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flybuy

May 3, 2010, 9:10 AM

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moving to Tacambaro area

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We have had enough of the beach after living in Puerto Morelos(Quintana Roo) for 2 years. We are ready to try the mountains. We are looking to rent(long term) a casita with garden(or ranchito) in the vicinity of Tacambaro in the pines. If anyone can help it would be appreciated. We are very flexible in that we would fix up a place....

Anonimo

May 3, 2010, 10:19 AM

Post #2 of 21 (15589 views)

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Re: [flybuy] moving to Tacambaro area

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I'll be interested in how this turns out. By coincidence, we made our first visit to Tacámbaro only last Saturday. It was a brief visit for us, just for a day trip, and we have no intention of moving there ourselves. However, the idea is intriguing.

You have already been there, I assume? I know next to nothing about the area, but another assumption is that Spanish speaking is a pre-requisite.

Saludos,
Anonimo

flybuy

May 3, 2010, 10:32 AM

Post #3 of 21 (15584 views)

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Re: [Anonimo] moving to Tacambaro area

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We were there in March and felt a good vibe in the area. We do not want to live in the town itself, anywhere within 20 km or between Tacambaro and Patzquaro. We speak spanish and would like to become self-sufficient by growing our own food. The ideal spot would be just outside of town. We have an internet business so as long as we can get a signal we are fine.

Peter

May 3, 2010, 12:53 PM

Post #4 of 21 (15562 views)

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Re: [flybuy] moving to Tacambaro area

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There are a wealth of places in that general area with similar climate, environment, population dynamics, etc. I hear from time to time of land for sale or homes for rent, though nothing specific at the moment, and none really within 20 km as you state.

There are some "green"communities around Pátzcuaro such as Erongaricuaro has. Are you dead set on 20 km radius for some reason? If so, why? If you broaden your search a bit might find something just as suitable and in the same general region.

Are you seeking complete solitude? What other criteria?

flybuy

May 3, 2010, 1:08 PM

Post #5 of 21 (15557 views)

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Re: [Peter] moving to Tacambaro area

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We are not hooked into Tacambaro. We just became enamored with the area around it. The area nearer to Patzquaro would work if we could find a place where the nighttime winter temps are not as severe as Patz. The most desireable nighttime temps for us would be in the 50's. We dont need to be isolated just some reasonable space between neighbors. Anywhere at the pine level would work. We will consider all opportunites. My partner is a yoga teacher and we will be opening a yoga studio where ever we land.
thank you for your consideration.
stan

esperanza

May 3, 2010, 1:30 PM

Post #6 of 21 (15551 views)

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Re: [flybuy] moving to Tacambaro area

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Stan, even where I live in the southern part of Morelia the winter nighttime temperatures dip to the low 40s. I think your desire for winter lows in the 50s are a bit unrealistic, especially at the higher elevations around Pátzcuaro.

Are you aware of the ongoing narcoviolencia problems in Tacámbaro?

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flybuy

May 3, 2010, 1:40 PM

Post #7 of 21 (15545 views)

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Re: [esperanza] moving to Tacambaro area

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I am not aware of the situation as it pertains to Tacambaro. Of course having lived in Mexico for 18 years I am aware of the narco problem. So whats going on in Tacambaro? We camped out for 10 days in Yoricostio. By the time we returned home we decided that we wanted the mountains.
From our past experience living in the mountains of Puebla we learned that if we stay below 2000 meters, we are ok with the cold.

(This post was edited by flybuy on May 3, 2010, 1:51 PM)

Peter

May 3, 2010, 1:51 PM

Post #8 of 21 (15541 views)

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Re: [flybuy] moving to Tacambaro area

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The trade-off then is the temperature, Pátzcuaro does get cold. The rarefied air here makes walking along the sidewalk a very different experience on the sunny side or being on the shady side. Then as you wander off into Tierra Caliente you lose the pines and gain the heat but it can still get nippy in the night and early morning.

Perhaps you have something in Tacambaro, a geographic feature that gives the best of both worlds, I don't know it that well right there.

