LOL, most residents are retired old farts...I do not think you would meet the retirement requirements of the Mexican Gob. retirement visa...Which visa are you getting?

 

25 and 35?!? Most Chapala expats have grandkids older than you.

 

I spent a week in Chapala a few years ago when I was in my mid-60s. Almost all of the expats I met were even older than me!

 

The good news is that we are still older than you, Isla.
The bad news is that it is not as much fun as it once was.
:wave:

 

I have been living here in the city of Chapala for the past 5 years and I am 39. Well, honestly the grand majority of the expats here in this area tend to be old people, retirees. But if you consider the expat population here (nobody seems to know the exact number of course) but it has been guestimated to fluctuate between 15 to 30 thousand, there are more expats in the winter months here and less in the summer months. That is a lot of people from North of the Border and around the world that live here all along the North shore of Lake Chapala. I would say that there are a good number of younger people living here now as well (people in their 20's, 30's, and 40's are not that rare around here), each year more come. There are even quite a few families with kids raising them down here, I should know, we have a 4 year old and a 13 year old and both are fully bilingual now. If I had to guess, I would say there are at least 100 young adults living here (not including all the expat kids that live here) but if the truth were known, I bet it is higher than that in reality.

 

dichosalocura, you say :" but it been guestimated to fluctuate between 15 to 30 thousand" ...........
then you say: "if I had to guess, I would say there are at least 100 young adults living here"..........

So I stand by what I said : "MOST residents are retired old farts"

 

There are lots of Mexicans your age there however. I spent one night in Ajijic once. We spent the evening out on the town. I noticed that until about 9 pm all the other patrons in the bar/cafe were old US/Canadian-looking people. At 9 pm they all went home and were replaced by Mexican looking couples under 40.

 

Everyone, thabks for all the amazing feedback. We arent the typical young couple going out late all the time, materialistic etc. We often make friends with older couples as it is, maybe not in their 60's.. Haha.. Other than lake Chapala is there any other maybe younger expat communities in mexico not in a bustling city.. Thanks again!

 

Everyone, thanks for all the amazing feedback. We arent the typical young couple going out late all the time, materialistic etc. We often make friends with older couples as it is, maybe not in their 60's.. Haha.. Other than lake Chapala is there any other maybe younger expat communities in mexico not in a bustling city.. Thanks again!

There is a group called "InterNations" that sponsors monthly get-togethers in Guadalajara (and probably in other major Mexican cities). The people participating span a wide range of ages and nationalities. There are some retired people included but they are a minority. Most of the attendees work for international companies or in import-export ventures.

I just noticed you said "not in a bustling city". I am not sure if Guadalajara qualifies as a bustling city and is thus excluded. But if you are looking for a younger crowd, they are likely to be in places where there are employment opportunities, which means the major cities.

 

“They“ are sometimes wrong. I have days like that & the frequency is increasing as I note so many of my friends have joined the “alternative“ group.
So, bring on the young folks. Mexico welcomes all ages with more open arms than in the USA. They will thrive.

 

Herb Caen, a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, used to say that he read the obituary column every morning, and any day that he didn't find his name in it, was a good day.

 

This is one of my Caen sayings "I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."

 

If you are involved in your life RIGHT NOW, you are still young at heart. If your present focus is on the past, all is lost. You're old.
A young couple could have a grand life here in Mexico. I think the city of Chapala would be a good choice, and of course, the metropolis of Guadalajara has it all in terms of activities and culture. Just a little too hot and smoggy for me. We won't talk of the traffic. Yi!
Come down and visit for a while. Meet some of the livlier old farts and make up your minds after that.
Lots and lots of young Mexican families living in this area. If you're fluent in Spanish already, that's a plus. If not, there are plenty of instruction sources. Online, and free: Duolingo.com

 

If the OP is still interested in this area, I would suggest to them to come on down and check it out. If they could make it down this summer, its gorgeous and cool here in the summer. Our dry hot season is finally over, now it is extremely nice, very cool, and refeshing; and to top it off the mountains and fields are soooo green right now. Indeed, this area is beautiful, and we hope our stunning lake will get to fill up nicely this summer! Lagoloo suggested that they check out the city of Chapala which is the largest town on the North shore of the lake. Chapala feels like the real Mexico and it is only 10 mins by bus down the road to Ajijic where most of the gringos live. And the big city of Guadalajara is just 45 mins away. Life here in Chapala is great and we have the nicest malecon or boardwalk too!

