Thanks for mentioning Jiquilpan again. I used to also live in Puerto Vallarta but it has gotten to expensive. I think a good city to retire might be the city of Colima in the state of Colima because there are many places that you can visit for a day whiting just a couple of hours I am sure housing and food are quite cheap and the food there is Delicious.
We visited Comala and Colima when we spent 10 days in Manzanillo. I think we personally prefer the drier cooler high elevation cities and towns to live in long term.
You guys continue to amaze me the way you just decided to do Mexico and went about it. What are your long term plans? Mexico, world travel, drive Canada?
Thank you, it was definitely nerve-wracking selling everything we owned and quitting our jobs but we couldn't be happier with the decision. We are definitely planning on spending at least one more year in Mexico to hit the 100 pueblos magicos goal. After that we aren't entirely sure. Mexico feels like home at this point and I think it would be cool to get to know another country on such a deep level.
@@GeorgiaandDavid I did the same and have been based in Mexico for 2.5 years now. recently I had to go back to Canada to renew my passport and once I was good to go I decided to go to Panama for a month before coming back to Mexico. I ended up loving it and want to go back. Panama has lots of places up in the hills that give you that cooler, fresher air year round... but their rainy season is longer than Mexico's, running April - December so everything is lush and green. it is such a paradise. and if you already have the basics of Spanish it is super easy to adapt.
@@GeorgiaandDavid for sure Mexico is a great home base. I have a Mexican girlfriend but I still like to travel and move around. I'm retired but she still works as a teacher and they have very limited time off. I just worry about the climbing prices here. thinking about going to Colombia for a couple weeks this summer to scout it out as a possible option. the weak Canadian dollar doesnt help!
Great video! My husband and I lived in both Chapala and Ajijic in 2017/18 and are going back permanently this coming June. One question - those vampiros - were they $17.65 each or for both? I hope both!!
You sure make it sound nice with your musica playing but, here is the thing. After Living there for awhile, everything gets to feel like just another day. You get tired of the everyday things being ror sale everyday and all the ok whatever being for sale so, be aware of that when you live in Mexico being a foreigner 😂 I lived in Ajijic for 1 year now, I'm glad that I'm not living there anymore. Just to many foreigners living there and trying to act like bigshots etc etc so anyway, good place to visit for a weekend but, it's not for everybody to make a life living there enless, you want to join those bigshots who think that they ( you know what, don't stink 😂) so anyway, then Chapala is somewhat more ok different but still, it's not perfect either but a lot nicer an Ajijic.😊
We are still traveling full time so we just get a taste of each place. Once we are ready to settle down Chapala, Ajijic, and SMA aren't on the list for us. I can see why others gravitate there but for us there is just too much English spoken.
I live in Ensenada where a tasty freshly caught and cleaned fish taco con todo costs me $27 pesos or $1.54us and an al pastor (marinated pork on a fired spit) taco con todo runs $14 pesos each or $0.80us. Avocados were on sale last week for $0.24us and usually run around $0.45us.The season just started so a good size ataulfo mango is more expensive now than usual at $1.00us each. Buena suerte!
@@davidsebastianelli1326 after traveling all through Mexico over the past 20 months we have noticed that prices vary wildly. In different states, cities, and even within the same market prices can be completely different. Knowing where to find the best prices is a huge advantage and takes time.
@@davidsebastianelli1326 you can get street tacos anywhere for about those prices. these people were doing sit down meals in restaurants where the prices are on a completely different scale.
When you take a tour of the town , your dog stay in airbnb? Is there any problem taking bus with dog when you move town to town? Your dog does have high altitude sickness? I am planning to travel Mexico with my dog. Please advise. Thanks
Sometimes she would come everywhere with us sometimes she would stay at the Airbnb. We never left her alone the first day or two so she could get used to it. Dogs are not allowed on buses that is why we drove our Jeep down. None of us ever got altitude sickness but we never went straight from sea level to 7k feet either.
not sure where you are referring to as 7000 feet? San Miguel is just a bit more than 6000 and Ajijic is about 5000. in the last month I have been in Mexico City and Guanajuato and didnt feel any effects of the altitude, although my girlfriend claimed she did and was constantly running out of breath while I was completely normal. so it can also differ from one person to the next.
