How do I find B&Bs in Lake Chapala area, etc.?

[JaneScriv]

I've heard that there a lot of small B&Bs in the Lake Chapala and other expat areas run by expats, but don't know how to locate them. I'm planning a 'recon' trip for several weeks starting in September and hope to spend a bit of time in Lake Chapala, San Miguel, San Juan, Jocotopec, Aguascalientes, Mazamitla and also Puerto Vallarta. I'd love to find some basic B&Bs rather than having to look for hotels in each area.

Any suggestions?

[RVGRINGO]

You are right; there are several in Chapala and Ajijic. Google should find them for you.

[conklinwh]

I can't help you in Lake Chapala but you also mention San Miguel. We live about 45 min away from San Miguel and have lots of friends there as well as experiences with a number of B&B's.
If you would like some thoughts about San Miguel or feedback on recommendations, my pleasure. It would be good to have a price range and other keys to your search such as distance to the Jardin.
BTW, I don't have much knowledge abould PV but four of us drove there for a friend's gallery opening. We stayed at Hacienda Alemana which was great in terms of the room, cleanliness(German efficiency), location, off street parking and friendliness of staff. Therefore I have a sample of 1.

[JaneScriv]

Originally Posted by conklinwh

I can't help you in Lake Chapala but you also mention San Miguel. We live about 45 min away from San Miguel and have lots of friends there as well as experiences with a number of B&B's.
If you would like some thoughts about San Miguel or feedback on recommendations, my pleasure. It would be good to have a price range and other keys to your search such as distance to the Jardin.
BTW, I don't have much knowledge abould PV but four of us drove there for a friend's gallery opening. We stayed at Hacienda Alemana which was great in terms of the room, cleanliness(German efficiency), location, off street parking and friendliness of staff. Therefore I have a sample of 1.

Thanks for the reply. Re: price range - I am trying to conserve capital as much as I possibly can, and don't require the elegant presentation of a high class hotel. However, I do need clean, safe and close to transportation. I really have no idea as yet as to the size of San Miguel, or the variety/level of neighborhoods where a mid-life American woman expat might want to stay. For that matter, I don't know either whether it will even be feasible for me to live in San Miguel, as I will have to be living on less than about USD1400/mo. once I move to Mexico.

Once again, any insights or information is greatly appreciated.

[conklinwh]

We have friends that are single women artists living in San Miguel. I will ask them what is reasonable. They all have places walking distance to most everything and transportation is very good. By the way, most larger cities in Mexico are combinations of cities & counties in US definition. San Miguel is about 65K city and double that for the county.

Originally Posted by JaneScriv

Thanks for the reply. Re: price range - I am trying to conserve capital as much as I possibly can, and don't require the elegant presentation of a high class hotel. However, I do need clean, safe and close to transportation. I really have no idea as yet as to the size of San Miguel, or the variety/level of neighborhoods where a mid-life American woman expat might want to stay. For that matter, I don't know either whether it will even be feasible for me to live in San Miguel, as I will have to be living on less than about USD1400/mo. once I move to Mexico.

Once again, any insights or information is greatly appreciated.

[RVGRINGO]

With a bit of caution and budgeting, you can live on that amount and enjoy it, but not in a B&B. You will need to plan your rent, groceries and entertainment/travel, plus a reserve for medical. It can be done.

[elchante]

janescriv: a few questions for you. how long will you be staying in mexico come september? you have mentioned wanting to check out several places which are really not close at all to one another. you also mention that you would like your B&Bs to be close to transportation. will you have a vehicle with you, be renting a car in mexico, or will you be depending solely on public transportation? while public transport in mexico (i.e. buses, taxis) is reasonable and readily available, being totally reliant thereon will probably impact your time allocation.

i am always amused when people say they have about $1400US a month to live on, only to be told that it will be a stretch for them. i live on substantially less than that here in the lake chapala area. however....i have learned to differentiate between my needs versus my wants. my needs are housing, food, basic utilities, gasoline and vehicle insurance for my pickup, visa costs, and medical insurance. my wants are all those things, but above a basic level, with some extras thrown in (for instance, travel). you need to seriously assess what you cannot, realistically, live without here when you are determining how much it will cost you to live in mexico. (and if/when you talk to expats here about their monthly costs, take them with a grain of salt. most of us like to tell you how cheap it is to live here and may exaggerate a bit to make those costs seem even less!)

[conklinwh]

As I said in earlier post, I asked a few single woman friends in San Miguel. I received the following from an artist friend. She actually included the referenced link but I pulled. If you send private message I will forward.
Her reference to travel is that she focuses her art and also her work trying to reduce violence against indigenous women. This requires travel to Oaxaca & Chiapas areas.


About your question, I would advise her to do a posting on the civil list.
If she really wants to come and stay to see if she likes living here, there may be many people who would respond to her posting, with casas or apts. to rent that month, who do not advertise them in a public venue. They would be affordable, and give a better idea of living here than staying in a B&B, which is a fake look at any town.

Her lifestyle is anyone's guess. For me, yes, it's possible, because I live very simply. I don't eat out every day, I'm not into shopping, etc. but that amount does not afford traveling around much, (which is my only real addiction.) It just depends on what her lifestyle is. There are rentals in the 2500. - 4000. pesos range, if you ask Mexicans instead of gringo property managements. If I think of anything else that might be helpful I'll send it on.

I hope this useful. Leyt me know if you would like more. San Miguel is a great place for single women based at least on our friends.

[bnzim]

Originally Posted by JaneScriv

I've heard that there a lot of small B&Bs in the Lake Chapala and other expat areas run by expats, but don't know how to locate them. I'm planning a 'recon' trip for several weeks starting in September and hope to spend a bit of time in Lake Chapala, San Miguel, San Juan, Jocotopec, Aguascalientes, Mazamitla and also Puerto Vallarta. I'd love to find some basic B&Bs rather than having to look for hotels in each area.

Any suggestions?

I would check out Travel Advisor and review the several B&Bs that are listed there.

[conklinwh]

Janescriv, I just wanted to follow up on costs to live in SMA. We were visiting a single artist friend that rents a place in the Colonia Independencia. In fact a lot of our artist friends that used to look in the areas of Allende, Gaudiana & San Antonio are now looking in Independencia and Guadalupe. Any way, this was 1st chance we had to look at her new apartment. She has the full 2nd floof with a light shaft to the roof that is also hers with a palapa and great views. The main floor has a combo living/dining/kitchen "great room", 3 BR's and a bath. Also a terrace she uses for vegetables. Cost is less than $200/month which makes her total expenses very low. She said that it took awhile to find but it can be done.