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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.

 


Our house in San MIguel de Allende
Our house in SMA with our neighbor, Teo

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.


Our patio in San Miguel de Allende
Elena relaxing on our patio




Let's look at our Pros & Cons for SMA:



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  
Fair amount of cultural activities  
Very “artsy” – 20-30 art galleries
 in town
 
Plenty of low-cost help available
(housekeepers, gardeners, etc.)
 


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.

Lake Chapala
Lake Chapala




Let's look at our Pros & Cons for LAKE CHAPALA:



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
Low taxes  
Plenty of low-cost help available
(housekeepers, gardeners, etc.)
 
Close to major airport  
   



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.

Poolside in Puerto Vallarta
The "good life" in PV



Let's look at our Pros & Cons for PUERTO VALLARTA:
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  
Low taxes  
Fair amount of cultural activities  
Major airport nearby  
Plenty of low-cost help available
(housekeepers, gardeners, etc.)
 

 REFERENCES:
 LIVING ABROAD IN MEXICO and LIVE WELL IN MEXICO, both by Ken Luboff
 CHOOSE MEXICO by John Howells & Don Merwin
 

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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