Any suggestions on how to find affordable accommodations in this area. Online I can only find Airbnb on the $200 US per night? Or is this the going rate? Thank you for the video! It really showed a lot of the area.
Unfortunately that is the going rate a short term rental with multiple bedrooms in the high season. The popularity with foreigners drives up the price. Especially in low season you can find much better deals in Facebook groups.
even though L Chapala is the largest lake in Mexico it is actually small by comparison to the Great Lakes. Lake Ontario is 18 times larger for example. wow, the lake level was super low for September in your video! and yes, Lake Chapala is badly polluted. it is heart breaking. and its not just industrial run off. actually there is very little industry in the area. it is mostly agricultural (fertilizer) run off and sewage. I lived in Ajijic for 6 months and visited many of the other towns around the lake. at the east end is Ocotlan that has a river running through the center of town that flows into the lake. unfortunately they use the river to dispose of the town's sewage untreated and it smells horrific. absolutely disgusting and infuriating that nothing is being done to modernize and clean up the environment. in any case, I got tired of Ajijic and havent been back in 18 months now. hated the broken cobblestone streets, the garbage, the dog shit, the dust and the flies which are unbearable 9 or 10 months out of the year and make outdoor dining very unpleasant. I would never compare Ajijic with a very refined place like San Miguel.
It's sad that the lake isn't cared for. I didn't know that some of the pollution was sewage. I don't think SMA or Chapala are good fits for us long term.
Absolutely, we have temporary residency good until 2026. We also have a temporary import permit for our Jeep. We made videos showing the whole process starting with qualifying financially at the consulate back in NC in 2022.
prices almost anywhere in Mexico are getting out of control now. you almost have to go somewhere that there are no tourists to find decent prices now. I've been mainly in Guadalajara the last 18 months and now the prices here have become unaffordable... although I have been lucky to rent my girlfriend's mother's house while she has been in Las Vegas for the last 3 months and paying only 4000 pesos a month! but when she returns I have decided to head to San Cristobal where I will rent a whole house for only $650 CAD per month!
@@GeorgiaandDavid good to know. ya, I'm going back to the same place I stayed in San Cristobal last summer. I'll be there from March - June. the price of the place I am staying is less than half of anything in Guadalajara. it should also be cooler in the spring than GDL last year when the rainy season started a month late we were dealing with temps in the mid 30's C .
Went there some years ago to visit friends who moved there. I noticed that a few of the people I met there were very into booze. Come to find out it was much cheaper in Mexico. The idea of hanging with a lot of alcoholics is not appealing.
4:10 Polluted Lake (??) The Lake has merky water due to its muddy clay flor , but No industrial pollutants. I ´ve been swimming in and out this Lake for many years and never had any sort of skin or health problems
Google "most polluted lake in Mexico". "The water entering Lake Chapala from the Lerma River is highly polluted with heavy metals and other toxic substances as a result of insufficient wastewater treatment by the many industries operating near the Lerma River." I personally wouldn't dream of swimming in it.
@fernandozome1750 - omg, you have no clue what you are talking about! that lake is hideously polluted. for half the year it is covered in green slime from the agricultural run off which causes massive amounts of algae in the lake. I can also tell you that Ocotlan at the east end of the lake dumps its raw sewage into the town's river which flows right into the lake. none of the towns around the lake have modern sewage treatment plants to treat the water before it enters the lake.
Traveling is always a bit stressful for me because of having Celiac Disease. Finding a safe restaurant is challenging. I usually cook my own meals, which is no fun. I love going to Mexico and it's really about eating at good restaurants but it's depressing for me to constantly have to avoid getting very sick from gluten.
