For starters — if you use your imagination, there’s a striking resemblance between the iconic Thanksgiving horn of plenty and a map of Mexico. Hold the horn upright, and it’s a stylized map of Mexico’s mainland, with the Yucatan Peninsula to boot.

Beyond this curiosity of geography, the Thanksgiving dinner table owes an homage to Mexico in more direct ways. Consider how your afternoon of culinary grazing is likely to start. No appetizer table is completed these days without guacamole (a word and dish from Mexico’s Nahuatl heritage) and ripe tomato salsa, gifts from our southern neighbor.

Dip deeper and you may be surprised at how Mexico is, in fact, at the very heart of the Thanksgiving meal. We all know that the wild turkey roamed eastern seaboard forests when the Pilgrims arrived; no big surprise there. Turkey was a main source of pre-Hispanic protein across North America. However, the turkey we today enjoy has a more circumvented path to your dinner table. In the 19th century, the Mexican wild turkey was exported to Europe, domesticated, and then reintroduced to American diners. So, we will all be gobbling down poultry with a Mexican pedigree for the next few days.

Complementing this noble bird, your meal will most certainly include Mexico’s grandest gift to the world — corn. All the world’s corn came from Mesoamerica. Maize is one of the world’s greatest cultural and biological wellsprings, feeding billions around the globe while being at the core of Mexican identity. Rural Mexicans will sometimes refer to themselves as “hombres del maíz,” literally “men of corn.”

But we’re not done. Rounding out your holiday feast are pumpkin, vanilla, and chocolate – all originally from (you guessed it) Mexico. Kahlua on the rocks anyone? Raise a toast to Mexico’s coffee land, verdant Veracruz.

From appetizers to desserts, Mexican ingredients and recipes make their way across just about everyone’s Thanksgiving palate. So, serve yourself another slice and raise a fork to Mexico — a horn of plenty that continues to give.

¡Buen provecho!

Author Greg Custer lives in Mexico. He’s worked for over 40 years in international tourism, educating travel advisors around the world about Mexico and other Latin American destinations. He helps folks explore Mexico for living at www.mexicoforliving.com.

The post Mexico and Thanksgiving: There’s plenty to this story appeared first on Mexico News Daily

There’s also my hesitation to tell you about living in one of the most complex neighborhood landscapes in this hemisphere, when this publication has some fine local correspondents living daily lives in this pulsating mass of humanity. 

As one of my favorite travel writers, Brit, Kate Simon puts it, “At one moment it’s a garbage heap, the next it’s the garden of Eden.” This sentiment certainly applied a generation ago, when Mexico City was presented to the world as a doomsday landscape of unregulated sprawl. It still is, but the 16 boroughs and over 1,800 neighborhoods are unquestionably better managed than before. 

Before deciding to live here, you’ll need to honestly ask yourself the following questions:

Can you live and recreate at over 7,000 feet, some months with inversion layer smog? Can you embrace public transportation mobility and casually rub shoulders — and other body parts — with total strangers? Will you accept the flood of urban, external stimuli with a very low likelihood of finding fluent English speakers? Will your curiosity be enough motivation to get out of whatever comfortable colonia you settle into, and relish pockets of human expression across 3,000 square kilometers of sprawl? That is, of course, before the risk of a serious earthquake — the most recent serious event was in 2017 and evacuation alarms remain a common occurrence.

If you live in Mexico and hope to ever claim you “know” your adopted nation, you really must spend some time here. Sadly, most foreigners and nearly all of my lakeside expat friends and acquaintances have not made the effort. I suspect this applies to my coast-hugging fellow countrymen and women who are living a “real” Mexico existence without feeling the need to get acquainted with the city that’s the economic, cultural, political,  and “everything Mexico” touchstone.  And it takes more than an escorted four-days seeing the old buildings, ruins and mercados or double-decker red bus “highlights” tour to imprint how CDMX is likely the most captivating urban space you’re likely to ever experience. That’s before we even begin to talk about the food.

Anyone who claims they don’t like this place has either made only a drive-by attempt, glancing from a distance or not been exposed to places and micro spaces that defy and compensate for the city’s glaring urban challenges, whether they be traffic, political protests, seasonally poor air quality, tarp settlements or citizen indifference to what’s crumbling around them.  In each of the four areas targeted in our ratings there are utterly fascinating, often hidden, treasures of ingenuity and artistic exuberance.

Tell me you can walk the Centro Histórico and the Diego Rivera National Palace murals and not be in utter awe, or have a white linen late afternoon lunch at the San Angel Inn with a shrug, or wander the Museo de Arte Popular past Miguel Covarrubias’s monumental map of Mexico mural with indifference, or see the sunken stone baths used by Mexica royalty in Chapultepec Park and not surrender to the grandeur of this seven thousand foot high, volcano encircled, former lakebed that’s been witness to more history, triumph and tragedy than anywhere else on the continent. 

The city’s districts are unlike anything most North Americans can even imagine. Mexico City housed three million residents as recently as the 1950’s, (22 million today in the metro area, almost one-fifth of all Mexicans), across a gigantic, flat valley floor, dotted with 16th century satellite “pueblos,” with dusty dirt roads connecting to the capital’s government buildings, colonial-era elite residences and a grid-like central city core. As the city spread, small towns were gobbled up and often obliterated. Yet some spaces survived, and as a result, the Mexico City of today feels more like a jamboree of competing small towns than a coherent city. 

Condesa, Polanco and La Roma

What is there to say about the “Expat triangle” of western Mexico City that hasn’t already been said? Art, culture, parks, history, Michelin-star dining, architecture and probably the highest standard of living in all of Mexico is found here. There is easy access to the rest of the city, metro stops abound and Benito Juarez International Airport is close enough that even in bad traffic, you’ll make your flight.

San Ángel

The city’s southern area is where colonia life takes its deepest breath. It’s greener, at a slightly lower elevation, more residential, and further away from the city’s clogged center and industrial north.  Places like San Ángel, Coyoacan, and Chimalistac are delightful, but hardly undiscovered.  

San Ángel is a picturesque village that has somehow maintained the atmosphere of a remote mountain retreat. In colonial days it was an enclave for the city’s aristocrats. Its meandering cobblestone streets, thick-walled opulent mansion estates, small plazas and parks make San Ángel a pleasant respite from the city’s clamor. The lovely Plaza San Jacinto is a square that invites relaxation and contemplation, especially mid-week, sans the weekenders visiting for the famous Bazar del Sabado, Mexico City’s most beloved weekend “artsy” hang-out.

Coyoacán

Coyoacán lies about a mile east of San Angel and is also a throwback to Mexico City’s colonial days. Following the conquest, it nearly replaced Tenochtitlan as the site for the new capital. Coyoacán is larger and has a more bohemian, young intellectual beat. And of course, there is magnificent UNAM, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s a wonder to behold of early urban planning, striking architecture, murals, the Olympic and Azteca stadiums and green spaces.

Santa Fé

Modern Santa Fé, built on top of what was once a municipal dump, is the business hub of the 21st Century capital. Living here feels more like Singapore or Hong Kong than Mexico at times, with towering, modern blocks, replete with every amenity you could ask for, perfectly sculpted parks, and recently, modern transport connections to the city center. Despite this, it is still somewhat removed from the heart of the “real” Mexico City, and is devoid of much of the culture that makes the capital such a truly magical place. Traffic can be an absolute nightmare — a salient warning when you consider it can be up to 3 hours from the airport at peak rush hour.

All of this wonder and diversity comes with a disclaimer from our resident “colonia-ista,” Bethany Platanella: “If you plan to visit as many alcadías as possible, please do your due diligence before going!  Areas like Iztapalapa, Xochimilco, Tlalpan, and parts of Cuauhtémoc are not safe and should be avoided, especially at night. We recommend taking a guided tour where possible.” 

Finally, as if all this weren’t enough, Mexico City is an excellent base from which to explore the surrounding states of Hidalgo, Puebla, Mexico, Morelos and others. Within two hours by bus or car, urban inconveniences melt away as rural Central Mexico unfolds in a mosaic of colonial towns, little-visited ancient ruins, Spanish-inspired cities, alpine forests and lush semi-tropical valleys. So, for the urban-inclined, Mexico City can be the perfect place to “dig in,” while “getting out” offers a lifetime of “real Mexico” escapes. 