 

Can you swim in Lake Chapala? We're hoping to visit in February 2017

 

I would not swim or eat the fish from Chapala, this from the Global Nature Fund:

Lake Chapala is extremely endangered. Eleven million people live in the catchment area (about 10 % of the total population of México), and the potential for conflict over regional water resources is high due to their overexploitation and contamination. About 81 % of the lake’s catchment area is agricultural, and the area irrigated has quintupled over the last 50 years.
Lake Chapala’s principal source is the Lerma River, which originates near Toluca in Mexico State and flows through the states of Michoacán and Guanajuato before entering Jalisco. The water entering Lake Chapala from the Lerma River is highly polluted with heavy metals and other toxic substances as a result of insufficient wastewater treatment by the many industries operating near the Lerma River. Additionally, many of the towns around the lake release their sewage and waste water into the lake without treatment.

 

Personally, I would not eat the fish; however, many, many Mexican families do. Don't know the results.

As for swimming in the lake, I see lots of kids and a few adults doing it. I'd advise not swallowing the water.

One popular lake sport is kayaking. There's a club that meets regularly. Hopefully, your kayak won't dump you into the necessity of learning whether the lake water is, in fact, toxic!

:welcome:

 

Ah, thank you both. That's a no, then. Sorry to hijack the thread but is it worth a trip to, from Guadalajara? If so, where should we aim for? And does it have a mosquito problem?

 

Definitely worth a trip from Guadalajara. I go down to the lake about once a year for some reason, often when I have an out of town visitor. Both the town of Chapala and the town of Ajijic are worth visiting. It is a nice afternoon trip. I understand that there are some hot baths, maybe mud, near there, but I have never done that. I have never encountered any mosquitoes on any trips there.

There is an island in the lake with some restaurants. You can take a boat out to it, have a meal and return. There are also several seafood restaurants in the town of Chapala near the pier, and lots of choices of restaurants in Ajijic. My daughter and son-in-law stayed at a bed and breakfast in Ajijic one year. Chapala is more of a typical Mexican town, Ajijic seems a little more yuppified. In Ajijic, you hear a lot of English spoken on the street and in the shops. On weekends and holidays, a lot of people, all Mexican, from Guadalajara visit Chapala. The pier and malecon can be crowded. Ajijic doesn't seem to get the crowds but maybe I have just never been there on a holiday weekend.

All this is the view of someone who only knows the lake shore as a visitor. Perhaps a resident, could provide a different or more complete picture.

 

Wow thank you TundraGreen for such an informative reply. Looks as if it's worth looking for a Tour from Guadalajara or maybe a bus and sleepover.

 

There are buses about every half hour from Central Vieja (the old bus station) in downtown Guadalajara. They stop first in Chapala then go on to Ajijic. Once an hour there is a direct bus to Ajijic. It is about an hour long ride, maybe a little less. And it costs under a hundred pesos with a senior discount, but I don't remember the exact fare.

 

When our "kids" (all grown, with families of their own) visited for the first time, we arranged a Charter Club tour of Guadaljara. They were shown the historic district and our tour guide gave them an informative talk on the sights they were seeing. They were drop jawed: this was not the Mexico they'd heard about. They loved the tour.

We also took them on a short boat trip with a local guide to Mezcala Island; now unoccupied, but with a rich history and interesting ruins. I don't know if I'd go to Scorpion Island.......but if you have the time, you can get a plastic encrusted scorpion memento and some Mexican fast food along with a stunning view of the lake.

Chapala has a spacious malecon for waterfront strolling and a "real Mexico" feel along with a restaurant serving seafood and free bottomless margaritas. We skipped that on the supposition that free margaritas might produce a world class aftereffect, but most people like the food there, too.

The Ajijic malecon has no commerce and is a great walking experience, except on weekends when it's crowded with visitors.

I'll add that the Chapala boosters tend to be a little hard on the Ajijic-ers; sort of like the Los Angeles/San Francisco rivalry. L.A. people love San Francisco, but not the other way around.
As a long term resident of central Ajijic, I'm happy in my mixed neighborhood. The critics seem to be oblivious to the fact that most of the population is Mexican, not the immigrants from elsewhere.
Lots of English spoken since the immigrants are a good source of pesos for the workers and the shopkeepers.

Come on down and enjoy! Lots of nice B&B's, restaurants serving everything from burgers to fiery hot Mexican specialties. By all means, go to Guadalajara.
:welcome:

 

Thank you all for taking the time to send me information:all duly copied into a file for our trip.

 

As you come into town from the east side, next to Walmart going west there is a short strip including a real estate office advertising FREE maps. I'd suggest that as a first stop. You know what to tell them.

Just to add to that file, here's my favorite Ajijic area restaurants:

#1 Cocinart: Bistro style, continental menu with world wide specials. Closed Mon and Tues. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Good chef; healthy food, reasonable prices. On Calle #16 de Septiembre, #4D, near the lake. Close enough to walk off the goodies. Best creme brulee this side of Paris.

