Ajijic & Chapala, Mexico: Is It Overrated? 

Jerry Brown here with Jerry Brown travels Lori here we just watched your video very good a lot of good information I enjoyed the layout of the video and the editing very professional. Thank you for the referral we enjoyed our time with you. Happy trails to you until we meet again.

Thanks for this great video on Lake Chapala! I've had a home in San Juan Cosala (just next door to West Ajijic) since 2018 and am now in the process of moving out full time (or at least much "longer" time.) I first visited with friends in 2014, bought in 2018 and rented it out for many years before finally making the leap. It is indeed a Pueblo Mágico (or a series of pueblos) that is truly serene, friendly and so naturally lush and beautiful. The lake (considered sacred by many) keeps everything a wonderful temp all year round and being the largest Lake in Mexico is truly spectacular visually also. Many artists, writers and bohemians have been drawn here since the 1920s and there is a vibrant and talented arts scene as well as spiritual seekers of all kinds. It's also a very safe and tolerant community for people of many different cultures/lifestyles which is important to some because not all areas of Mexico are safe that way. People seem to pretty peacefully co-exist. The area is also a spa/resort town for Mexicans in the surrounding areas so it is wonderfully eclectic in that way. As for the food, you could probably eat out 2 months straight and not repeat there is so much good food (restaurants & street food.) Historically it has definitely catered to the older expat set. I am under 50 and it is still definitely a more mellow/ mature vibe but there are definitely more younger folks now and more contemporary elements creeping in because it has turned into a highly desirable bedroom community of Guadalajara. I was last there in November 2021 and couldn't believe how crowded it is, more and more folks just seem to be coming! The real estate and rents have gone way up (that mirrors what's happening with prices in the U.S.) but you certainly get more bang for your buck for the real estate as well and most services and food, etc. are still cheaper. (Except gas.) For people interested in buying, it is a cash market but the benefits are usually a much nicer home for the $230K - $300K price point and you will save a LOT on property taxes which will likely be 1/10 of what they are in the States or Canada. $150 annually compared to $1,500, $5,000 or even $10K and up. Again, depends where you're coming from. On the plus side I had no problem renting my place & making good rent which is nice & may not always happen in more out of the way places. If you want to try having an investment property in Mexico, the north shore of Lake Chapala is a relatively secure place to try it because it's fee simple, there is quite a demand and also a good infrastructure (property management/realty services, etc.) to support it. Of course, as some others have suggested, spend some time there first and do your due diligence. If you are more DIY & adventurous, there are always better deals to explore and be had & that is what's wonderful about Mexico! Buying at the Lake is more expensive but it is buying into more of an established infrastructure, so to speak. Personally, with how high the market is right now, I would watch & wait but, generally, it's a gentle place to land and figure things out from there. Being an expat, you will have to put yourself out there a bit to find activities & new friends etc but there are a lot of resources and plenty to do. I know several folks who've started small businesses that do quite well. If you are enterprising, there is opportunity. ;) You can get by without a lot of Spanish but of course, the more effort you put in, the more you get out of it! It is a fun community that is friendly and people oriented which is a nice change. People are active but in a lovely and unhurried way. I would definitely recommend having a vehicle because I love to roam around and explore & I would get bored without a car. Summer is the time when a lot of folks travel or go to the beach, etc. Being Centrally located in Mex, you can get anywhere fairly quickly and inexpensively. For instance, with an airline like Volaris, today you can get a $60 nonstop flight to Cancun/Riviera Maya from Guadalajara airport which is just a straight shot 35 minutes north. It's a 2 hour 39 minute flight to the Caribbean. If you wanted to hop a flight in the other direction to Los Cabos next week, there are some flights for under $40 USD. Flight is 1 hour and 34 minutes! If you prefer to drive, it's about 5 hours to Puerto Vallarta/Bucerias on the toll road and a little less going East to San Miguel de Allende for an artsy weekend. Just like anywhere, it's nice to change it up, but I miss my house & the Lake so much. Just can't wait to get back. Was really fun to see footage of all the places I know as well as some things I had no idea about! A "sleepy" special place I hope never changes. ;)

"Everything" in 2 months here? We are here 10 years and still learning! We love our home.