The ratings

A full breakdown of our rating system can be found here.

What did we get right? What do you disagree with? Let us know in the comments.

You can see more of our Where to Live in Mexico 2024 series here, including ratings for Yucatán, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, the Baja California peninsula, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Northern and Mid- Pacific trios of beachside cities and three major Bajío metropolitan areas.

Author Greg Custer lives in Mexico. He’s worked for over 40 years in international tourism, educating travel advisors around the world about Mexico and other Latin American destinations. He helps folks explore Mexico for living at www.mexicoforliving.com.

The post Where to Live in Mexico 2024 Guide: Mexico City appeared first on Mexico News Daily

Guanajuato was one of the first areas of Mexico colonized by the Spanish. In the mid-16th century, the state’s rich silver deposits lured the Spanish crown to develop settlements that grew into centers of wealth and influence. In fact, for some two and a half centuries, nearly one-third of the world’s silver came from the mines of one city — Guanajuato. This fertile region was also Mexico’s “breadbasket” — its farms, orchards and ranches feeding the emerging New World cities. The mining wealth enabled the economic and social emergence of Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, helping fuel the Renaissance. 

It has an average altitude of 2,015 meters (6,611 ft) above sea level. Guanajuato has a pleasant, high desert, spring-like climate, with temperatures from 11 to 26 degrees Celcius (52 to 80 Fahrenheit). Winter evenings can be cold, while the summer rainy season lasts from June to September — though with the uncertainty wrought by Mexico’s changing climate, this is becoming less certain with every passing year. It’s greener in the south, where vineyards are common. Before the Spanish arrived, this area was covered in dense forest, but mining needed wood fuel and sheep grazing pastures. Today, the central area is home to most of the state’s agriculture and industry since the terrain allows for highways and large farms, which produce grains, vegetables and fruit. This farmland is considered some of Mexico’s most productive. 

Guanajuato State is perhaps Mexico’s grandest colonial-era showcase. It is located in the center of Mexico, in a region referred to since colonial days as El Bajio, meaning the lowlands. Guanajuato is bounded on the north by the State of San Luis Potosí, on the east by the State of Querétaro, on the south by the State of Michoacán, and on the west by the State of Jalisco. It has an area of 30,491 square kilometers (about 11,800 square miles; the size of Massachusetts). It derives great advantage from these surrounding states, especially Queretaro, which offers great access to medical care, air travel and shopping.  In 2020 the state had an estimated population of 6.1 people and no one’s quite sure how many more foreign transplants.

Two cities (Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende, each around 180,000 residents) earn high marks in our series’ ratings (see below). Some will lament how these places have been “loved to death” or how rising prices and weekend “invaders” have fundamentally altered each icon’s livability. The state is not all “pina coladas and getting caught in the rain”, as a persistent criminal element in the state’s southern region has put once visited places (Irapuato, Celaya) off-limits (what a shame). 

Most foreign tourists and expat residents concentrate their Guanajuato visits to the state’s most famous colonial cities: Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende. In addition, visitors will want to consider visits to León and Dolores Hidalgo, the “cradle” of Mexican independence. Prominente Pueblos Magicos include Jalpa de Canoves, Mineral de Pozos, Salvatierra, Comonfort and Yuriria. Far fewer foreigners live in these places, so you might actually get the chance to practice your Spanish. 

Visitor infrastructure in Guanajuato State is a step above other Mexican interior states. There’s a rich assortment of historical attractions, exquisite architecture, excellent shopping, vibrant festivals, thermal water spas, and the chance to participate in small town Mexican life. Several super-highways cross the State; there’s Guanajuato’s international airport outside of León; and intercity bus service is frequent and inexpensive. Guanajuato State is also host to some of Mexico’s most renowned festivals, including the International Festival Cervantino in October, staged in Guanajuato, and the Fiesta de Los Locos in San Miguel de Allende held in June. 

The State’s gastronomic heritage is one of Mexico’s best, including wine. You’ll want to try the tuna de xoconostle salad, menudo quitar, the enchiladas mineras, the sopes, and pozole. To help disseminate traditional cuisine and new dining trends, the state hosts culinary events throughout the year in different municipalities, including gastronomic weeks, festivals, encounters with national and international chefs, and vineyard tours.

San Miguel de Allende

How would most places deal with being named the “Best city in the world”? San Miguel seems to have risen above the pressure, repeatedly winning the “honor.”  Of course, you might want a place to live that’s a little less “discovered”, as one blogger puts it. To some detractors, and there are many vocal critics of what San Miguel has become, it’s all a charming façade: too expensive, too many awards, too many Texas license plates, too little foreigner integration with Mexican neighbors. But that’s not the whole story. As someone living in Mexico’s “other” expat hangout (Lake Chapala) I embrace San Miguel for its architectural authenticity and shopping-gallery-lodging-dining sophistication, all things my area lacks. 

I meet in Ajijic with San Miguel “refugees” who have been priced out, or driven away from what they thought would be small town living — especially on weekends, when SMA can become saturated with CDMX experience seekers. My repeated visits, which began back in the 1980’s, still deliver a very pleasing mix of multiculturalism, local business friendliness, the remarkable Biblioteca Publica, interesting folks with global perspectives, and, yes, “real Mexico” engagements.

SMA’s municipal governments have for years kept the wheels on by balancing gentrification with authenticity. If you have mobility issues, the town is sloped and parking can be a nightmare, though sidewalks and streets are immaculate in the city center, some closed to automobiles. Lodging in San Miguel offers Mexico’s most esteemed inland collection of luxury brands (Belmond, Rosewood, Live Aqua and Small Luxury Hotels among others), some exquisite and historic small inns — even a property named the world’s best hotel by Travel + Leisure in 2021, and plenty of 3-4 star choices. Rental costs have skyrocketed. If you’re hoping you’ll find a “fixer-upper”, well you’re quite late to the party. What the city lacks for living — an airport, box stores, high quality medical care — all found 45 minutes away in Queretaro, so what’s the problem?

But who better to recount the realities, truths and myths of San Miguel living than Mexico News Daily owner Travis Bembenek, who has this to say: “Rarely if anywhere in the world have I seen such a beautiful mix of people from all walks of life enjoying living as much as I do in San Miguel de Allende. The mix of locals, Mexicans from other parts of the country, and expats from around the world all coexisting happily is a sight to see.”

Guanajuato City

This might be your Mexico living highlight for Guanajuato State, especially if San Miguel is just too, well, San Miguel. Climbing the sides of a narrow, mountainous ravine, Guanajuato founded in 1557, is one of Mexico’s most beguiling and beautiful cities. The best way to explore this city is literally to lose yourself in it. Around every corner is a new surprise. The city’s impossible topography gave Guanajuato one of the world’s most unusual, subterranean street systems. In what was once a riverbed and later the city’s flood control canals, cars now swoop through stone-arched tunnels that meander under the city. 

Above ground, a labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways, steep stairways, and brick bridges wind up and down the city’s hillsides past small plazas and parks. In many ways, Guanajuato feels more like a medieval village than a New World town. The city will remind many visitors of southern Spain. It is supremely endowed with fine colonial architecture. Many buildings are painted in soft pastels, tan, and mustard yellow. You can (and should) spend hours wandering past ornate churches, municipal buildings, and colonial mansions splashed with flowering balconies, and neoclassical-style façades. 

The city’s centuries-old veneer conceals the fact that Guanajuato is a pretty hip town, imbued with musicians, artists, and Mexico’s most renowned cultural celebrations. particularly the Cervantino, held in October. Harmonies of all strains, from classical to mariachi, echo throughout the city. Strolling estudiantinas — local singers dressed as 19th century Spanish troubadours — serenade listeners on nighttime callejoneadas. Several acclaimed painters come from Guanajuato, including the great muralists Diego Rivera, José Chavez Morado, and painter Manuel Leal. The city’s downtown university campus draws foreign and Mexican students, giving the city a youthful flair. 

And living here? Owning a car is not really an option, city center noise travels up into the hillsides where you’ll likely be living, and there’s nothing approaching the same levels as San Miguel de Allende for living the high life. Medical care is compromised, comparatively speaking and the demographic skews younger. But it’s affordable, eye-pleasing, and has a sort of magical ambiance that’s never boring.  