If you choose authentic taquerias you shouldn't have an issue. They only use corn tortillas, the meats and salsas are also gluten free. Be careful with moles though they often use bread as a thickener.
I’m sorry but I would be suspicious that the locals are not using the fish from that lake in their restaurants. How would know??🤷♀️ Don’t want to make your bed before video?
![[#2024MAMA] ROSÉ (로제), Bruno Mars - APT. | Mnet 241122 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dgGqD28J6aQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Great video! Thank you guys for sharing. Glad I found your channel!
Thank you!
Thanks for mentioning Jiquilpan again.
I used to also live in Puerto Vallarta but it has gotten to expensive. I think a good city to retire might be the city of Colima in the state of Colima because there are many places that you can visit for a day whiting just a couple of hours I am sure housing and food are quite cheap and the food there is Delicious.
We visited Comala and Colima when we spent 10 days in Manzanillo. I think we personally prefer the drier cooler high elevation cities and towns to live in long term.
The city of Colima has the highest homicide rate in Mexico.
There are very many nice and cheaper town around the lake .Not to far from Chapala or Ajijic like 15 to 20 minutes away.
Yes definitely, towns in Mexico that are less popular with Americans and Canadians are usually much cheaper.
Great job guys. Useful!
Thank you!
You guys continue to amaze me the way you just decided to do Mexico and went about it. What are your long term plans? Mexico, world travel, drive Canada?
Thank you, it was definitely nerve-wracking selling everything we owned and quitting our jobs but we couldn't be happier with the decision. We are definitely planning on spending at least one more year in Mexico to hit the 100 pueblos magicos goal. After that we aren't entirely sure. Mexico feels like home at this point and I think it would be cool to get to know another country on such a deep level.
@@GeorgiaandDavid I did the same and have been based in Mexico for 2.5 years now. recently I had to go back to Canada to renew my passport and once I was good to go I decided to go to Panama for a month before coming back to Mexico. I ended up loving it and want to go back. Panama has lots of places up in the hills that give you that cooler, fresher air year round... but their rainy season is longer than Mexico's, running April - December so everything is lush and green. it is such a paradise. and if you already have the basics of Spanish it is super easy to adapt.
@@RedroomStudios We definitely plan on traveling more outside of Mexico in the future but I have a feeling that in the end Mexico will be our home.
@@GeorgiaandDavid for sure Mexico is a great home base. I have a Mexican girlfriend but I still like to travel and move around. I'm retired but she still works as a teacher and they have very limited time off. I just worry about the climbing prices here. thinking about going to Colombia for a couple weeks this summer to scout it out as a possible option. the weak Canadian dollar doesnt help!
Great video! My husband and I lived in both Chapala and Ajijic in 2017/18 and are going back permanently this coming June. One question - those vampiros - were they $17.65 each or for both? I hope both!!
Thanks! The price was for two with tip.
Make sure you get your legal papers or you would be an ilegal migrant!
Efficient wifi is critical, I’ll be a digital. The question I ask myself is where do I want to be when I’m 75. I think it may be Chapala
We liked Chapala best. Sma and Ajijic really couldn't be more different.
You sure make it sound nice with your musica playing but, here is the thing. After Living there for awhile, everything gets to feel like just another day. You get tired of the everyday things being ror sale everyday and all the ok whatever being for sale so, be aware of that when you live in Mexico being a foreigner 😂 I lived in Ajijic for 1 year now, I'm glad that I'm not living there anymore. Just to many foreigners living there and trying to act like bigshots etc etc so anyway, good place to visit for a weekend but, it's not for everybody to make a life living there enless, you want to join those bigshots who think that they ( you know what, don't stink 😂) so anyway, then Chapala is somewhat more ok different but still, it's not perfect either but a lot nicer an Ajijic.😊
We are still traveling full time so we just get a taste of each place. Once we are ready to settle down Chapala, Ajijic, and SMA aren't on the list for us. I can see why others gravitate there but for us there is just too much English spoken.