Another great video. You continue your knack for providing a lot of information into an entertaining and relatively short video. I feel like I'm noticing incremental improvements with each new video. Keep up the good work.

Wow, have been quite a while but well worth the wait! Besides being informative, is a very well produced vlog!

Thank you for the beautiful quality of this video. I have watched many, many travel videos about Central and South America and south east Asia, and what you have done here is a step above! I’m reconsidering slow travel starting in Mexico, so very happy to find your channel. Subscribed!

Well Done! Thanks for sharing this info, very helpful.

we loved living there for almost 2 years. Had to come back to the states for family reasons but would love to get back there. We lived in two places and both were nice. Loved the markets and the friends we made.

Such a great video, my first one to watch! Just subscribed and am watching all your Mexico videos now .. I really appreciate your positive perspective making Mexico more accessible .. I'm just getting started on my Mexico living adventures in Guadalajara .. and these videos make me feel motivated and optimistic about exploring the country I spent childhoods in. Thank you & happy travels!

Really enjoyed your video, one of the best out there explaining chapala area. Thanks for your honest opinion. Be safe and God bless.

This is a very nice informative video. I totally appreciate it. I also love Jerry Brown travels. I’ve learned a lot of good things about Mexico through his website.

Well done another good video 👏

This was very informative thanks.

Grew up impoverished here in the earliest years of my childhood. My parents brought me to the U.S in the early 2000s and today I'm a stock broker on wallstreet. My abuelito is very proud. Maybe I'll see him in your video :)

Subscribed! I love watching "Jerry Brown Travels" with his wife Lori.

Been following you since Malaysia! (and because of it, my favorite country to visit). Lake Chapala, Mexico seems super picturesque and serene. I'm surprised I've never heard of it.

Love your travel videos! Thanks for sharing all the experiences. I'd like to suggest that you use a camera that has a better image stabilizer. Have a good day, wherever you are at the moment!

Ooo! Mexican manners! So interested! Missed seeing your videos the last couple weeks.

Thanks for this wonderful video n thanks for showing Lake Chapala in Mexico.

Great video.. Keep it up...♥️ from West Malaysia.. November 2021..Hope to hear from both of u in any part of east & west Malaysia when covid is over...See u soon & welcome...

Great video thank you

Good quality, well organized video. Thanks. To be fair, two months in the Covid era does not give a full picture of why so many people moved there, with so many things closed. There is normally a lot to do and wonderful people to meet. To me, pre-Covid, it was like summer camp for adults with hiking clubs, golf courses, pickle ball, tennis and ping-pong clubs, horseback riding, cycling, motorcycle enthusiast groups, boating, live music in multiple venues any day of the week, classes in arts, crafts and Spanish, multiple hot springs, affordable spas, aestheticians, hairdressers and dentists, art galleries and murals everywhere, three live theatres, two cinemas, restaurants with cuisine from countries all around the world or affordable taco stands, festivals, parades, charity work to participate in, day trips to dozens of interesting places, gyms, yoga, outdoor fitness and Zumba, places to go dancing, concerts, folkloric/cultural displays and activities, educational talks, birdwatchers, gardeners and on and on. Though expensive for Mexico, prices are half of what people are used to in USA, Canada and Europe.

We hope to visit but we speak Spanish and have lived abroad before, and it seems too USA-light for us. Too many expats running up the prices. But, it does look like a nice place. To each his own thanks for the video !

Good job.

Fabulous 👌

I lived there for 7 months, renting a lovely home in Villa Nova above the Carretera. March-May can be hot, dry and unpleasant. Rains bring almost tropical greenery to the hills surrounding. Weather overall is wonderful. The markets are great, but the traffic is not. Nor are the stray dogs which tore at my heart. I had a car and would recommend buying one. So many good things about the area, but for me, I missed some of the conveniences of the U.S. so relocated back to Tucson where I attended college. I still have many friends there, though, and they have acclimated beautifully to the area.