Just on the other side of the cold mountain pass summit southwest of Pátzcuaro along the autopista is the town of Ziracuaratiro which I'm told in Purhépecha means something like, "the place where it stops being cold and starts getting hot." I may have that turned around but I guess it depends on which direction you are heading. Right after that you come to Taretán which I haven't explored much just passing through it they have hot natural mineral baths.

That's just another place in the general area you might find a more pleasant climate. Another reason for mentioning it is that with the autopista being new the dynamics have changed somewhat and towns like Ziracuaratiro are now bypassed and some of their developed properties are available at a reduced price. Still piney close by and it is warmer. From around there you would be about halfway between Morelia and Uruapan for those necessary trips to the big city when needed.

flybuy

May 3, 2010, 1:55 PM

Post #9 of 21 (15535 views)

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Re: [Peter] moving to Tacambaro area

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Thank you for that info. You have given us another place to look at. The vision is in the pines with the warmest temps..the best of both worlds..why not?

Anonimo

May 3, 2010, 2:03 PM

Post #10 of 21 (15521 views)

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Re: [flybuy] moving to Tacambaro area

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Stan, check your Private Messages.

Saludos,
Anonimo

esperanza

May 3, 2010, 2:47 PM

Post #11 of 21 (15512 views)

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Re: [flybuy] moving to Tacambaro area

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Just standard-issue narcoviolencia: assassinations, beheadings, etc. Big narco population in that area.

Tacámbaro's city slogan is "El Balcón de la Tierra Caliente".

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Anonimo

May 3, 2010, 3:17 PM

Post #12 of 21 (15498 views)

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Re: [Peter] moving to Tacambaro area

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Quote

Just on the other side of the cold mountain pass summit southwest of Pátzcuaro along the autopista is the town of Ziracuaratiro which I'm told in Purhépecha means something like, "the place where it stops being cold and starts getting hot." I may have that turned around but I guess it depends on which direction you are heading. Right after that you come to Taretán which I haven't explored much just passing through it they have hot natural mineral baths.

Peter; we have been to Ziracuarétiro twice and I found it enjoyable, on our short visits. There are several above average restaurants there. It seems closer to Uruapan than Pátzcuaro. However, it is small and may be provincial.

I wasn't aware of the hot mineral baths at Taretan, but would certainly like to learn more. Perhaps you could tell us more in another thread, or PM me.

Tacámbaro: we went there for the first time on Saturday, and from the perspective of a quick look found it pleasant (at the same time aware of the narcoviolence there. We'd avoided it for over 4 years,) But with narcoviolence so widespread in Mexico nowadays, where you gonna go?)

That said, I personally wouldn't choose to live there. It felt isolated, and several decades back in time. Just my personal opinion, based on a very short visit.

Saludos,
Anonimo

DavidMcL

May 3, 2010, 5:29 PM

Post #13 of 21 (15474 views)

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Re: [flybuy] moving to Tacambaro area

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Spurious post removed.
David McL
WebJefe

Peter

May 3, 2010, 10:02 PM

Post #14 of 21 (15444 views)

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Re: [Anonimo] moving to Tacambaro area

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Thanks for the spelling correction for Ziracuaretiro, I knew I had it wrong but couldn;t think of the "e" that properly belonged there.

I tried to find something online about Taretán and got hits but nothing solid. They say there are some 60 or so balnearios in Michoacán and some of the more commercialized are in Zinapécuaro and Huandacareo so I guess those of Taretán are just local spots that I've heard mentioned but have no actual knowledge of. Without getting into the drug thing I was trying to suggest to the OP some other spots that might be less isolated and more "friendly".

The people I know in Morelia generally lean toward Huandacareo for those baths and I'm told there are more in that area lesser known and for that reason more 'popular' for those seeking more privacy. I myself have been thinking more toward exploring that other Pueblo Mágico, Cuitzeo, and its surrounding area, i.e., Huandacareo, Villa Morelos. That area is not piney as the OP was seeking but has some pluses being almost completely unknown to the gringo community and located on Mexico's second largest lake, Cuitzeo, like the magical town of the same name.

