There is something for everybody in Tony Burton's, Lake Chapala through the ages. Whether you are fascinated by the early history of the place where you now live or visit (or would like to visit), or whether you are interested in early accounts of the natural history of the region, or of the lake itself.

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In the ancient Nahuatl language, Ajijic means "The Place Where Water Springs Forth." This year marks the 40th anniversary of an historic event: the Great Geyser Eruption. It is said to have been the ta... read more

Axixic Lodge #31 is located in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico, and was founded in 1987. Since its founding, the Lodge has been an activity member of the community, and growing! From eight founding members, the Lodge has grown to over 60 Brothers. From its inception, the Lodge has met in various locations, private homes, art galleries, restaurants, and currently in a hotel conference room that the Lodge rents.

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We lie in bed listening to the tympani of rain on the tile roof and burrowing into each other's warmth. My neighbors weren't home when Jaime came to visit, so no one saw him. read more

Ford Times, the monthly magazine of the Ford Motor Company. John Russell Clift, the author and illustrator, was born in 1925 and at the peak of his career in the 1950s when he wrote this piece, one of the earliest to promote the attractions of the Chapala area as a retirement haven. His thoughtful prose and fine silkscreens paint a vivid picture of what life was like at Lakeside 50 years ago.

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 Mathieu de Fossey was born in France in 1805, and educated in Dijon. Politically disillusioned following the end of the reign of King Charles X in 1830, Fossey responded enthusiastically to an intrig... read more

Mexico's equivalent of the Domesday book was compiled in the sixteenth century. History shows that conquerors often have very little idea of what they have really acquired until it is firmly within th... read more

The American White Pelican is Mexico's largest bird, while its relative the Brown Pelican is one of the most fun to watch. White Pelicans on Lake Chapala; photo: John Mitchell, Earth Images Foundat... read more

G. M. Bashford's Tourist Guide to Mexico was first published exactly fifty years ago in 1954. It was one of a spate of motoring book guides written after World War II as Americans began to hit the open... read more

Masses of beautiful violet and yellow flowing water hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes) add an attractive splash of colour to the Lake Chapala landscape during the rainy season but are a serious problem for thelives and economy oflocal residents. read more

Click on map for interactive PDF map of Lake Chapala: Chapala, Ajijic, Jocotepec, San Juan Cosala, San Antonio Tlayacapan and other villages... read more

Gary West with Salvador A fishin' we will go, a fishin' we will go; hi, ho, the merry-o, a fishin' we will go. Second son Gary came to the west end of Lake Chapala, to the suburbs of Jocotepec, in ... read more

In the nineteenth century, prior to the advent of the railroads, overland travel was decidedly slow and arduous. To get to Lake Chapala, for example, from Guadalajara usually entailed either an overnig... read more

Feria Maestros del Arte has been called a "heart" show and not just another "art" show because the artists pay nothing to attend — no booth fee, no percentage of sales. We find local familie... read more

Alas and alas, this may be my/your final dispatch from the Grady Allen treasury of tall tales. The scrappy little survivor of Texas oilfields has departed this life and Mexico is poorer for his passing... read more

If Lake Chapala could speak for itself, Mark Twain's famous comment might come to mind: "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." Since torrential rains began battering much of ce... read more

"Move to Mexico? What, are you crazy?" said friends and relatives alike, adding, "Don't you know it's full of drug pushers, kidnappers and corrupt politicians?" This attitude, prevalent among North Am... read more

The loss of the old shoes was not much. But the loss of the cross was something else... read more

"What is Christmas like in Mexico?" asked my friend, Edward. It didn’t take much encouragement for me to eagerly share this experience: Once upon a Christmas nighttime, in a tiny village on the shor... read more

The good doctor really does make house calls. Juan Barbosa Gallego arrives with a reassuring smile. His personality is perfect for his mission. He is calm, soft-spoken and confident he can produce a c... read more