We lived there for 2 years but had to move back to Florida to take care of aging parents. We’d live there again in a heartbeat.

When you were saying electronics, how about Laptop, and phones? Can you buy a MacBook at local? Or has to be in big city like Guadalajara? How about online shopping, tried Amazon Mexico, how is the shipping and receiving packages there?

Nice video. I think in Mexico if you can buy a house or condo it is doable living on Social Security. We visited Lake Chapala and really liked it but it is very sleepy.

I have an place in Chápala and love it. My goal is to live here 6 months out of the year.

Amazing gluten free pizza!!! Yippee! Thanks for a terrific snapshot into Ajijic/Lake Chapala.

Yes, Chile Verde, I’ll be there tomorrow for lunch. I’m very happy with my new life in San Antonio

Yes! I love Chili Verde and it’s daily specials

Is not overpriced! Actually as a Mexican i think is super fair on prices! Monterrey, where i came from is REALLLY overpriced! Nothing to do with Chapala and Ajijic! And for what can you get ( great weather and safety), Ajijic and Chapala are a great living option!

Hi, what do you use tap water for? Not drinking right? Can you cook with it?

I love all of Lake Chapala 🇲🇽♥️🌺🍃🌺

I lived there last year great place.

Thanks for the video. That German chocolate cake looked delicious! :-) Btw...Mexico or Malaysia?

Thanks for the very helpful video. Im currently in Queretaro and thinking of coming to lake chapala. I’m here on a work visa and want to start up my Thai Massage business. Can you recommend a good area for me to live and work? Is there much scope for a massage specialist there in your opinion? Hoping to get settled somewhere soon. Been loving the people in queretaro but business is slow so far and I’m really missing my work! I’d appreciate any tips you might have!

Hi Snails 8-) I agree, Lake Chapala is overrated & a bit overpriced. The lake is dirty and gray. We were going to rent an apartment for 3 months, but decided to stay in Guadalajara. However, it is a nice Sunday getaway. Jocotepec seems a better place to stay.

This is an expat place mostly for retirees and snowbirds/sunbirds. For people travelling by or vacationing at, there are other better options. Overpriced?! Or does the price reflect its value (for those people)?! : )

Is there still a beer garden down on the Lake In C or AJ? My wifes family went there in the 1950/s.. The adults drank beer and the Kids played in the grass yard in front toward the LAke.

Thank you

Maybe they had an eskimo painting to remind them of cold places (kind of like people in the arctic would have a painting of a coconut tree hanging over a sunny beach). Is the Lake Chapala Society run by expats? Or is it run by locals who teach local skills?

be nice to have prices of the items your showing. even if it was a few months ago.

We lived in Chapala for 6 months. Went there to get acquainted with Mexican culture etc. At 3 months we discovered our proximity to Nayarit beaches, and couldn't wait to leave to move there. We did enjoy the LCS, but Chapala at that time had few quality restaurant, and we found the town boring. We are now living in San Miguel de Allende and think this city Wii become home.

Good video also you do talk and explain very well about everything. Also yes, I think you are right about the prices but then again, all those Americans and people from Canada they don't care and they can't or want to live anywhere else in Mexico so ok then, there it is why the prices are high. Yes, Jerry and Lori are nice people, I'm a suscriber with them but they are not poor. They are very nice and kind and loving people but not poor. If you only would see and know what kind of condo they have there just look. They have it now listed on the you tube they make so it is all open for people to view. I heard ones forma person who said that when you have it good meaning a little bit more money to live higher and drive nicer and eat healthier so you do have it easier then to be a little bit more happy so again, yes Jerry and Lori are nice people. You guys seems to be nice also and again, you make or made here a good video about Chapala and Ajijic and Jocotec very good.

Can u swim, boat in Lake Chapala? How is fishing there?

Nice production, that lake is it polluted?