The ratings

A full breakdown of our rating system can be found here.

What did we get right? What do you disagree with? Let us know in the comments.

You can see more of our Where to Live in Mexico 2024 series here, including ratings for Yucatán, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, the Baja California peninsula, Jalisco, Northern and Mid- Pacific trios of beachside cities and three major Bajío metropolitan areas.

Author Greg Custer lives in Mexico. He’s worked for over 40 years in international tourism, educating travel advisors around the world about Mexico and other Latin American destinations. He helps folks explore Mexico for living at www.mexicoforliving.com.

The post MND Where to Live in Mexico 2024 Guide: Guanajuato state appeared first on Mexico News Daily

All-inclusive resorts were not the thing — with the exceptions of Club Maeva and Club Med — and a vengeful Montezuma lurked behind every salad bar or street food stall. People were out and about, shopping and dining were robust enterprises and visitors collected Pacific Mexican destinations like badges, hopping down year after year, remembering their favorite bartenders, bellboys and waiters. It was, in some ways, a time of tourism’s infancy and innocence. Few big corporate lodging players were in the space, Mexicana de Aviación ruled the skies and the Tourism Ministry and Fonatur poured mountains of pesos into marketing and advertising.

The resulting success slathered upon the Mexican Riviera begat the emergence of two new poles of development, Baja Sur and Quintana Roo, which would come to eclipse and leave in their wake a trio of once-renowned destinations that most vacationers today would be hard pressed to find on the map. 

With Mexico’s “open skies” bilateral agreement bringing new international air routes and carriers, the band wagon moved on and left Colima and Guerrero with a bad hangover and an almost total disappearance of airline support. The resulting “domestication” of tourism — aided by new highways from the highland to the coast — recast these places in ways you might find a refreshing twist on beach living: a truer, “real Mexico” experience.

Acapulco

It’s fitting to start where it all began. No other resort city in the Western hemisphere has lived the triumph and tragedy of a tourism town’s lifespan as dramatically as Acapulco. From inventing our concept of a beach vacation in the 1930s with discos, swim-up bars and cliff diving to a crescendo of celebrities in the 1950 through to the 1970s and a long slope off to obscurity in the following decades, Acapulco has seen it all.

As the airlines stopped flying here and cruises found new ports, the 1993 opening of the Autopista del Sol highway shortened travel time from Mexico City, and Acapulco lost its jet-set cachet. Waves of domestic tourists reclaimed the Bay as the quintessentially Mexican place to play, party and be seen. Arriving too were waves of narco violence, Mexican military taking to the streets, devastating hurricanes in 1997 and 2023 and falling resort investment. 

It’s still a remarkable natural setting and one of the world’s most beautiful natural harbors. The very urban resort area is divided into three parts: the west end of the bay and beyond is the traditional area of beach coves, marina, cliff-divers and original hotels; the main part of the bay known as the Zona Dorada, the site of fine beaches, high rises and hillside homes, where the rich and famous were once seen; and down the coast, Diamante, which lies outside the main bay and close to the airport, hosting golf courses, an events center and long flat beaches.

While locals are still recovering from Hurricane Otis, living here as a foreigner can bring nostalgia to the nouvelle: “old” Acapulco has scenic bay views, 1950s architecture and a semblance of neighborhood. Most anyone else with the grit and determination to live here as a foreigner has likely given up on the Bay and found a paradise of golf, box stores and a less urban pace in the Diamante area. You’ll be surrounded by Mexicans who love Acapulco for what it has become: an escape from Mexico City for big concerts, sporting events and nightclubs.

Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo

Up the coast is Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, “the one place that’s two places at once,” as the promo slogan of the past century recounts. Living here is pitch-perfect for foreigners wanting two side-by-side settings: the modern” resort of Ixtapa — built from nothing in the 1970s around a marina and fine golf course with all high-rise hotels— and, just a short 10 minutes away, Zihuantanejo, one of Mexico’s most picturesque coastal towns. Put these two together and this duo can be your quiet, affordable and well-heeled beach living option: nothing too fancy, and a tempo driven by weekend visitors coming from Mexico’s central highlands via a modern toll road. Although you really don’t need a car living here, this highway also gives residents a quick way to escape for visits to cultural magic in places like Michoacán and Guanajuato. 

Only 14,000 people live in Ixtapa, complimented by a small but loyal snowbird flock who drop in from October to March. It’s beach living: open ocean surf and waves with a smattering of retail. Zihuatanejo is a burgeoning town — population 130,000 — of cobblestone streets around hill-backed bays. Though occupied for centuries, there are no historic buildings and only a single museum. Hardly the village it once was, it’s still familial and friendly. Locals lament some street and narco crime boil-overs and residents adapt to the change that’s coming: some fast food, box stores, traffic and strained city services. Rentals are cheap: low season two-bedroom condos start at US $400 per month, and ocean view units can go as little as $600 a month. Expect to pay more — and find fewer options — from November through March.

You can, of course, volunteer, take classes at the Casa de la Cultura, become a watersports aficionado, take part in the excellent fishing or learn to shop a lo mexicano at daily tianguis options or a Saturday organic market. Playa la Ropa and Playa Las Gatas are two marvelous beach hang-outs. As one blogger puts it, “Ixtapa is the beach vacation. Zihuantanejo is Mexico.”

Manzanillo

The industrial port city of Manzanillo, up the coast in Colima state, is for the heartiest of Mexico beach lovers. It won’t lure you with amenities commonly found in other Pacific Mexico locations. You’ll be hard-pressed to find year-round social connections with either foreigners — most of whom return north after March — or Mexicans, unless your Spanish is quite good and you live in a non-resort residential setting. The city’s commercial-port-first personality drives how most Mexican residents live and work. Multicultural neighborhoods include Club Santiago and the Las Hadas area. 

You may find a truer calling up the coast of Colima and southern Jalisco, in places like Barra de Navidad, Melaque and La Manzanilla, all more rustic settings with quieter coastal living. Manzanillo earns our lowest year-round rating — sorry, Fred. It’s inexpensive, yes. But finding purposeful living will take some imagination. 

Speaking of imagination, the place that put Manzanillo on the tourism map is the singularly unique resort hotel, Las Hadas. It was once the hedonistic mothership for Hollywood royalty and private jet escapes in the 1970s and ’80s. Its whimsical, Mediterranean and Arabic-inspired architecture, themed suites, micro-spaces and bayfront setting are still standing. The movie “10” was filmed here. A generation ago, Las Hadas was Mexico’s leading pleasure palace. 

During a time before the Baja California and Yucatán peninsulas rose to resort stardom, Colima and Guerrero were on the short list of Mexico getaways. But the bandwagon moved on, leaving heartier, beach-loving expat with this trio of once’famous places. Today, they’re all still here, without their reputations or almost any air connectivity, but looking forward to a new — if somewhat faded — future.

The ratings

A full breakdown of our rating system can be found here.

What did we get right? What do you disagree with? Let us know in the comments.

You can see more of our Where to Live in Mexico 2024 series here, including ratings for Yucatán, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, the Baja California peninsula, Jalisco, Pacific trio of beachside cities and three major Bajío metropolitan areas.

Author Greg Custer lives in Mexico. He’s worked for over 40 years in international tourism, educating travel advisors around the world about Mexico and other Latin American destinations. He helps folks explore Mexico for living at www.mexicoforliving.com.

The post MND Where to Live in Mexico Guide 2024: Mid-Pacific trio appeared first on Mexico News Daily

Although none of these locations tend to get much attention on “best places to live” rankings, they are among Mexico’s most impressive destinations. Morelos and its capital, Cuernavaca were once a beacon for Americans living in Mexico, while neighboring Puebla state has been a crossroad for humanity since ancient times. Southerly Chiapas has deep ties to Central American traditions that continue to color its personality. When it comes to overseas living amenities, drawing similarities across settings is not this week’s theme. 

This trio will require Spanish language skills, acceptance of urban challenges and a realization the sum of each state is greater than its parts. All three ooze “real Mexico.” It comes at you in ways subtle and profound: pivotal events of Mexican history unfold, side-by-side with the daily realities of some of Mexico’s most stubborn development challenges.

