living |
Nearest airport 90 minute drive |
| Plenty of rentals available |
Property getting expensive |
| Very low taxes |
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| Fair amount of cultural activities |
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Very “artsy” – 20-30 art galleries
in town |
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Plenty of low-cost help available
(housekeepers, gardeners, etc.) |
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LAKE CHAPALA
Lake Chapala is Mexicos largest freshwater lake. Surrounding the lake are several communities comprising a sizable American population. Three or four different villages (Ajijic, being the largest) around the lake, which is about ten or twelve miles from Guadalajara, Mecico's second largest city. Unfortunately, the lake is very polluted from industrial runoffs upstream. Swimming is not recommended.
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| Lake Chapala |
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Let's look at our Pros & Cons for LAKE CHAPALA:
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| Pros |
Cons |
Largest American population
(about 40,000) |
Small towns, but close to a major city |
| Great year-round weather |
Not much night life in towns around lake |
Good recreation and entertainment
facilities in nearby Guadalajara |
Have to travel to Guadalajara for
quality reataurants |
| Excellent hospitals in Guadalajara |
Crime rising in Guadalajara -
second highest rate of kidnappings
in Mexico |
| Moderate cost of living |
Property getting expensive |
| Plenty of rentals available |
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| Low taxes |
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Plenty of low-cost help available
(housekeepers, gardeners, etc.) |
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| Close to major airport |
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PUERTO VALLARTA
This is our favorite vacation spot in Mexico. Great beaches and reasonably priced hotels. We stayed there last November for a week at an all-inclusive hotel for $1600, including air fare.
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| The "good life" in PV |
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Let's look at our Pros & Cons for PUERTO VALLARTA:
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| Pros |
Cons |
| Large American population |
Medium size city |
| Great weather 3 seasons |
Brutal summers - hot and very
humid & "buggy" |
| Many great restaurants |
3 or 4 hour drive to nearest
metropolis (Guadalajara) |
| Moderate cost of living |
Property getting expensive |
| Plenty of rentals available |
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| Low taxes |
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| Fair amount of cultural activities |
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| Major airport nearby |
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Plenty of low-cost help available
(housekeepers, gardeners, etc.) |
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| REFERENCES: |
| LIVING ABROAD IN MEXICO and LIVE WELL IN MEXICO, both by Ken Luboff |
| CHOOSE MEXICO by John Howells & Don Merwin |
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The main problem we had living in Mexico was its distance from the States. It was just too far away for our elderly parents to visit much. And airfares get more expensive each year. So in 2004 we moved to Las Vegas.
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