Tepic

[rbpilot]

Looking for information on rentals in Tepic. From what I've read there are not many expats in Tepic, is that true??
Thanks

[chicois8]

True

[cuylers5746]

Originally Posted by rbpilot

Looking for information on rentals in Tepic. From what I've read there are not many expats in Tepic, is that true??
Thanks

Hi;

Gringo's in Tepic? I swear over the years, I've meet or seen about 175. My wife swears probably no more than 50? I'm counting the, now adults that were offspring of Missionaries of every persuasion that settled in here since the 1950's. Even though the country is 85% Catholic you can find almost any type of Christian Church here.

Tepic is just your typical Mexican City, that's between places? Kind of like Glendale, California is between the mountains and skiing (non of that here), lakes, and beachs. Tepic is 30 km from the beaches. The people are mostly very nice, laid back gentle people.

Try and Google; "Tepic Journal" which is Sr. Cliffardo's site in English for all kinds of resources for looking for a place and information about Tepic and the surrounding areas.

Now, where to look for rents? The main newspaper is "El Meridiano", but their's others to Google.
Look for "Casas en Renta", and if you want an Apartment look for "Departamentos".

I was looking about a week ago. You can find 3 bedroom homes from $3500.00 m.n. (=Pesos)
to $6000.00 Pesos per month. The last one was a 5 bedroom home in a very nice area. Rents have come down. If you drive up and down the streets of the areas you like stopping and asking people, you should be able to get even a furnished 3 bedroom home for $5000.00 m.n. per month or less.

Tepic has about 425K in population now. Figure the size of Albuquerque N.M. It's still a one horse town - every body knows where you can get anything done or fixed.

Very similar to West Palm Beach climate - where we had a condo for 24 years, (excepting it's about 5 degrees F cooler in the winter and summer too. Nice climate, I prefer it over Guadalajara. They have some snow there every year. We're at 2800 ft. elevation.

If you surf, dive, fish, or garden give me a shout - if you move here.

[cuylers5746]

Originally Posted by rbpilot

Looking for information on rentals in Tepic. From what I've read there are not many expats in Tepic, is that true??
Thanks

Hi again;

Forgot one thing. About a third of the adult male population has worked (mostly illegals) in the USA from time to time and speak some English - so you can ask questions and not feel helpless if you don't speak Spanish.

[rbpilot]

Thanks so much for the info. It's coincidental you lived in WPB as we are in Lake Worth. My wife was born and raised in WPB. We are looking for a cooler climate with mostly Mexicans. We are leaving on a road trip next week to explore. We are hoping to find places to stay with weekly rates. I appreciate your response.

[cuylers5746]

Originally Posted by rbpilot

Thanks so much for the info. It's coincidental you lived in WPB as we are in Lake Worth. My wife was born and raised in WPB. We are looking for a cooler climate with mostly Mexicans. We are leaving on a road trip next week to explore. We are hoping to find places to stay with weekly rates. I appreciate your response.

Hi rbpilot;

Interesting. Tell me your hobbies, interests and maybe I can give you some other suggestions too. Are you a retired pilot? Still fly?

Personally, I think after living a number of years in WPB area it will be hard to get the Ocean out of your lives - meaning some great, but cooler climate cities in the interior you would rule out.

Here are a couple of other cities not to far away to explore and their downsides to them.

1.) Colima - a regular Mexican City of about 150K, a Capital City about 30 miles inland from beautiful beaches. Voted place most Mexican's would like to live in a National Poll. Extremely clean devoid of graffiti, great small parks like in Europe, has a very educated populace and big middle class. Strong Charreria (horsemen) society there. Has most active volcano in Mexico for daily shows that is only 18 miles NE of downtown Plaza. Another nice thing about it - it's only about 2 hours from the second largest Mexican City - Guadalajara for anything you can't buy
in Colima.

Downside: It's further south and hotter in the summer time than Tepic, the small amount of Canadians/Gringos living there start leaving as early as April to go north. Not because it's getting nice back in New England, but it's getting too darn hot.

2.) Mazatlan - has it all. Most Gringo's don't know this, they think it's just a vacation/party town
on the beach, but you go two blocks inland from the Malicon and it's just a normal Mexican City. The gays have fixed up parts of old town, and now just regular people living there. It's dryer climate as it's just below the Tropic of Cancer (excepting starting around May-Nov.).

Downside: It's like an oven in the summer time. We have friends living here in Tepic, that moved here after 6 years of that horrible summer heat. I mean dripping wet heat-humidity.

Tepic is what Tepic is, and described to you in my earlier post. But there are a couple of things about the climate here, which I really like. Every early evening the dreaded "el sereno" arrives. El Sereno is the air rising up from the coastal beaches into the mountains and reaches the cooler air and becomes like a light fog with air at least 10 degees cooler. Fog like you get in Monterrey California - just a very wonderful cooling feeling. If you've been to California much, they call it coastal haze, etc. I'm originally from California and love that feeling. In the winter time, most women put on a shawl before going out in it. Tepic sits in a saddle adjoing a valley behind 9000 ft. Mt. San Juan.

Thank God for Mt. San Juan. Back in 2005 we had Hurricane Kenna slam into San Blas and Santiago Ixtquintla on the coast at 300 km/ hour!! It tore every roof off of San Blas, the Govt. evacuated it before hand, but by the time the Hurricane got east past big Mt. San Juan to Tepic? It was only Category I strength. Peace of mind.