San Cristóbal

You can’t go much further south and still call yourself a “Mexpat” than Chiapas and its second-most-famous cultural touchstone, the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas — I reserve the number one-slot for Mexico’s premier archaeological site, Palenque. San Cristóbal may be more a side trip from your more established Mexico living foothold:  a respite from whatever conditions afflict your current Mexican address. It’s a wonderful place to “get away to,” where you can witness centuries-old customs, 16th century Spanish architecture, colorful markets, some tourism-born gentrification and all the ways that Maya civilization endures. 

Crisp, woodsmoke-scented air wafts over the city of San Cristóbal. Communities across Chiapas confront environmental violations,  inter-community conflict, narco incursions and Mexico’s highest levels of poverty. It’s the country’s poorest state economically but its richest in Indigenous culture and natural resource diversity.

Connections here are dependent on the Tuxtla Gutiérrez International Airport, an hour’s drive away. San Cristóbal spawls across a flat mountain valley with surrounding hillside communities, most of which are impoverished. With a population of 216,000, it still feels like a village. San Cristóbal’s low-slung houses and stone historic buildings, two plazas and green spaces spread across an easy-to-navigate grid of colonial streets. It’s one of Mexico’s most picturesque places, invaded on weekends by Mexico City millennials, Europeans and a smattering of culture-seeking Americans. Coffee lovers will rejoice, and surrounding village day trips and scenic hiking will enrich your weekly calendar.

Living here means getting used to the altitude and cool winter nights, shopping like a local and observing a daily cadence more Guatemalan than Mexican: Chiapas only became part of Mexico in the 1840s. It’s safe at all hours, in addition to being a very walkable town with a low cost of living — you can find furnished home rentals under US $500 per month. You’ll note fewer medical care options, and San Cristóbal’s street vendors are known for their tenacity. And yes, there is jarring poverty to confront in some settings. But living here is inexpensive — $1,500 a month for a couple is very achievable. Cabs are extremely affordable  and the whole city can be walked from end to end in under 30 minutes, so you won’t need a car.

Cuernavaca 

Morelos state, Mexico’s third smallest, is another of those places bursting with historic, natural and cultural assets packed into a tiny area — Morelos is the country’s 30th smallest state (behind only Tlaxcala and Mexico City itself). Cuernavaca is the state capital, and its temperate climate, proximity to Mexico City and stunning sites — think Las Estacas, Tepoztlán, Xochicalco and the Zempoala lagoons — have drawn famous residents for centuries, from jazz greats Gil Evans and Charles Mingus to film stars like María Félix and Barbara Hutton. The city’s heyday ended in the early 2000s, as crime drove Cuernavaca’s foreign and Mexican elite to seek safer surroundings. This has, happily now mostly changed and Cuernavaca is back on the up once again. 

With public safety improvements allowing a comeback, Morelos is compact enough to explore adopting a village and then conveniently access big-city amenities should you need them. You’ll still face some weekend congestion from CDMX, and Cuernavaca’s impossible geography means getting around the city is challenging. Consider coming here first to study Spanish; That’s what I did in 1979, and it changed my life — there’s a highly recommended language school for those looking to immerse themselves in the language.)

In all though, Cuernavaca is reinventing itself as a playground for Mexico City elites who want a green space to retreat to on the weekends, and life here reflects that. As a result, the city is rated a very respectable 4.0. Private schools are setting up shop, and access to a variety of activities — from playing soccer and rugby, to skydiving, to opera and the very enjoyable lakeside town of Tequesquitengo — can all be enjoyed with minimal travel time. Modern shopping is very simple, with a range of big box stores identical to those found in nearby Mexico City and while it lacks an airport, it is ideally located for Mexico living in all its quotidian glory.

Puebla

The city and state of Puebla might be your best choice out of this week’s trio for urban and rural living. Not customarily adopted by foreigners — other than the large German colony of VW and Audi managers — Puebla city lies less than two hours east and south of Mexico City. 

Puebla is full of life, movement and memory. A rich Indigenous soul, the legacy of the Spanish Conquest, the memory of Mexico’s most epic battle against French invaders and modern expressions of art, culture and contemporary avant-garde city life make this an excellent choice for the first-time visitor and residents.

Puebla’s irregular, mountainous shape allows it to somehow border seven of Mexico’s most culturally endowed states: Veracruz, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Morelos, México state, Tlaxcala and Hidalgo. A human and cultural corridor for millennia, the Valley of Puebla linked Mexico’s Gulf Coast cultures — including the Olmecs, Mayas and Totonacs — with those of the Mexico highland interior. The state boasts 12 Pueblos Mágicos, 11 climate zones, 217 municipalities, five significant Indigenous populations and an “always with you” backdrop of four towering, snow-capped volcanoes that is breathtaking to behold.

Puebla city is Mexico’s most agreeable urban landscape, home to almost three and a half million, but without the clogging traffic and urban chaos that characterize Mexico City. Its Historic Center — a Unesco World Heritage Site — has hundreds of cataloged historic buildings, English-language interpretive signage, museums, clean streets and ample public parking. The compact downtown is well preserved and conveys a distinctive decorative and architectural impression that sets it apart from other Mexican cities, with the use of Spanish-inspired Talavera tiles as exterior accents. 

Puebla is a gastronomic delight for its regional cooking, but note it’s among Mexico’s most socially conservative big cities. Puebla International Airport can get you back to the United States but offers limited domestic flights, so you may rely on a 90-minute journey to the Mexico City airport for domestic air connectivity.

Popular neighborhoods include La Paz, Las Ánimas and the modern Angelópolis, which is close to universities, shopping, modern hotels, hospitals and the International Museum of the Baroque. Nearby Cholula is another viable option.

The biggest question you need to settle before settling here: whether you can live at 7,000 feet. Many older folks can’t, and what a shame to not enjoy a place that literally takes your breath away.

The ratings

A full breakdown of our rating system can be found here.

What did we get right? What do you disagree with? Let us know in the comments.

You can see more of our Where to Live in Mexico 2024 series here, including ratings for Yucatán, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, the Baja California peninsula, Jalisco, Pacific trio of beachside cities and three major Bajío metropolitan areas.

Author Greg Custer lives in Mexico. He’s worked for over 40 years in international tourism, educating travel advisors around the world about Mexico and other Latin American destinations. He helps folks explore Mexico for living at www.mexicoforliving.com.

The post MND Where to Live in Mexico 2024 Guide: Southern trio appeared first on Mexico News Daily

San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, and Aguascalientes might be the three largest cities you’ve never heard of. These eponymous cities are by no means “unknown,” having a combined population exceeding 6.5 million inhabitants. Two cities are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and the three states combined have 17 Pueblos Mágicos. Each has traits particular to their central role in Mexico’s Spanish colonial legacy and 21st century economy. San Luis Potosí and Querétaro share a border, while Aguascalientes is a landlocked island of sorts, as well as one of Mexico’s smallest states by population and landmass. Another similarity is a seasonally moderate high plateau climate (temperate, semi-arid; more arid in northerly San Luis Potosí). The temperature may spike higher in May-June and lower in December, but stable, low-humidity highland living is the norm.

When it comes to connectivity (one of our six criteria in the Mexico Living matrix), Querétaro leads this trio of places. Its international airport offers more choice for US and Mexico destinations (though still limited), when compared to Aguascalientes or San Luis Potosí. It’s also a 2.5 hour drive to Mexico City (120 miles) and may soon feature passenger rail service to the capital.

Querétaro also leads this trio when it comes to a booming economy. While Aguascalientes is an automobile manufacturing town (Nissan) and San Luis Potosí carries its BMW pedigree, Querétaro’s economy is mega-diverse. Central to this success is the “Triple Helix Model,” a framework of close cooperation between government, industry, and academia. Automobiles, aerospace and appliances dominate. Querétaro also leads in medical care. One 2021 ranking gives Querétaro six of Mexico’s top 10 hospitals. It’s also a great location for box-store shopping, should such things matter to you.