I love the Pátzcuaro area but that was yesterday's secret and now on the tip of everyone's tongue, with prices going up that reflect its popularity. Cuitzeo is generally warmer than Pátzcuaro, the lake is cleaner, but the new autopista Morelia/ Salamanca completely bypasses the town. A cuota, some people had continued using the libre through town but the highway authorities responded by putting in dozens of new topes along that route, so it seems. Before the autopista I had stopped in Cuitzeo a number of times on the way to Moroleón but the topes make that impractical now, which maybe helps it be that much more magical though I doubt it helps the economy.

Just named to the Pueblos Mágicos list this year is Santa Clara del Cobre. Close to Pátzcuaro it is "treezy" but I think colder and rainier. From there is the "back door" to Lago Zirahuen, Mexico's deepest and cleanest lake, and is or is among the highest elevation lake in Mexico.

I've been discussing lakes, which are not part of the OP's criteria but they do help to produce food. Off the beaten track a bit, but not too far, is a personal favorite, Umecuaro. Some friends whose family owns a set of carnicerias have a vacation house/cabin where they have invited me for some family fiestas at that lago/laguna/presa. From Morelia on the Pátzcuaro highway just past Presa Cointzio around km 18 marker is the turnoff to the left and another 8-10 km up that road is Umecuaro. First time I was there was a fishing derby just after the lake was stocked. We weren't participating in the derby but it was bringing extra activity there, a fun day. Umecuaro shows up in the Guia Roji but not its lake.

Just some thought for food. There are a number of places worth checking out. There are many more that I haven't discovered, many nice spots close to home.

Anonimo

May 4, 2010, 3:37 PM

Post #15 of 21 (15398 views)

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Re: [flybuy] moving to Tacambaro area

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A friend sent me a link to a video on Tacámbaro.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xwkEh9tpOg

Saludos,
Anonimo

flybuy

May 19, 2010, 4:56 PM

Post #16 of 21 (15189 views)

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Re: [flybuy] moving to Tacambaro/Patzquaro area

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i appreciate all of the responses.
We are now considering the patzquaro area. How cold is it in the winter and for how long? Maybe we can learn to love it if we have a fireplace.
we are leaving puerto morelos to michoacan on august 1.
we would be looking for a casa or cabin(furnished or unfurnished) to rent long term on the outskirts of town with access to cable or phone line to run our internet business.
We need some land to grow vegetables.

We speak spanish.

Hound Dog

May 19, 2010, 6:02 PM

Post #17 of 21 (15177 views)

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Re: [flybuy] moving to Tacambaro/Patzquaro area

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We are now considering the patzquaro area. How cold is it in the winter and for how long? Maybe we can learn to love it if we have a fireplace.
we are leaving puerto morelos to michoacan on august 1.

Why this radical environmental change? Why the notion that life will be more pleasant in an isolated, self-centered, unprepossessing and unpromising community infected by foreign overreachers with marginal knowledge of Mexico recommending bland and uninteresting regional cuisine and facile rural architectural delights that, like pulled taffy, become boring within minutes of observation or consummation. Pátzcuaro is the icing on an insignificant vanilla cake centered in a violent and difficult land. Puerto Morelos, a quaint and charming old port, on the other hand, provides splendid seas of unprecedented clarity and Caribbean ambience. Decide what you are looking for before moving to the dismal precincts of Michoacan upon polluted lakes just to get away from the Quintana Roo Coast. Where-ever you go there you are.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on May 19, 2010, 6:18 PM)

Peter

May 19, 2010, 10:06 PM

Post #18 of 21 (15139 views)

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Re: [flybuy] moving to Tacambaro/Patzquaro area

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How cold is it in the winter and for how long? Maybe we can learn to love it if we have a fireplace.

we would be looking for a casa or cabin(furnished or unfurnished) to rent long term on the outskirts of town with access to cable or phone line to run our internet business.