I lived there. The owner did not take care of maintenance of the property. There were cucharachas in the apartment that were not taken care of efficiently. Upon leaving the owner said I had to give him a 3 months notice which is a lie and he lied to me about other things. He kept my $750. deposit. This looks good on the internet but looks are deceiving. Rent a place from an American or Canadian landlord. Believe me.

Are there good places to swim in the lake?

What's the apartment you stayed in? Wonder if they take pets. Thanks

About 3 years ago, I sub-leased a 2BR/1.5BTH apartment for $550USD/month (includes utilities) in San Antonio, between Ajijic and Chapala. I could literally could WALK to Ajijic in about 15-20 minutes. There was a Walmart in San Antonio, a 6 minute walk from my apt. Next to that was an Auto Zone and Dominoes Pizza. I ate ALL my meals at a couple of local restaurants, most often at Casa Cacau, a 4 minute walk for me. My perception of that part of Mexico? Too many "gringoes." When I mentioned this to a British man who had lived in San Antonio for several years, he agreed and replied, "This isn't Mexico, it's like living in a bubble in Mexico." Hint: it helps A LOT to know at least SOME Spanish. I actually overheard a 40-50 year old gringo man STERNLY tell the young Mexican girl behind the counter at the Telcel office, "YOU PEOPLE NEED TO LEARN ENGLISH!!" I noticed that, when I'd go into a local shop and ask the cashier, "Do you speak English?", s/he would visibly tense up and answer, "NO!" (they obviously had experience with arrogant gringoes). I would politely reply, "Bueno, estoy aprendiendo español, pero no entiendo todo." S/he would IMMEDIATELY relax because at least I was making an attempt to learn THEIR language, and they were happy to help me. During my purchase, if I didn't know the Spanish word I needed, S/HE would tell me the word in Spanish! So, they actually knew more English than they let on, but they were willing to work WITH me to HELP me learn their language! I probably won't return, but I did enjoy the 5 months I was there (May-September). 😃

Just went to to Ajijic last week. I thought it was much more third world than I would have thought, and was surprised here is no real bar scene at all. It’s def not a place young adults.

Weather is great in the Lake Chapala area, but after living there on and off a few months over a 19 year period, we think it's way over rated and just too close to the millions of people who live in the Guadalajara metro area, so we ended up living full-time in Bucerias in the Riviera Nayarit just north of Puerto Vallarta.

Where is the place you stayed ?

Where did you stay , and can you get around with out a car ?

How does it compare to hualtico mx?

Why do you spend so much on health and insurance? I have been here a year and spent 0. Do you have medical issues?

We found it to be polluted and with so much smog you could not see across the lake and don't get me started on the traffic.

Have you very been in Mexico Estado de México?? At the north area as Cuautitlan Izcalli as invest to retired , it is so close from Mexico city and have everything to give the american retired people good quality life...k

Hi, Do African-Americans feel a part of and welcomed by the other U.S. and Canadian expats?

2 months????

I can’t decide on Chapala or San Miguel. San Miguel seems livelier but more expensive

This is one of the vlogs on the Lake Chapala area.

Wandering what I could get for less than $500? Could I get an endocrinologist there?

You focused on Chapala, Axixic, Jocotepec. We have lived the opposite direction, 7 miles east of Chapala for years. Owned our place since 1989. Many other expats out the way to famed Mezcala. You never mentioned the traffic mess, noise and congestion in the Axixic area. Hate what it has become.

Definetly Ajijic overblown.Everything is better in the town of Chapala.The same market goods are chaper ther.More life inC ,better shopping too.The lake is a way overblown feature.Nobody swims there. No boating.my wife water skied there 60 years ago.So it has probably declined quite a bit The beer garden is still there in C.Sundays are lively days in C. Family outting day.

Best place to matter what anyone says . It's the best if you don't like it . Get out . I don't appreciate people talking about my city where I'm from in Mexico . Jus leave if you don't like it .

