Forums > Areas > Jalisco's Lake Chapala Region

mickeyz

May 9, 2003, 8:44 AM

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living in Ajijic vs outlying areas

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We are going to renting in the area over the summer and are wondering about the pros and cons of living in Ajijic vs an area that is not within walking distance.

Is it a hassle to drive (even a few minutes) and park in the Ajijic area? What about buses?

Is it quieter to live outside the immediate Ajijic area?

What other advantages/disadvantages may we encounter living in one of the areas outside of Ajijic?

As always, I look forward to your feedback.

Thanks much!

juan david

May 9, 2003, 10:41 AM

Post #2 of 6 (703 views)

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Re: [mickeyz] living in Ajijic vs outlying areas

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After you've been here for a couple of weeks this summer and get your bearings and talk to some people, you'll have all the answers. Then it will come down to your personal preferences and budget. Generally speaking you will pay more for the privelege of walkability, but it will be a bit noisier. We've been renting in the village, and the only time noise has been bothersome has been the rockets fired off during fiestas and holidays. Our dogs were not impressed!

Driving and parking are a non issue for us. We use the car a lot. If you are well out of town you would have to think about driving on dark roads at night. There's the roaming livestock to think about if you're driving home late after a couple of margaritas. There are lots of options in between village and out in the country. Check them all out while you're here. Good luck.
" let sleeping dogs lie"

Jean

May 9, 2003, 12:38 PM

Post #3 of 6 (695 views)

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Re: [ian] living in Ajijic vs outlying areas

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I live just outside of town (about 1 mile) in Chula Vista. We are a mixed neighborhood and a short walk to Superlake. Our neighborhood is very quiet (except for dogs barking :). Our house is newer and nicer than the one we had in town in Ajijic for over a year. Heck we even have a hot tub outside. Not a great thing to have with the heat at the moment. A short walk and we are at Superlake for groceries and other goodies in the area. Because we are up higher than the "downtown" area of Ajijic we get very nice breezes up here. The firecrackers are about 1/2 mile away and they hardly bother us.

I do miss walking to everything in town. But don't miss doing it in the hot sun. As for driving and parking, not a problem anywhere in the area.

Villa Nova is also a nice area for a newbie as well as La Floresta and Mirasol. For the more adventurous go east or west of these areas.

Take a six month rental and really check out the areas from Joco to Chapala and then you can make a really informed decision.
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Musicman

May 9, 2003, 8:04 PM

Post #4 of 6 (669 views)

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Re: [mickeyz] living in Ajijic vs outlying areas

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We just moved to Vista del Lago from Chula Vista and were surprised to discover that it is even quieter here than C/V plus, generally speaking, rentals are less expensive, probably because of the additional six miles to drive to town. As other have suggested, rent for six months and then decide where you want to locate long-term.

Frank Burton

May 10, 2003, 10:10 PM

Post #5 of 6 (617 views)

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Re: [mickeyz] living in Ajijic vs outlying areas

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There are lots of rentals available now, and looks like that will be true this summer, both in Ajijic and elsewhere.

Ajijic vs. away from town: The village is small and very walkable. It's definitely noiser in the village at fiesta times, which are frequent. If you have a pet that is sensitive to fireworks don't even consider being in the village.

As others have said, driving and parking is not an issue (the only time we've seen a lot of traffic was during the Easter holiday period). Bus service is good, safe, frequent, and inexpensive (5 pesos or less, say anywhere between Chapala and Ajijic).

We're in Riberas del Pilar, which is about halfway between Chapala and Ajijic, roughly three miles to the center of either village. Convenient, yet it feels like living in the country, which is a plus for those of us who have gladly escaped major metropolitan areas. The biggest drawback is one that I believe is common both in the villages and out: dogs barking at night, which doesn't matter when it's cool enough to close the windows at night, but does matter on relatively warm nights. It's 75F outside and 73 inside as I write this at midnight. We understand that when the rains come (soon!!!) they'll cool things back down.

zapata Bob

May 11, 2003, 8:46 AM

Post #6 of 6 (598 views)

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Re: [mickeyz] living in Ajijic vs outlying areas

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Last year I located closer in to Ajijic and thought that la Floresta would be the ideal location to buy or rent on a longer term basis. This year, somehow I rented a lot closer to Jocotepec than I intended and enjoyed it more and more as the weeks went by and I met more people. The point made earlier about night driving is true, but my search for somthing more permenant will concentrate out considerably further away from Ajijic since I experienced living out there for myself. The only way to find out what suits you is try the different possibilities out, and see what fits your lifestyle best. Normally rentals are available in most areas.