Aguascalientes

Capital of the state bearing the same name, Aguascalientes (altitude 6,200 feet) is today a burgeoning commercial and industrial center in the heart of a state known for its brave bullfighters, fine wines (a four hundred year tradition), gentle climate and relaxed provincial character. It is Mexico’s second smallest state in terms of area; however, it enjoys an important commercial position thanks to the factories that ring the city that produce a good portion of Mexico’s high-tech manufacturing output.

City attractions include thermal springs (Ojocaliente, Balneario Valladolid), museums, green spaces, pedestrian-friendly streets, and the state’s annual fair. The Feria de San Marcos, dating back to 1604, is held each April-May and is one of the world’s ten largest agricultural fairs. There are dozens of distinct “barrios” surrounding the urban core – too many to include here. Other than the city’s foreigner, managerial manufacturing workforce, you won’t find many foreign-born retirees or remote workers in Aguascalientes. This can feel either refreshing (with very affordable home rental costs to boot) or isolating, depending on your desire for an authentically Mexican experience. 

San Luis Potosí

Continuing due east is the city-state of San Luis Potosí (170 km). This vast state stretches across the windswept, sunbaked plains of north central Mexico, refreshingly cooler in its Veracruz-facing Sierra Huasteca tropical highlands. Its importance in Mexican history spans four centuries of influence, making its capital city of the same name (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) a city of renown.

Mexico has too many “best kept secret” places to explore, but the state capital is certainly one of them. A mining boom in the late 16th century was followed by an era when San Luis Potosí assumed the role of Mexico’s most important northern city, whose domain once stretched from Louisiana to New Mexico. For much of the colonial era, its mining and ranching wealth bestowed on the city many elaborate neoclassic and baroque public buildings, mansions and churches. It has one of Latin America’s longest pedestrian thoroughfares (Calzada de Guadalupe, stretching some 3 kilometers) and Mexico’s second largest urban park.  

The historic center, beautifully illuminated at night, features tiered esplanades, several handsome plazas, flower-filled parks, and an active cultural scene. Three fine museums (Federico Silva, Leonora Carrington, Museo Nacional de la Mascara), concerts, film, and theaters (Museo Francisco Cossío, Teatro de la Ciudad, Teatro de la Paz) keep locals and a smattering of foreigners engaged socially. The dining and nightlife here are more varied than in many colonial cities. 

The surrounding state’s topography is similarly diverse, due to the Sierra Madre Oriental range that runs through the eastern part of the state. Also running north-south is the Sierra Gorda range (part of Querétaro state), creating a myriad of valleys and plains. Much of the state’s pre-Hispanic and colonial influence can still be seen today in the towns and villages of this region (there are six Pueblos Magicos, including two of Mexico’s most bizarre — abandoned mining town of Real de Catorce and whimsical jungle sculpture garden at Xilitla).

Querétaro

When it comes to Mexico living, Querétaro State might just be the hardest to pronounce (“que-REH-tah-roh”) and easiest to embrace. It earns a very solid “4” on our 1-5 scale. Growth has diminished, in some ways, the city’s provincial town character but also bestowed the city with one of Mexico’s highest living standards and best-educated populations.  

A commercial center of nearly one million inhabitants, Querétaro lies at the junction of two major interstate highways, routes 57 and 45 (construction delays are endemic of late). Located only 220 kilometres from Mexico City, Querétaro has become a satellite of sorts for the Capital. Several large manufacturing plants have relocated to the city’s outskirts, and thousands of businessmen commute between the two cities. 

The city has preserved its historic downtown and has taken steps to beautify many areas. The Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996, as an exceptional example of a colonial town whose layout symbolizes its multi-ethnic population. It is also endowed with a wealth of outstanding buildings, notably from the 17th and 18th centuries. Querétaro holds several treasures, and a friendly sense of civic pride prevails. The historic city center is filled with lovely colonial mansions, immaculate pedestrian walkways and quaint plazas little changed since colonial days. Its 18th century Acueducto of 74 towering arches (some standing 100 feet tall) are dramatically lit at night, stretching for miles across a broad valley on the City’s eastern edge.

Living here means finding an outlying, suburban neighborhoods of El Refugio, Jurica, Juriquilla and El Pueblito are all excellent options. If that doesn’t appeal, then try a surrounding hillside suburb or a spot in the historic city centre — which is refreshingly quiet for a city this size. More central living can be found in the Jardines de las Haciendas, Carretas, Alamos, and Campanario areas. There’s housing variety and general affordability, along with some choice assisted-living options (Spanish chain Ballesol is one of Mexico’s best options). Expats are scattered across this landscape or living in “compound-like” gated communities, so it will take some effort to connect with other English speakers, though the opportunities are there for those who seek them.

One blogger describes living here (compared to, say Guadalajara) this way: “Querétaro is a button-down corporate town, where people work for others and have the more conservative lifestyle that (sic) dictates. I think this tamps down the exuberance I’ve grown to love elsewhere in Mexico. Locals are friendly and educated, but readily admit to being more reserved than their fellow countrymen.” 

Sounds pretty good to me.

The ratings

A full breakdown of our rating system can be found here.

What did we get right? What do you disagree with? Let us know in the comments.

You can see more of our Where to Live in Mexico 2024 series here, including ratings for Yucatán, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, the Baja California peninsula, Jalisco and a Pacific trio of beachside cities.

Author Greg Custer lives in Mexico. He’s worked for over 40 years in international tourism, educating travel advisors around the world about Mexico and other Latin American destinations. He helps folks explore Mexico for living at www.mexicoforliving.com.

The post MND Where to Live in Mexico 2024 Guide: Bajío Trio appeared first on Mexico News Daily

This week we focus on three diverse locations touching two of these great bodies of water — Arizona’s beach getaway of Puerto Peñasco, venerable and quintessentially Sinaloan Mazatlán and newcomer the Riviera Nayarit (admittedly more of a collection of smaller towns than a singular destination). From the desert north to the tropical south, these three west coast locations each call to distinct cohorts seeking a Mexico living future.

Puerto Peñasco

Puerto Peñasco (also known as  Rocky Point) carries a colorful history of bootlegging by 1920’s gangsters. It slumbered along until the 1980’s when it was discovered by sea seeking Arizonans, who found a Gulf of California beach just 60 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. Its population nearly doubled  in the decade between 2000 and 2010 and today stands at 63,000. The tempo is driven by weekenders from Arizona and snowbirds hailing from Colorado, California, New Mexico and even some Canadians. 

It’s mostly beachfront high rise condo living with some gated single-home communities dominated by foreign buyers. There’s a border-beach vibe and not much of Sonoran culture (head further south to Hermosillo, Kino Bay, Guaymas and Alamos for these ecosystems). There is, however, a scientific celebration of Sonoran marine and desert ecosystems, including museums and two UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the Island of the Gulf of California and the El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve). 

It’s affordable (you can find rentals under US $500 per month), has distinct neighborhoods (Las Conchas, for example), a Jack Nicklaus golf course, and Mexican retail shopping box stores. There are also volunteer opportunities (American Legion, Adopt A Class, Rotary, pet rescues). Fall and Spring are idyllic with summers hot and winters seeing days in the 50 F (10 C) range.

Mazatlán

Mazatlán in neighboring Sinaloa (south of Sonora) certainly has earned its place as a pioneering Pacific seaport and resort. It began hosting U.S. visitors in the 1950s. The initial wave brought motorists and the camper crowd. International air started in the ’60s to ’70s and Mazatlán became a mainstay for west coast US visitors. Hotels like La Siesta, the Playa Mazatlán (owned for generations by a family from Newport Beach CA) and the legendary Carlos Anderson chain of bars/restaurants (Señor Frogs, El Shrimp Bucket) helped me (and millions more) define Mexico vacation bliss and spring-break debauchery. 

Alas, other places (Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta and the Mexican Caribbean) have surged ahead of Mazatlán. International flights have declined. As the bandwagon moved on, Mazatlán settled into a new reality of hosting more Mexican domestic visitors (thanks to a highway link from the highlands via neighboring Durango state) and winter charters from Canada and the U.S. 