Good idea!! Mexico does not need anymore ilegals living in Chapala or anywhere else in Mexico. Stay in your country!
Great video!
Thanks!
Those are definitely gringo prices for that meal.
Most things in Ajijic are geared toward Americans and Canadians and the prices definitely reflect that.
I live in Ensenada where a tasty freshly caught and cleaned fish taco con todo costs me $27 pesos or $1.54us and an al pastor (marinated pork on a fired spit) taco con todo runs $14 pesos each or $0.80us. Avocados were on sale last week for $0.24us and usually run around $0.45us.The season just started so a good size ataulfo mango is more expensive now than usual at $1.00us each. Buena suerte!
@@davidsebastianelli1326 after traveling all through Mexico over the past 20 months we have noticed that prices vary wildly. In different states, cities, and even within the same market prices can be completely different. Knowing where to find the best prices is a huge advantage and takes time.
@@davidsebastianelli1326 you can get street tacos anywhere for about those prices. these people were doing sit down meals in restaurants where the prices are on a completely different scale.
When you take a tour of the town , your dog stay in airbnb? Is there any problem taking bus with dog when you move town to town? Your dog does have high altitude sickness? I am planning to travel Mexico with my dog. Please advise. Thanks
Sometimes she would come everywhere with us sometimes she would stay at the Airbnb. We never left her alone the first day or two so she could get used to it. Dogs are not allowed on buses that is why we drove our Jeep down. None of us ever got altitude sickness but we never went straight from sea level to 7k feet either.
@@GeorgiaandDavid thank you
not sure where you are referring to as 7000 feet? San Miguel is just a bit more than 6000 and Ajijic is about 5000. in the last month I have been in Mexico City and Guanajuato and didnt feel any effects of the altitude, although my girlfriend claimed she did and was constantly running out of breath while I was completely normal. so it can also differ from one person to the next.
Thanks for the video!
Glad you enjoyed it
Any suggestions on how to find affordable accommodations in this area. Online I can only find Airbnb on the $200 US per night? Or is this the going rate? Thank you for the video! It really showed a lot of the area.
Unfortunately that is the going rate a short term rental with multiple bedrooms in the high season. The popularity with foreigners drives up the price. Especially in low season you can find much better deals in Facebook groups.
@@GeorgiaandDavid thank you so much for the info! What is considered high season there? July and August?
@@arabellalunkes4532 high season is November-march when the retirees in Canada and the US are trying to escape winter.
@@GeorgiaandDavid thank you so much for the info!
18 months ago I was paying $700 US for a month, but that was cash to people I had gotten to know. in the last couple years prices have easily doubled.
🎉❤
even though L Chapala is the largest lake in Mexico it is actually small by comparison to the Great Lakes. Lake Ontario is 18 times larger for example. wow, the lake level was super low for September in your video! and yes, Lake Chapala is badly polluted. it is heart breaking. and its not just industrial run off. actually there is very little industry in the area. it is mostly agricultural (fertilizer) run off and sewage. I lived in Ajijic for 6 months and visited many of the other towns around the lake. at the east end is Ocotlan that has a river running through the center of town that flows into the lake. unfortunately they use the river to dispose of the town's sewage untreated and it smells horrific. absolutely disgusting and infuriating that nothing is being done to modernize and clean up the environment. in any case, I got tired of Ajijic and havent been back in 18 months now. hated the broken cobblestone streets, the garbage, the dog shit, the dust and the flies which are unbearable 9 or 10 months out of the year and make outdoor dining very unpleasant. I would never compare Ajijic with a very refined place like San Miguel.
It's sad that the lake isn't cared for. I didn't know that some of the pollution was sewage. I don't think SMA or Chapala are good fits for us long term.
