| Chapala
| Brisas de Chapala Hotel | Chapala haciendas | Chula Vista Country Club | Mirasol | Father Miguel de Bolonio who converted the Talticas Indians to Christianity founded Chapala in 1538. Their chief was Chapalah, from which the name Chapala came, The open mall on both sides of the street coming into Chapala from Guadalajara, all the way to the shores of the lake, is paved with tile and has a lovely center island with tropical trees, shrubs and flowers. Chapala is proud of its charming plaza on Madero Street with its graceful and inter-estlng bandstand. The market behind the plaza blends with the municipal presidency building on the corner of Madero and Hidalgo streets, located at the traffic signal. In Chapala there's a different tempo, so just sit back and relax or stroll the streets. The villa where British author D. H. Lawrence wrote his widely read "Plumed Serpent," is on Zaragoza Street. The Cazadores Restaurant, a converted mansion on the lakefront, was once the home of the Braniff family of aviation fame. Perhaps the best known landmark on the waterfront is the Beer Garden, the largest restaurant-bar along the lake. It celebrates Its 70th birthday in 1999. On afternoons you can see colorful mariachis, guitar, violin, and trumpet musicians dressed like charros (Mexican cowboys). Behind the Beer Garden is Helados Bing, one of the chain of ice cream outlets founded by a retired United States Consul General living in Guadalajara, Adolf Horn. It was named after his wife whose maiden name was Bingham. All their many fruit-flavored ice creams are made with natural ingredients, with large delicious chunks of fruit in the ice cream. On Calle Madero is the Nido, Chapala's oldest and most central hotel. If serves good meals at reasonable prices, including a traditional four-course Mexican midday meal. There are several sidewalk cafes near the center of town serving as focal points for socializing as well as offering good breakfasts and a variety of tasty snacks. Local and Guadalajara sailors dock their sailboats and speedboats at the Chapala Yacht Club east of the pier. Across the street is a public park, horses for hire and the Chapala Handicrafts Market. You'll find excellent gifts. The stalls offer everythir from leather goods to hand-embroidered dresses and blouses, carved wooden items, toys, jewelry, and a bewildering range of souvenirs. Be sure to bargain if you want the best price. On Hidalgo Street, just before the post office, is the pleasant new shopping plaza Las Palmas. Strolling along this area one discovers many interesting retail establishments. A few blocks further west is the Villa Montecarlo, a hotel/restaurant with one of the finest views in the area. Its facilities include beautiful gardens overlooking the lake, natural thermal-spa pools, a charming restaurant, and meeting rooms and facilities for large groups. Brisas de Chapala The Brisas de Chapala Hotel is located five minutes from Chapala off the road to Guadalajara, nestled in the mountains. It has comfortable rooms, a restaurant-bar, swimming pool, and tennis courts. A small complex of private homes is located here, many with spectacular lake views. The price range of these homes vary from well under $100,000 USD.
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Chapala Haciendas Three minutes from Chapala on the highway to Guadalajara is Chapala Haciendas, spanning both sides of the highway with view homes in a tropical setting. The Chapala Haciendas Hotel and Restaurant has a casual atmosphere and overlooks the lake. It has live music for dancing Wednesday and Saturday nights and onspecial occasions and a popular Sunday brunch. An abundance of shade trees and tropical flowers Cover the hillsides and homes are priced from a low of $55,000 to a high of $250,000 USD. The median price would be $90,000 USD. There are also some residential lots available. Chula Vista Chula Vista Country Club, five minutes west of Chapala, has a sporty nine-hole golf course set into the mountains, and two lighted tennis courts. Some 200 attractive homes surround the golf course overlooking the lake. It's well worth driving through to see the these beautifully constructed homes. Chula Vista has a strong neighborhood association, which works to maintain the quality of services In this area. Chula Vista is one of the few colonies with potable water, and this is certainly a plus here In Mexico. Homes are available in this exclusive area, sometimes referred to as the Beverly Hills of the Ribera, generally priced from a low of $85,000 to $400,000 USD. Many are drawn to this area by its convenience and natural beauty. Mirasol offers residents a truly authentic Mexican ambiance, with easy access to all services. Homes here are usually in the lower price ranges, for as little as $60,000 USD. Puesta del Sol This is a favored area for those who are looking for peace and quiet in a preferred neighborhood. There are many fruit trees, flowering bougainvillea, large custom-built Villas and vistas of the lake and mountains. Prices range from $100,000 USD. San Antonio Tlayacapan Below Chula Vista is the sleepy little village of San Antonio Tlayacapan, right out of a storybook with Its church, town square and cobblestone streets. Here in San Antonio, 'Dan Chandos" (actually the pen name of two authors) wrote the charming book "Village in the Sun," which brought many people to the lakeside area. San Antonio offers true Mexican village living with property starting at $50,000 USD.