A setback? Not really. Foreigners choosing to move here are the big winners. Mazatlán (population 500,000) is still traditionally Sinaloan, profoundly friendly, affordable, artsy and scenic. Nearly everyone you meet here is a state native from Sinaloa (try to find that at other Mexican resorts; you won’t). Balancing a commercial fishing (shrimp) industry with tourism realities, the city offers one of Mexico’s most genuine welcomes. Prices for real estate and rentals trend cheaper than other mainstay resorts, and the economy is less dollarized due to the predominance of Mexican vacationers. Yes, Sinaloa is on the short list of narco hotbeds; however, incidents impacting Mazatlán (in general) and foreigners in particular are extremely rare.

There’s also a ton of ways to stay busy, both recreationally and culturally. There are quality golf courses, miles of flat and sandy Pacific beaches for water sports, Mexico’s longest malecón (boardwalk), three islands, a fine resort marina and a genuine Mexican colonial historic zone. Downtown boasts lovely 18th and 19th century structures, once abandoned and now mostly restored and beautifully illuminated at night. 

City center plazas and the remarkable Teatro Ángela Peralta are centers for socialization and Mexico’s second-best beach city calendar of cultural events (that title goes to Acapulco, subject of an upcoming essay). The slate for ballet, symphony, opera, modern dance and popular music surrounds the city’s famed Carnaval celebration — one of the world’s best. If I ever decide to live on the coast, it’s Mazatlán for me.

Riviera Nayarit

Continuing south into the state of Nayarit, the vegetation gets greener and the Pacific bluer. Is the Rivera Nayarit really a place, or more an attitude? Nayarit is striving to craft an identity (Nuevo Nayarit) distinct from Puerto Vallarta, its dominating Jalisco neighbor. The Wixárika and Cora Indigenous peoples play historic, artistic and contemporary roles in coastal and inland settings. The entire state has but 1.2 million residents (ranking in 29th place). It’s taken decades to complete a modern toll highway between state capital Tepic, behemoth Guadalajara and the coast. That road is now almost complete, and the impacts on Nayarit will be profound.

Stretching north from Puerto Vallarta airport in neighboring Jalisco, a string of coastal communities was branded in the early 2000s using a “riviera” moniker. It reflects a sprawling assortment of settings both within Banderas Bay and further north along a wild and underdeveloped coast of fishing villages with a luxury resort persona. There are no real cities here (even bustling Bucerías, only has 16,000, not counting the Canadian and U.S. flood of winter residents). Other settlements are much smaller (Nuevo Nayarit, La Cruz, Punta Mita, Sayulita, San Pancho, Lo de Marcos and Rincón de Guayabitos don’t break 5,000 residents). So, if your thing is getting away from the resort crowds in a paradisical tropical setting, this is your place. You also have the PV box stores and medical services in Bucerías/PV, and the new bypass highway to get around the dozen traffic lights that impede your movement into neighboring Puerto Vallarta. Progress for sure. 

You’ll have a choice to make when living here — either stay within the Bay of Banderas (conveniences, high rise condos, two marinas and gated communities) or venture north and find your village in the sun. Whichever you choose, your family and friends will love you for picking this scenic and serene place. There are more AAA Five Diamond resorts here (11) than almost any other state in Mexico (except Quintana Roo with 12). The golf course assortment is Pacific Mexico’s finest. 

Might one of these three locations be the right fit? Take a hard look at your lifestyle intentions, drive from Arizona into Sonora, and continue south. You’re bound to discover if coastal living (desert or tropical) can be your new home solution.

The ratings

A full breakdown of our rating system can be found here.

What did we get right? What do you disagree with? Let us know in the comments.

You can see more of our Where to Live in Mexico 2024 series here, including ratings for Yucatán, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, the Baja California peninsula and Jalisco.

Author Greg Custer lives in Mexico. He’s worked for over 40 years in international tourism, educating travel advisors around the world about Mexico and other Latin American destinations. He helps folks explore Mexico for living at www.mexicoforliving.com.

The post MND Where to Live in Mexico 2024 Guide: Pacific Trio appeared first on Mexico News Daily

Our ratings highlight three very viable places to live — the quintessential beach vacation resort of Puerto Vallarta, fast-paced and forward leaning Guadalajara, and the de facto “birthplace” villages for overseas living for foreigners that are Lake Chapala. Having these three eclectic choices (not to mention twelve Pueblos Mágicos and three UNESCO World Heritage Sites) positions Jalisco as a kingpin for folks seriously seeking a viable place to live or retire in Mexico.

Jalisco’s relevance stems from attributes no other state can match. First up are iconic cultural traditions innately associated with Mexico’s national image: tequila, mariachis and charros. Tequila (yes, it’s really a place) and Mexico’s joyous and sorrowful musical gift to the world are both a part of living here. Salud to that! The Jalisco economy is a powerhouse in technology, cinema (Hollywood auteur Guillermo del Toro hails from here), manufacturing, automobile production, agriculture, foreign remittances, foreign direct investment, medical care, and tourism. Much of Jalisco oozes prosperity, and there is a sense of political independence from the rest of Mexico. As for the climate? Well, its highland plateau offers spring-like year round living. The seasonally pleasant seacoast meanwhile, affords some residents a “seagull” existence with winters spent on the coast and the rest of the year in the mountains!.

Jalisco is, at its core, cowboy country. Its rural, socially conservative identity even permeates the temperament of big city Guadalajara. Less-than-welcome realities are narco violence and an embrace of “machismo” in some societal and familial settings. There are nagging social ills (teen pregnancy, gun violence and drinking water contamination) to consider. Unbridled growth across all three of our featured places is also impacting quality of life for both Mexicans and expats alike.

But no one should bet against Jalisco’s future — economically or socially. Put down roots here and you’ll have a front row seat to both the hyper-local (municipal government ups and downs) and big picture of Jalisco’s unbridled future.

Puerto Vallarta

Let’s start where millions of Americans embrace Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta. People fall hard for PV, many having a natural vacation connection that stretches back decades. As beach resorts go, it’s the place that comes closest to being all things to all vacationers in all of Mexico. With a population of 224,000, PV lost its fishing village virginity decades ago. But it’s still Mexico’s most picturesque coastal city. 

Hugging the shore of Mexico’s largest natural bay, the epic Bay of Banderas, PV’s Malecon boardwalk is a top five Mexico experience at all hours of the day. The street food to gourmet dining selection is unsurpassed. Aquatic and inland eco-adventure stuff to do is also hard to beat. There’s also a heightened sense of place in the city’s architecture, color palate and vestiges of once-isolated village life in the city’s riverside downtown core, all of which feel very “Jalisco.” It’s all quite remarkable, really. In defiance of the high-rise tower invasion in the city’s Zona Romantica, neighborly relations and Mexican familial sensibilities prevail. Monumental change has been lurking for decades, but the PV “centro” is still a special place to live and visit. 

Living here comes with a snappy urban resort pace mixed with pockets of residential and neighborhood community connections. It’s Mexico’s most LGBTQ-accepting destination and has a lively performing arts/live entertainment scene. An hour south is Jalisco’s emerging Costalegre, some of Pacific Mexico’s most beautiful, undeveloped coast.

Guadalajara

“Guadalajara, Guadalajara…” so goes the popular mariachi song. With a population topping 5 million, this is Mexico’s second largest urban area with some 1,500 named neighborhoods. It stretches across a sloped plain that’s truncated in the north by a gapping gorge. Guadalajara is a contradiction when it comes to understanding its personality. It’s socially conservative, and stridently original in the visual and performing arts. It’s got more skyscrapers under construction than any city in Mexico, yet is home to cozy, leafy neighborhoods filled with parks, trees, and color. Guadalajara’s universities attract hundreds of foreign medical students. Paradoxically, there are surprisingly few museums to frequent. 

I guess, “who needs stuffy museums,” when “tapatios” can rejoice at outdoors events and venues that host Mexico’s most diverse and robust monthly happenings: film, fashion, tequila (of course), microbreweries, sports — most notably soccer and baseball, but motorsport, athletics and even rugby have long traditions in the city — music, dance, books (the world’s second largest book fair), along with secular/religious happenings in stadiums, parks, expo centers, and historic buildings across the city. One online calendar of events highlights the 12 months of artsy things to do in Guadalajara. 