Stay at Great Lakes! Too many Americans invading Mexico, we don’t want you anymore
Do you have legal papers to be able to live in Mexico?
Absolutely, we have temporary residency good until 2026. We also have a temporary import permit for our Jeep. We made videos showing the whole process starting with qualifying financially at the consulate back in NC in 2022.
Welp it looks like I’m avoiding Ajijic for it’s too expensive for me. Nice town though.
Prices there are definitely higher than other parts of central Mexico.
prices almost anywhere in Mexico are getting out of control now. you almost have to go somewhere that there are no tourists to find decent prices now. I've been mainly in Guadalajara the last 18 months and now the prices here have become unaffordable... although I have been lucky to rent my girlfriend's mother's house while she has been in Las Vegas for the last 3 months and paying only 4000 pesos a month! but when she returns I have decided to head to San Cristobal where I will rent a whole house for only $650 CAD per month!
@@RedroomStudios Chiapas and Veracruz were the two most affordable states we have visited.
@@GeorgiaandDavid good to know. ya, I'm going back to the same place I stayed in San Cristobal last summer. I'll be there from March - June. the price of the place I am staying is less than half of anything in Guadalajara. it should also be cooler in the spring than GDL last year when the rainy season started a month late we were dealing with temps in the mid 30's C .
We loved San Cris, it is definitely a place we will be back to. It is also definitely cooler than most of Mexico, enjoy!
Chapala is the better choice 1:50
We personally would rank
1) Chapala 2) Ajijic 3) SMA
But I can definitely appreciate that different things appeal to different people.
Went there some years ago to visit friends who moved there. I noticed that a few of the people I met there were very into booze. Come to find out it was much cheaper in Mexico. The idea of hanging with a lot of alcoholics is not appealing.
We liked it better than SMA but it isn't in our list of top places to settle down.
4:10 Polluted Lake (??) The Lake has merky water due to its muddy clay flor , but No industrial pollutants.
I ´ve been swimming in and out this Lake for many years and never had any sort of skin or health problems
Google "most polluted lake in Mexico".
"The water entering Lake Chapala from the Lerma River is highly polluted with heavy metals and other toxic substances as a result of insufficient wastewater treatment by the many industries operating near the Lerma River."
I personally wouldn't dream of swimming in it.
Lake Chapala is polluted in addition to being contaminated with heavy metals. One google search will help you decide if you want to swim in the lake.
@fernandozome1750 - omg, you have no clue what you are talking about! that lake is hideously polluted. for half the year it is covered in green slime from the agricultural run off which causes massive amounts of algae in the lake. I can also tell you that Ocotlan at the east end of the lake dumps its raw sewage into the town's river which flows right into the lake. none of the towns around the lake have modern sewage treatment plants to treat the water before it enters the lake.
Traveling is always a bit stressful for me because of having Celiac Disease. Finding a safe restaurant is challenging. I usually cook my own meals, which is no fun. I love going to Mexico and it's really about eating at good restaurants but it's depressing for me to constantly have to avoid getting very sick from gluten.
If you choose authentic taquerias you shouldn't have an issue. They only use corn tortillas, the meats and salsas are also gluten free. Be careful with moles though they often use bread as a thickener.
@@GeorgiaandDavid Thank you!
Is this a complaint?
I’m sorry but I would be suspicious that the locals are not using the fish from that lake in their restaurants. How would know??🤷♀️ Don’t want to make your bed before video?
Yes, we avoided seafood while we were there. Lol we never make the bed.
You need that sugar
Luckily we have both lost quite a bit of weight during our travels throughout Mexico. We try to limit carbs but it isn't always easy.
This vidoe is misleading and boring.
Sorry it wasn't what you were looking for.
👎👎👎👎👎
Sorry you didn't like it
@@GeorgiaandDavid I did.!
@@LaurelCaseycomedy Thanks!
I appreciate the truth. We all should.