#2 Arileo: steak house in spacious building far west of Ajijic, right after the Jocotepec sign over the road. Carnivore delight. Good pastas, too. Closed wed. Lunch and dinner.

#3 Fonda Lola: Mexican and all around menu. Very reasonable prices. You get the full effect of the traffic sounds. Right on the main road on the West end of Ajijic, lake side of the road. Open windows: birds fly in for a snack. Closed Thurdays. Breakfast and lunch.

#4 Yves, on the service road road next to the main road a little west of Ajijic Centro.
Indoor and outdoor dining; salad bar, varied menu. Garden includes the famous white burros (tied up), a pool and lovely garden. Medium price range. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Closed Wednesday.

There are many others, but that's a start. There are some fast food places in the Laguna Mall; all to be avoided, IMHO.
:welcome:

 

I am 70 and I am too young to live here... I find myself in Guadalajara and other places more and moe so it all depends on your personality and what ou enjoy. The area is beautiful, easy to live in because of the amenities, if it is your thing to hang around with other expats no matter what the age it is great but it is not for everyone , I personally need more fresh air than what I get here.

 

I came from big cities, some with bad air (Los Angeles), and my impression of Guadalajara is that it's Los Angeles South with horrifying poverty as well as some areas of beauty. Granted, it is culturally rich in the music and art offered.

I think your perception of an area depends almost entirely on what your idea of a good time is. There are expats and there are expats. I like to associate with intelligent people with active interests who are living in the present. I don't have anything to do with the many social clubs available, and neither do the friends I've found. IMHO, there's plenty of fresh air if you look for it.
I can't help but be curious. What is your idea of fresh air and/or a good time, Citlali?

 

Okay, I was being a little harsh on Guadalajara in comparing it to Los Angeles, but on the other hand, L.A. was actually a great place to grow up, way back when. The beaches were close and my neighborhood was full of friendly people. My problem with Guadalajara (and these are shared with L.A.) is the awful air at some times of year and the insane traffic.
When I lived in L.A., I wasn't sure there WAS anything outside of there since there was little chance of ever getting all the way out of town.

 

The air I can't argue with. The solution to the traffic is to live in a place where you can walk to almost everything you need. A city makes that possible.

 

I say I need fresh air when I need a change of scenary so I went to Guadalajara yesterday for my fresh air and I am going here again tomorrow.
I went at 7 am ad the raffic was awful and came back at 6 and it was not great either but the air in Zapopan was fine..

 

Pretty good "save". Chuckle.

 

I always remember the years ( 1972-1984) when my mom and dad had their retirement home in Tonala and being able to look down on Guadalajara and see the layer of smog covering the city...

 

Tonala has really nasty air too..and I am going there tomorrow too..must like that smell..it reminds me of Paris or Mexico city in the 80´s..

 

Yes traffic is a big problem..I had a meeting at 10 in one of the bank buildings at Andares mall last week and it took me 2 and a half hours to get there ..people coming from Mexico city also got there lae from the airport..going back at 5 was another nightmare..taking the bus to get there is not really an option...Today the car broke down and I havev to be in Tonala at anoter meeting and with the market on today that is going to be another fun trip and this time by bus..I sure do not envy people who have to work over there in various parts of the city as the traffic can be a real bear .the air is bad and God help you if it rains i Tonala or if you have to go oin these underpasses that flood as well..

 

The traffic in Gdl is indeed really awful. I think I can see the worsening even in the 8 years I have been here. If I hadn't arranged my life so I never get in a car and rarely even take a bus, I would feel very differently about living here. But I have no small children who have to be chauffeured to school or soccer practice, nor any other regular obligations that require fighting traffic. My first two years here I had to commute from the city center to the periferico. It was about a 45 minute bus ride in the morning and in the evening it was anybody's guess. But I could just sit on the bus and read or sleep, so it wasn't too bad. One day a week I had to be back in centro for a Spanish class and I always had to allow a lot of extra time, because I never knew how long the bus would take. Life got simpler after that job ended.

 

Back in the 90's, after living in Northern CA most of my adult life, my spouse got a job offer he couldn't refuse in L.A. The first winter, we went up to Mammoth Lake to ski, and on the return trip, I looked out from our high mountain road to the scene below and saw a layer of green "fog" covering the whole L.A. basin. Gasped and said "OMG, WE ARE BREATHING THAT STUFF".

Several years later, rescue came in the form of the host company going broke. We scurried back North.
Scientific advances may someday solve the bad air problem for the big cities......but it hasn't done it yet. Meanwhile, the population grows......and grows.