Traffic snarls are part of everyday living, but so is an eclectic dining and bar scene, an American Society of Jalisco to help you get settled, and more live music than you could possibly take in. Mobility challenges can be mitigated by using bike lanes or the city’s excellent 18 station, 22 km-long metro line, crossing the city from northwest to southeast. Other lines are under construction. Mexico’s second largest airport is here, serving over 60 locations, non-stops to Europe, Central and South America).

Lake Chapala

If this is all too much stimulation, 45 minutes south is one of Mexico’s most iconic and original expatriate hang-outs. If lakeside village living is your calling, Lake Chapala might be your village in the sun. Lake Chapala living is clustered along the lake’s northwest shore. Across two municipalities, Chapala and Jocotepec, no one really knows how many foreign-born residents call this place home. 

The numbers swell from October to March, exacerbating some automobile traffic challenges, rising rental costs, and the area’s water shortage. These growth concerns come with village and small-town settings (Chapala, San Antonio, Ajijic, San Juan Cosala, Jocotepec) inhabited by retirees from over 40 countries! The demographic is certainly “older,” but that doesn’t necessitate a nap on the hammock of things to keep you busy. Three English-language theater companies, a symphony, a community choir, the renowned Lake Chapala Society campus, Mexico’s longest standing weekly English lecture series, (Open Circle, and dozens of non-profit volunteer opportunities are relished in Mexico’s best year-round climate). Residents feel very safe being out at all hours. There is near zero homelessness.

The first pioneering foreigners living here started coming in the 1940’s. Lake Chapala boasts a very hybrid Mexico-a-la-Expat lifestyle. Foreigners and Mexicans live here in mostly symbiotic ways, with gentrification offset by a balanced commitment to helping the area thrive. If you want to embrace a social improvement cause, there’s a community of like-minded folk to connect with.

Yes, the lake itself is facing ecological challenges. But few living here connect with the lake beyond gazing at its majesty, backed by verdant mountains rising three thousand feet above the lake-facing towns. Will growth continue to eat away Lake Chapala’s mountainscape and drain over-taxed water wells? It’s a fair criticism.

Jalisco State is home to resort, urban and village settings. It’s pretty unbeatable for just about any overseas living aspiration. Or combine all three and show your friends and family up north a Mexico living reality they can barely imagine.

The ratings

A full breakdown of our rating system can be found here.

What did we get right? What do you disagree with? Let us know in the comments.

You can see more of our Where to Live in Mexico 2024 series here, including ratings for Yucatán, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo and the Baja California peninsula.

Author Greg Custer lives in Mexico. He’s worked for over 40 years in international tourism, educating travel advisors around the world about Mexico and other Latin American destinations. He helps folks explore Mexico for living at www.mexicoforliving.com.

The post MND Where to Live in Mexico 2024 Guide: Jalisco appeared first on Mexico News Daily

But spend some time here and you’ll see that there are tangibles and intangibles not captured in our attempt to convey the essence of Mexico living: attributes that reveal Baja Sur’s raw beauty, frontier spirit and micro-destination personalities. There are superlatives about the state that just don’t stand out in our rankings. That’s okay. Tens of thousands of desert-meets-the-sea lovers will attest to how Baja Sur living is unlike the rest of Mexico. It always has been.

From colonial outpost to tourist’s dream

Just as the Baja Peninsula broke away from mainland Mexico some two million years ago, any discussion of Baja Sur living today must grapple with whether living near the tip of a remote desert can be a sustainable choice. It’s Mexico’s least populated state, has the country’s longest coastline, the greatest amount of protected area and the most uninhabited islands. The state is mostly jagged mountains and barren coastal plains with almost no surface water. The Spanish and their evangelizing orders only gained a tenuous foothold in the 18th century, leaving a legacy of 16 outpost missions. When it became a state in 1974, Baja Sur was home to a mere 128,000 residents.

But no one would cast Baja Sur as insignificant today. It’s one of three states in Mexico that attract the lion’s share of international visitors. Los Cabos’ hotels have the highest average daily occupation rate in all of Mexico, and its two coasts are biological miracles and the wellspring for the one activity that unites Baja Sur culture: fishing. 

Starting with the Climate criteria of our ratings, Los Cabos bakes in the summer and has experienced almost annual hurricane or tropical storm disruptions in the past ten years. Slide up the west coast to the village of Todos Santos and Pacific cooling helps some. To the east, summers are sweltering in Cabo del Este and La Paz. Head north to Loreto and you’ll embrace a temperate fall and spring, bookended by winter chills and summer sweats. Sea temperatures around Loreto range from 68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 30 Celcius). Not really four seasons, but a semblance of variety.

Los Cabos has the best air Connectivity for getting back home or to mainland Mexico. Loreto and La Paz have limited domestic and very limited seasonal international flights. 

Baja Sur is sprawling. Long distances separate its resorts and cities, but it’s scenic driving as you move from Los Cabos up to La Paz or on to Loreto. Medical Care can also present challenges. You’ll likely find a doctor you love, but Baja Sur isn’t known for specialized medicine or tier-three hospitals.

Los Cabos

Los Cabos living draws the most attention. The destination is now a hit for vacationers across the United States and there are even seasonal non-stop flights from Europe. Not so long ago, there were three geographically defined zones of Los Cabos: colonial and quiet San José, the tequila-drenched cruise port and fishing marina of San Lucas and a corridor of swanky resorts and golf courses linking the two. 

Today, with over 350,000 residents and a freeway-like artery between San José and San Lucas, the lifestyle distinctions from place to place have been blurred. It’s a dollarized economy and any semblance of affordable living is long gone. But there’s truly world-class golf, dining, sportfishing and desert and ocean living that nowhere else in Mexico can match.

Todos Santos

You’ll experience a very different vibe in trendy Todos Santos, a 45-minute drive up the Pacific coast from San Lucas. One of Baja Sur’s prettiest colonial mission settlements, Todos Santos is today a hub for organic farming and a surfer and artisan’s grove. The village ambience looks likely to eventually yield to development pressures leaking up the coast from Cabo; however, it’s still a town that maintains a sense of place, neighborly relations between Mexican and newcomers,  and some fairly sophisticated lifestyle amenities, including dining, wine shops, galleries and cool bars

La Paz

La Paz may come closest to combining natural beauty with a local community vibe that reflects truer Baja traditions. The city is a leading destination for sustainably embracing the great outdoors in a city and regional gateway to the incomparable Gulf of California, augmented by the municipality’s whale-inhabited lagoons, serrated mountains, mining towns, fishing villages and austere European missions. But beware: Cabo-fication is underway as Baja Sur lovers get priced out of southern tip real estate. 

The state capital, La Paz is also a commercial port for fishing and mainland ferry connectivity and is home to what may be Mexico’s most enchanting malecón, which stretches for a little over three miles (five kilometers). Historic sites are just blocks from the city’s playful boardwalk and its plentiful seafood dining, bars, public art, piers and cycling and jogging paths. A cohort of high season expat residents unite around volunteering, beach days, house parties, the open-mic music scene and soft eco-adventure outings to nearby islands or up into the mountains and the charming mining town of El Triunfo. It’s the good life for desert living with jaw-dropping white sand beaches a short drive from downtown.

Points south of La Paz

Heading south from La Paz, you’ll find coastal villages like El Sargento and adjacent La Ventana, which face the breathtaking La Ventana Bay. This area has been proclaimed the “home of the wind” for its consistent shore breeze that attracts wind and kite surfing enthusiasts from around the world. Sportfishing, diving, the Rancho Cacachilas Adventure Club and yoga and meditation centers make La Ventana one of the area’s up-and-coming micro-destinations. 

Further south are Los Barriles and next-door Buena Vista. This is where pioneering sportfishing camps put the East Cape on the map years ahead of Los Cabos. Sportfishing is the main anchor, especially for Marlin and dozens of feisty gamefish species. Los Barriles is 65 miles south of La Paz, off Highway 1.

Loreto

Loreto is another choice that can work for village-seeking, nature-loving northerners who don’t really care about connectivity, Costco or mainland Mexico cultural icons. With a population of under 20,000, Loreto is another of Mexico’s second-tier planned resorts that never caught on. Today it forges ahead in one of Baja’s most scenic settings, known for its sportfishing, nearby islands and affordability. 