We need some land to grow vegetables.
___________

From about 5am until the sun is shining on you directly it can be pretty cold in wintertime. That is all relative though. Except for along the southern California coast near the ocean just about any place I've ever lived or visited got colder than Pátzcuaro, to me I'd say it is more like Cal coast area about 30 miles inland. I live in Morelia so probably have not seen Pátzcuaro at its coldest, but we're really not talking cold, cold. It is more like put an extra thick blanket or two on the bed in winter and wear a jacket around the house at night and early morning, most people are coping with it without using heaters in the house. In wintertime I bake a lot of biscuits for breakfast. That's about it.

I assume when you speak of Pátzcuaro you are not necessarily speaking of the town but of the general area, so you have room for a lot of variation. I have discussed earlier some places that are probably within your area of consideration so my general statement about the winter weather is applicable with variance, some places might warrant three extra blankets. Your inquiry about a cabin in semi-rural settings suggests you are not excessively thin-skinned and can easily cope with weather that rarely gets below freezing overnight. Mid-December through mid-February is the worst of it but 5am till in direct sunlight can get pretty nippy any time of year just about any place around here.

I don't imagine you are talking vast acreage for growing veggies and that a good-sized backyard garden will do. Just to give you an idea of what to expect, at this moment I know of a couple well-maintained houses with that sort of space in a small village of a couple hundred people or so not far from Tzintzuntzan that have your needed services and rent for around $2,000 mx pesos per month. You should easily find more rustic and cheaper rentals if that be your desire.

Anonimo

May 20, 2010, 1:09 AM

Post #19 of 21 (15128 views)

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Re: [flybuy] moving to Tacambaro/Patzquaro area

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In Reply To

Oh, it's dejá vu almost all over again!
We moved to Michoacán in mid-September, 2005. We stayed with a friend for 2 weeks in Morelia while our transmisson was repaired. (Another story.)

On the first of October, 2005, we rented and moved into a furnished, 2 bdr cabin, small but fully furnished, in the hills south of Pátzcuaro. It was in a vacation fraccionamiento. For all I know, it's still there, but unoccupied.

The cabin had an ineffectual fireplace and a portable electric heater. It was a very, very cold winter for us. After 6 months, we moved down the mountain to house sit a friend's much larger and warmer house. (Albeit, a very leaky one.)

By June we'd be shown our present uncomplicated but lovely house out in the campo northeast of Pátzcuaro. We did pretty well, considering. First the cabin for six months of near freezing temperatures, then four months of freight train horns and clatter plus roof leaks, then success. We have been in this house now for nearly four years. We are, by choice, still renting.

So, in our experience, satisfaction was not achieved immediately but for us, it wasn't really such a long time.

Saludos,
Anonimo

flybuy

May 20, 2010, 9:01 AM

Post #20 of 21 (15092 views)

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Re: [Anonimo] moving to Tacambaro/Patzquaro area

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I want to thank all of you who have responded.
as we get closer to our departure date any leads of places to rent will be appreciated.
we would consider housesitting as well. one of our internet businesses is:

http://www.housesitmexico.com

if anyone wants to move to puerto morelos pm me. we are leaving behind a great 2br apt. just 2 blocks from the beach.

esperanza

May 20, 2010, 9:15 AM

Post #21 of 21 (15085 views)

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Re: [flybuy] moving to Tacambaro/Patzquaro area

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The coldest temperature I have personally experienced in Pátzcuaro happened a few years ago in early December. The thermometer read 28°F at about 10.30PM. This is not the norm, but a very low low.

I would say that the coldest time of year is normally mid-December until the end of January, when temperatures often fall to the mid-30s. However, as another poster mentioned, by late morning the temps are up into the high 60s-low 70s. Highs during the winter are generally around 70-75°F--in the sun. In the shade, it's cooler by 5 to 10°.

You'll want to know that August nights can be quite cool due to the rainy season. You may need a fire in the fireplace either late in the evening or, if you are early risers, early in the morning--just to take the chill off.

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