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The Lake Chapala Society On top of the list of active organizations is the 2,500-plus member Lake Chapala Society (LCS) with its well-stocked library of English-language books, periodicals and videos. The library has 20,000 volumes Including reference books. There is a magazine collection and a reading room. Talking books are available from the library in both fiction and nonfiction, obtained from the U.S. Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The LCS is the only civilian organization outside the U.S. to be honored with such an arrangement, The videotape library has approximately 2,000 VHS video movies. Also available are tape duplication and VHS player repair. The LCS is the place to meet. The extensive and beautifully landscaped grounds host events such as annual Independence Day celebrations for both the United States and Canada in early July, and an annual fiesta on Mexico's Independence Day, September 16. LCS publishes an annual directory of members' names, addresses and phone numbers, which many who reside lakeside find indispensable. The LCS is dedicated to the ideals of community service, good fellowship and good relations with local citizens and authorities. Open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and staffed almost exclusively by volunteers. The LCS does not have a phone. Additionally, the LCS has a children's library in Spanish with a wide assortment of books and reference materials. They sponsor a scholarship program through this library for selected students in secondaria (Junior high) and preparatoria (high school) based on financial need as well as scholastic ability. Medical equipment available for loan from the LCS includes wheel chairs, crutches, canes, and walkers. Baby furniture for loan includes a crib, a high chair, and walkers. Free blood pressure checks are normally Monday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A HAM radio station is located on the grounds, and in emergencies, contact can be made with any place in the world. Membership is on an annual basis and is open to all.
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Ajijic, and the lakeside in general, has a low crime rate. There are few safer places in the world where one can live.
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Health Care Several clinics are located Lakeside, with the principal ones being Clinica AjUic at Carretera 33, telephones 6-06-62, 6-05-00 and for 24 hour emergency, 6-14-99; San Andres Clinic adjacent in La Floresta, 6-11-98; and Clinica San Jose de la Ribera at Plaza Maskaras, Hidalgo 79-G, Chapala, telephone/fax 5-48-05. Most have bilingual doctors on staff. In emergencies, ambulance service is available from these clinics locally or to large modern medical centers in Guadalajara. Medical air evacuation services are available to the United States as well. The Red Cross, 5-22-77, which is located on Calle Gonzales Gallo in Chapala, responds to all traffic accident injuries. The services are at no charge, even If an ambulance has to take you into one of the Guadalajara hospitals or a doctor has to perform surgery. Donations to the Red Cross are always appreciated. Consular Services The U.S. Consulate General In Guadalajara, Calle Progreso 175, (3) 825-27-00, is open 8 a.m. until Noon, Monday through Friday. Passports can be renewed in one day. Registration of full or part time residents is recommended with the American Citizen Services Unit. Necessary Information will be on file in the case of an emergency. It will not be shared with any other agency (like the IRS); the information is strictly confidential. The Federal Benefits Unit handles veterans' claims, railroad pensions, and social security, both inquiries and benefits. The Canadian Consulate has an office at the Fiesta Americana Hotel in Guadalajara, (3) 615-6270, (3) 615-6266, and (3) 615-6215. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. until Noon. All Embassies are located in Mexico City. In addition to several Catholic churches San Andres in Ajijic has an English language mass, 9 a.m. Sunday] there are Sunday services in English at Saint Andrew's Anglican Church, Calle San Lucas, Riberas del Pilar, 10 a.m.; the nondenominational Little Chapel By The Lake on the highway in Chula Vista, 11 a.m.; New Apostolic Church, Roble 61, Chula Vista, 11 a.m.; El Lago Community Church, Javier Mina 7, Ajijic, 11 a.m.; and the Lakeside Fellowship interdenominational congregation which meets 1:30 p.m. at Saint Andrew's. Communications & Mail Telephone lines and cellular telephones are easily obtained, and fax services and long distance pay phone calls can be made locally in many places. Where the Mexican mall service Is still somewhat slow, it has been supplemented by Mail Boxes Etc., with faster access to the U.S. postal service. UPS has several pickup points in the area, including one at Ajijic Real Estate, Calle Morelos 4. The Internet & em@il For those computer-oriented individuals, CompuServe has made their services readily available at very competitive fees. There are several competing services available for internet access, Including one offered by TelMex. One can access the Internet through several service providers. Mexico has designed several different immigration visas, depending upon your intentions for remaining in this country. The most basic is the FM-T, or tourist card, which allows visitors to remain in Mexico up to six months, without working. The FM-T may be renewed by simply leaving Mexlco within the allotted six-month period, and then reentering the country. The FM-3 Is designed for those who wish to live at least part time in Mexico, but do not necessarily Intend to make it their permanent home. To be granted a FM-3, you must prove you have sufficient resources to be financially independent, or meet certain requirements to be able to work or own a business in M6xico. FM-3 "Rentista" status is available to anyone with a monthly income (from investments, social security or other retirement) of somewhat less than $1,0130 USD minimum, plus under $500 USD for each dependent. If one owns property in M6xico, the amount of income required is reduced by nearly one-half. An individual with FM-3 status, because of the non-permanency of their residency, is allowed to own and operate foreign-plated vehicles in M6xico (see below for additional information). The FM-2 status is designed for those who intend to permanently reside in M6xico, with qualifications only slightly more stringent than FM-3 requirements. After five years of successfully meeting the requirements of FM-2 (including restricted time out of Mexico), one may apply for 'lnmigrado" status, which allows you to enjoy most of the rights and privileges of Mexican citizens, the primary exception being the right to vote.' Inmigrado status does not require you give up your native citizenship, but holders may freely work and remain in M6xico without annual renewals of immigration papers. Bringing Your Car Into Mexico There are restrictions on bringing and keeping foreign cars in M6xico, but it is helpful to understand that these are designed to protect the Mexican automobile industry against competition from illegally imported cars. Holders of FM-T or FM-3 visas are allowed to drive foreign-plated vehicles in Mexico. Customs' laws basically state that foreigners may keep their cars in Mexico for the length of time corresponding to their visas. A permit is obtained through the aduana or customs agents at the border entrance point and is renewable through the local aduana. To be able to verify this, a copy of the FM visa should be carried in the car at all times. To drive legally in Mexico, a valid U.S. or Canadian driver's license is all that is required. New & used U.S., German and Japanese cars are available for purchase In M6xico and the skills of Mexican mechanics, for maintenance and repair at fair prices, is widely known. Insurance The various types of insurance, including automobile, property, liability, and earthquake are all readily available in Mexico, at low relative costs. Ajijic Market Overview General Overview The revitalized Mexican economy has earned the praise of global economists. The economic recovery and attendant growth over the past years has been steady. There has been a return of credibility, and with this increase in confidence, there has been a return of foreign capital investment. Savvy investors, including an increasing number of Europeans and Asians, are taking this opportunity to invest in the Mexican marketplace, not only in business and industry, but in real property as well. The reactivated Mexican economy has contributed to the passing of the buyer's market that did exist after the 1994 devaluation. However, there are value properties to be found lakeside in all types of properties, from residential to large parcels of land. The law of supply and demand is evident In this marketplace, and as the area becomes more and more in demand, the prices reflect this popularity. [ Top ]
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