Active social groups in the area Include Duplicate and Progressive Bridge Clubs, The Humane Society, several Garden Clubs, Culinary Arts Society, The American Legion, The Writer's Group, Needle Pushers, Daughters of the American Revolution, Genealogy Club, Computer Club, Chess Club, Lakeside Little Theater, and two Yacht clubs. The list goes on and on as there are more than 40 English language clubs and charitable organizations lakeside.
Classes in art, handicrafts, music, computers, and Spanish (both conversational and structured) are available. Tennis, golf, walking, jogging, horseback riding, boating, fishing, mountain biking, Tai Chi, and various exercise groups are available for sports enthusiasts. A variety of passive pleasures are available too, such as concerts, art galleries and museums.
Keeping In touch and being informed about other countries and cultures in the world is easy too, as cable television has several English-language stations, the popular CNN amongst them, and satellite reception gives over two hundred and fifty channels including those beamed down from the U.S., Mexico and from around the world.
Area Descriptions
The Lake Chapala area of Mexico has one of the finest climates in the world. People from many countries have retired to enjoy the warm days and cool nights along the Shores of this 55-mile-long body of water.
After the dry month of May, the rainy season is welcomed. It lasts from mid-June to mid-October and brings rains most evenings. During the rainy season, the weather is warm, but because the lake is a mile above sea level, you may need a sweater in the cooler evenings. For many visitors and residents, this is the preferred time of the year. Their enjoyment is heightened by the crimson sunrises and golden sunsets that start and finish each majestic day.
According to historians, the first American came to the area in 1885, but It wasn't until 1955 that the larger influx of foreigners began. Now it is estimated that more than 7,000 foreigners, mostly Americans and Canadians, live on the north shore. The area is now one of the most popular retirement colonies in North America.
A multi-lane highway connects Lakeside's north shore to Guadalajara, less than 40 minutes away. The airport is located midway, about 25 minutes from lakeside.
The town of Chapala and the village of Ajijic are the focal points of the north shore. Vista del Lago is to the east of Chapala and Chula Vista, San Antonio, La Floresta, Ajijic, Rancho del Oro, Villa Nova, San Juan Cosala, Las Fuentes and Jocotepec are to the west, in that order.
Vista del Lago
Chapala Country Club, nestled in the Vista del Lago residential area, is about 15 minutes east of Chapala, near the town of San Nicolas. A well-maintained nine-hole regulation par-36 golf course offers a relaxing morning. In the clubhouse good light lunches and bar service are offered. Evening meals are also served. This Vista del Lago area is a good choice for those looking to acquire a home in a golf course setting that is both private and secluded; a favored area for those looking for peace and quiet, away from it all in a neighborhood with magnificent lake views.