Tepic like most Capital cities has amenities, amenities, amenities. That's very important when you get retirement age. It also has a very active Hoempathy and Natural Medicine Culture here. The best believe it is Sister Rosy, a nun of all things. We also have some of the most colorful indians in Mexico here the Huichol and Coras. I'd rather live here than in Hawai - for my likes and interests, although Hawaii is prettier by some degree.

Are you a sportsman? Tepic area is getting to be a Sportsman's Paradise. Best Bass Fishing in all of Mexico is 40 miles NE of here at Laguna Agua Milpa. They've completed two new Damn Projects which is going to open up two huge new lakes in the Sierras

Over 120 miles of great, some pristine beaches between Punta de Mita (at Bahia Banderas where Pto. Vallarta is) up until San Blas. Great Deep Sea Fishing like in WPB. Punta de Mita is only like half a mile into "open Ocean for the Dorado, Sail Fish and Marlin, like WPB is only 1/4 mile from the Gulf Stream. Longest right wave in the World (when it's on) is Las Islistas at Matenchen Bay (closest beaches to Tepic) about 50 minutes from my house on a very beautiful ride through the jungle (that we never get tired of doing).

Ton's of small villages to explore and have fun. Hard to get bored here.

If you like smaller towns than Tepic, but in proximity to like 1-2 hour to the beach? Check out these smaller towns in Nayarit.

1. Jala - lost in time Pueblo of around the time of the Revolution, up high about 4000 ft. elevation
near semi active Mt. Cherabuco Volcano.
2. Mascota, JAL. about halfway from Guadalajara to Pto. Vallarta on a back 2 lane highway.
3. Amatlan del Cana - great springs and hot spring valley, about 4500 ft. elevation - dryer in the
summer less humidity than Tepic. Picturesque 3 villages in this little valley, discovered by the
Spanish in 1527 exploring for Gold.

Here's my email address if you want further specific information; cuylers5746@gmail.com.

Cuyler

[cuylers5746]

Originally Posted by rbpilot

Thanks so much for the info. It's coincidental you lived in WPB as we are in Lake Worth. My wife was born and raised in WPB. We are looking for a cooler climate with mostly Mexicans. We are leaving on a road trip next week to explore. We are hoping to find places to stay with weekly rates. I appreciate your response.

Hi rbpilot; again

Planning your trip? Well many hotels if you call them (must know Spanish to pull this off) you can negotiate paying 6 days and getting the 7th free.

Generally speaking the best, cheapest sites for hotels in Mexico is;

Despegar.com - Hoteles, vuelos, paquetes, autos y mucho más! mainly the bigger cities/towns.

www.bookit.com.mx has a lot of smaller towns.

If you're coming to Mexico's West Coast this is what I'd suggest.
1. Spend night in Brownsville, or Corpus Christi.
2. First night in Mexico at San Luis Potosi
3. Next day drive to Guadalajara, and lunch at Leon - let wife go crazy buying shoes!
Most of shoes in Mexico made in this town,, and have shops in their factories and even have
big Malls that are 98% shoes and leather goods.
4. Next night in Guadalajara, Jalisco. From here you can drive west 2 hours the next day to
explore Colima, Colima. Absolutely gorgeous coast from Colima up to Pto. Vallarta & Tepic.
Or back in Guadalajara you're only 2.5 hours west to Tepic. The little towns I listed previously
that you might want to explore to live at are about an hour west of Guadalajara.

That's for a quick trip to Guadalajara area. If you want to spend a week at a time. Well between Cuidad Victoria and Guadalajara are "not to be missed cities". In order of our favorites;

1. San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato State
2. Guanajuato
3. Morellia

Hotels; Funny thing, in the States we don't usually stay at Best Western Hotels. But, here in Mexico they're really a slick management team, that have bought up old Casonas (great houses), Hacienda's and the like and turned them into really cute, quaint but inexpensive Hotels. We actively seek them out when we travel some place new. You can find them on the web.

Never, Never and still Never drive at night in Mexico! Mainly due to Livestock becoming hood ornaments late at night even on fancy Toll Roads.

In Guadalajara, I'd suggest a treat for you. It's Hotel Siesta or Fiesta (ask for the Hotel right across the street from City Hall). It was built in 1625, old long running plank floors up stairs with pictures of much of the history around there. It's only a 3 star hotel, but evenings at til 9:00 pm in the lobby during week nights they have free Mariachi Bands there. This is a big thing now a days as a Mariachi Band can cost easily $1000.00 m.n. per hour. A lot of towns people come have drinks too. Beautiful Sequidos Murals right across the street in the halls of the City Hall. Oh, and you're like 1-2 blocks of their fantastic plaza that goes for about 1/4 mile in length. Puts you right in the middle of all the fun things to see. I think last time there we paid like $750.00 m.n per night including free parking a block away in an underground parking garage.

Enjoy

[chicois8]

It is kind of funny that no one mentions any of the crime or massacres that have occurred in the recent past...

[TundraGreen]

Originally Posted by chicois8

It is kind of funny that no one mentions any of the crime or massacres that have occurred in the recent past...

???
What does the shooting in Colorado have to do with Tepic?

[sparks]

Try and Google; "Tepic Journal" which is Sr. Cliffardo's site in English

Poor old Cliff is still talking to himself. It's either the lack of Expats in the area or that terrible design of a website

THE TEPIC AND NAYARIT, MEXICO JOURNAL