750 USD or mx

Les amamos en Cristo jesus

How's your Spanish? Chapala / Ajijic residents are paying the English speaking premium -- you don't need Spanish here. Hard for me to call a place in Mexico where you can live a very comfortable life on $2000 / month and not speak any Spanish "overrated." But if you have near-native or native fluency in Spanish you'll probably find this area to be too expensive.

What do the landlords ask for to rent us an apartment?

No vegan food?

Don't get me wrong but, gringos always speak of Mexico as if it were 200 square miles. They roam around a small area in the State of Jalisco and they believe they have an informed opinion.

I now live in central mexico in the colonial region far from any usa expat communities. Amd well...i think the lake chapala region is highly over rated. And very expensive for one reason alone...its where usa americans live. The services are no better, the properties are a little worse for wear, the infrastructure overwhelmed. What you get for your money in reality is expat support services for those who are not acclimated to their new country and those that really dont want to. Period. If you want english speakers as friends, business owners, etc....its there. For a price. But if you are comfortable learning spanish and interacting with real mexicans, and are willing to make the effort to aclimate, you would be cheating yourself not only financially to live there. Real mexico and real mexicans are just as supportive, but it will be more one on one. We received all kinds of help from many mexican individuals willing to give of themselves and their time to help us. And those friendships have given us much more than any support we would find in an expat group. So yes it is highly overrated and unexplainably expensive and would be one of the last places i would recommend to anyone serious about living in mexico full time. And for me, the colonial region is much more esthetically pleasing. After living in queretaro, chapala and ajijiv look like a slum. Sorry, but my honest opinion.

Lake Chapala is highly polluted with mercury. Not a very safe environment

My parents have lived there for 20 years. I love everything about it except the pollution in the air from farmers burning their crops.

I agree.. W. A. Y... OVERRATED.. BEING LIVED THERE . DONE THAT... I'M BACK I N THE. U S But.... I go back and Friends Wait for me. Got my eye on Costa Rica..

Yes ,so overrated!! Was probably okay 30 years ago but that toxic polluted lake and the traffic and all the gringos makes it pretty boring...

The natives are friendly, lol.

Ajijic in particular is definitely overpriced.

Due to popularity, I’m Curious to know if these places will eventually become Californicated and become exclusive enclaves strictly for the super wealthy and everyone else excluded.

Yes, it is overrated!

your living in an area where the baddest drug cartel calls home, Sinalao

Sounds to me like a gringo ghetto

Over Rated!

What about all the crime? Cartels, kidnappings, avocados, etc, . . .

Over Rated!!!

Si piensas que esta sobrevalorado solo regresa a tu país y no vuelvas quedate con las karens y el frio extremo, o ve a otro país y no vuelvas

México country it's over rated with all the crime and drug cartels I won't live there no way.

I’m sorry but aren’t you too young to to be a retiree?

I hope gringos Star moving to other states Because alot people are moving there and is going to be a big problem ones a city or a town Get to popular is a big problem There is way to many nicer towns and cities in Mexico Beside lake chapala This guy talk about the people are nice and tender Wow he don't even know How nice people are 🤣🤣🤣 Then he may think The Arts and crafts are from Mexico noooooooo They from china Lake chapala is CHAPALA 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Yes, you have overpaid for everything, as a result of your odd (Ajijic) choice. I rent a big two bedroom in Chapala for 6000 pesos ($300 US), and other costs are proportionately less here also. Ajijic is for newbies, who do not know any better, or for those who have unlimited funds and therefore just do not care. And, most oddly of all, given your recent experiences in Malaysia, you skipped right past THE major expat issue of our times: Which countries are NOW overrated for retirement or slow travel in the covid and post-covid era. I entreat you to think long and hard about this, and then make the video you should have made. (Hint: SE Asia and Mexico are now at the opposite ends of the spectrum.)

Guadalajara has very good medical laboratories, but it has a lot of ignorant, and scamming doctors, but so does the Mayo clinic in Arizona. It is necessary to get a number of second opinions, however, the cost is not high.