Loreto faces the Sea of Cortez and three remarkable desert islands. A flat seafront plain is backed by the scenic and wild Sierra de La Giganta. It’s one of Mexico’s most dramatic coastal settings, home to Baja’s original mission settlement vestiges of 17th century architecture. 

The village spreads westward from the seaside boardwalk that extends along a rock jetty and includes Loreto’s sportfishing marina. The malecón is ideal for walking, cycling and some wildlife viewing. Imposing Isla del Carmen dominates views toward the Sea of Cortez. 

Nopolo and Loreto Bay

These cities are considered an alternative to living in town. Just three miles south of the city and separated by the Loreto Airport, this area has evolved to become a residential retirement development with over 600 homes and 18-hole golf, but not much commercial development. An active HOA has saved the development coming out of bankruptcy some years back.

Wherever you choose to settle across Baja Sur, your constant companions are broad vistas, clear desert air and starry nights. Who could have a problem with that? 

The ratings

A full breakdown of our rating system can be found here.

What did we get right? What do you disagree with? Let us know in the comments.

You can see more of our Where to Live in Mexico 2024 series here, including ratings for Yucatán, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo and Baja California.

Author Greg Custer lives in Mexico. He’s worked for over 40 years in international tourism, educating travel advisors around the world about Mexico and other Latin American destinations. He helps folks explore Mexico for living at www.mexicoforliving.com. 

The post MND Where to Live in Mexico 2024 Guide: Baja California Sur appeared first on Mexico News Daily

I get asked “Why do you live in Mexico?” by friends and acquaintances, especially when traveling to the U.S. or overseas. If I want to boil down the Mexico living rationale, I often resort to a refrain that sums up this country’s most salient advantage when comparing Mexico with other overseas living options: “foreign and familiar” — a mixture of cultural, culinary, linguistic, historical, and societal expressions co-existing with Mexico’s acceptance and embrace of many things “American” — peanut butter on your morning toast, pyramids in the afternoon; colonial cities and Costco; el Beis (baseball) and birria. I could go on and on.

It’s a region of Mexico with a high degree of familiarity for West Coasters (a Tijuana day trip is a rite of passage for those growing up in SoCal), albeit a mystery to many others exploring coastal living options in Mexico. It’s a place that has sourced many, many stereotypical portrayals of Mexican identity (sometimes unfairly), while also carving out a bicultural hybrid identity that might someday call into question whether a walled border even matters. The urban complex, San Diego-Tijuana, is already one of the hemisphere’s most energetic landscapes of cooperation and entwined destinies. Being a part of this future might just be your Mexico living sweet spot.

Hands down, Baja California is the only place to live on the coast enjoying a “Mediterranean” climate of warm (but rarely humid) summers and winters with seasonal rains and a very stable mean daily temperature. Like San Diego, there will be overcast mornings and don’t expect tropical greenspaces or forested hills. 

Connectivity and Care also earn high marks, as Baja living gifts its inhabitants with the best of Mexico and the U.S. when it comes to getting back home (using San Diego and Tijuana airports for domestic and international flights) and the best of border medicine with Medicare. Sure, you’ll need to get past layers of highway obstacles and a relatively slow international border crossing reality, but San Diego is pretty much within your grasp. Well, unless you opt for Ensenada a further 144 kilometers (89 miles) away.

I would never discount or degrade the culture of Baja California, coopted by U.S. commercial and popular cultural incursions. But the state has also earned its own independence and identity when it comes to lifestyles, artistic expressions and familial and societal relations in defiance of California’s tidal wave of influences. No, you won’t find iconic Mexican relics of archaeology, Spanish colonial architecture, or jaw-dropping landscape diversity. Here, it’s mostly desert, especially if you’re heading inland away from the Pacific. You’ll need to take a flight (three hours to Mexico City) to get your fix of “real” Mexico.

That said, you’ll find plenty of reasons to explore your local surroundings: Tijuana’s sophisticated dining and multicultural performing arts scene, Mexico’s premiere wine country (just over the hill from Ensenada), beaches and more beaches, and two magnificent bodies of water (the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California).

Tijuana

Starting with Tijuana, there are probably more U.S. passport holders living full and part-time than in any other state. English is widely spoken. With 2.1 million metro-area residents, universities, museums, performing arts (Teatro Las Tablas, Centro Cultural Tijuana, Casa de la Cultura), and some of Mexico’s most innovative seafood, Tijuana defies the stereotypes of its past. 

Tijuana is a manufacturing powerhouse and as a result, offers non-stop flights to China. Some 45,000 K-12 students and 45,000 others head into California for work and school every day. A post-COVID-19 sea of remote workers takes advantage of lower cost of living (although this has led to a rise in rental costs), income-tax savings (heard of the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion?) and a cultural spark that’s just not found in the States. 

But there are security issues. Crime, cartel violence, car-jackings, and the ever-menacing border tension realities loom over the area. More U.S. citizens are homicide victims in Baja California State than in any other state in Mexico. A commute to the States for work is brutal by most accounts (50 million annual border crossings happen here). Remote workers experience less stress. As one social media post highlights, “If you want to make the sacrifice, have an end game; don’t be another hamster on the wheel or you’ll go crazy.”

Rosarito

Rosarito (population 127,000); what can you say about it? What started as a humble beach town with a wooden pier and lifeguard stations (another nod to the SoCal beach experience) has grown into a bedroom community for Tijuana and high rise condo towers for thousands of foreigners. Highway 1 and 1D form arteries that run smack dab through the center of town.  In some ways, living here is more about convenience than culture or even “resort” amenities. It’s a surfer haven for some and a breakfast club or happy hour social scene for others.

Gated residential communities line the coast north and south of the city center. More a “mistake” of development than anything very cohesive, the city never rates in the top ten for Mexican beach resorts with a  “wow factor.” There are some high-rise beachfront hotels, but few visitors come for long vacation stays, meaning the weekend “invasion” is more the cycle. 

But it is Mexico’s lobster capital. Puerto Nuevo in particular has Baja-Med cuisine (making dining here expensive by Mexican standards), micro-breweries and Mexico’s biggest annual beach party, Baja Beach Fest, in August. There is a muted multicultural art scene centered around painting and sculpture, and two English-language theater companies. You’ve got convenience, a daily mean temperature of 70 degrees Farenheit (21 Celcius), and sandy Pacific beaches. Oh, and Rosarito was the source of rocks for the 1970’s Pet Rock craze.  

Ensenada

An hour’s drive to the south is Ensenada, described by one travel guide as “hedonistic Tijuana’s cosmopolitan sister.” It’s big enough (population 444,000) to stand on its own when it comes to services and amenities and it’s far enough from the border (104 km) to require some effort to get here. This all makes for a haven from the border calamity up north. And Ensenada’s Mexican and expat societies enjoy shared coastal living experiences that can be harder to find in Mexico’s “fly-in,” more trafficked beach locations. 

Those who make the effort to get here (and live year round) are rewarded with a seaport personality and the arrival of 3 to 4 ships per week, Mexico’s best seafood dining and the premier wine country (just over the hill in Valle de Guadalupe), surprising micro-climates should the cool overcast weather grows tiresome and affordability. There are universities and research institutes, some offering courses in English in marine science, winemaking and other interests. Museo de la Historia, Plaza de la Patria and Ventana al Mar Park are all casual hang-outs for expats. 

You’ll also find a diversity of residential neighborhoods in central Ensenada and many more toward the south of the city. You’ll want a car if you live here, and some reports say beach swimming in central Ensenada is not recommended, due to sewage spills — more prevalent in winter than summer. Sound familiar, SoCal? 

Baja California living straddles the U.S. and Mexico, drawing the best conditions for a “foreign and familiar” lifestyle. It’s SoCal with an accent, a tribute to the challenges and rewards of a binational landscape.

The ratings

A full breakdown of our rating system can be found here.

What did we get right? What do you disagree with? Let us know in the comments.

You can see more of our Where to Live in Mexico 2024 series here, including ratings for Yucatán, Oaxaca and Quintana Roo.

Author Greg Custer lives in Mexico. He’s worked for over 40 years in international tourism, educating travel advisors around the world about Mexico and other Latin American destinations. He helps folks explore Mexico for living at www.mexicoforliving.com. 

The post MND Where to Live in Mexico 2024 Guide: Baja California appeared first on Mexico News Daily