degas

Is this a good listing of places you would expect to find Americans living either full-time or for extend periods:

Baja, Puerto Vallarta, Lake Chapala, Guadalahara, San Miguel de Allende

Anyone living there now or thinking of moving? Recommended websites welcome.

degas

ttt

suze

Sure Degas, all those places have a large expat retired community, both full and part time.

I am not sure of any websites, but I know there are lots of books about retiring in Mexico. Do a search at amazon.com and you'll see what I mean.

For me I would choose Puerto Vallarta. but that is because I have spent a lot of time there and already know that I love the place. Would not necessarily make it the right choice for someone else.

With those destinations you would have the choice of living isolated in an English-speaking enclave, or living local and getting into the activities and culture. There are people living full time in PV with no effort or intent of learning/speaking Spanish. To me that is a shame.

degas

Thanks suze

Just kicking around the idea of retiring soon and having a small home base in the US and maybe spending some winter months in Mexico/ Central America, and some of the summer in Europe.

Still at the big talk, no real action stage. still, you got to start some where. Plan to visit SMA and Puerto Vallarta for sure.

Stewbear

It all depends on what you are looking for. If it's a little piece of The US on foreign soil than Lake Chapala is the place. If you want/need lots of services & American type stores PV SMDA or GDL are all good. If you want to "go native" but still have some English speaking around you I might suggest Patzcuaro,Morelia or some other inland city. Or at the Beach Zihuatanejo, Barre de Navadad or Manzanillo,

Scarlett

degas, I think you can add the small very charming town of Guanajuato to the list..this is a short drive from SMdA and has its own very interesting history as well as looks..it is built into a hill/mt so the streets were tunnels and you climb stairs everywhere..look into it.
OR move to BA, Argentina..I hear there are a whole bunch of North Americans living there as well as English ... wacky people for sure!

degas

Hi Stewbear

I'm a novice when it comes to Mexico, but my limited research so far tells me that SMA might be more my style. However, I've also heard good things about Patzcuaro and Morelia.

We like all the standard bells and whistles:

good food and cheap beer/wine
warm, dry weather
friendly, aproachable locals
relatively low crime
gardens & parks
cobbelstone streets
walkable town
biking, hiking, birding
hot springs and swimming
live music
cheap public transport
Old churches and homes

Extended Stay Add ons

Internet access
Gym
English publications
SAT TV
EX-pat Community of Americans/ Canadians/Europeans
Opportunity to learn spanish & teach English
Volunteer work

Boy, what a list. I may be asking for the moon!

degas

Hi Scarlett

Guanajuato does look pretty nice. Not sure if I'll do it as a daytrip or an overnight on the way to SMA.

Your amazing BA saga has got me to looking even further south.

blondlady

Hola, all good suggestions above. I might add that if you want to build your own house on a lot you buy a very insightful book is "Gringos in Paradise" by Barry Golson. He bought a lot in Sayulita and tells an entertaining saga of how the building of the house went. He and his wife bought in Sayulita with retirement in mind.

Scarlett

Thank you degas.
I agree about the book that blondlady recommends, we read it a while back, when we too were considering SMdA..

The best advice I can give on this subject, based on personal experience, is to visit these places and try to see it as a local, as your home, rather than a place you will visit and leave..go out with a realtor for a day, do local things..rather than touristy things that don't really give you a hint at what it would be like to actually live in the place.
Try renting an apt instead of staying in a hotel.
You have a good list, you might also make a list of things you enjoy in life and want wherever you live to provide or give you access to.
I was not happy in Fl. The weather mostly but we were bored to death. We are city people, even though I love houses in the country.
So we looked at cities that could provide the entertainment and excitement we prefer as well as all the other typical needs, safety, cost of living etc.
I could not live in Mexico, or a beach town..I don't want to spend my life getting brown on a beach..what else does one do? it is nice for a weeks vacation but then you want something interesting..
That is partly why we chose Buenos Aires.
We also wanted to live among all sorts of people, as in NY or London, Paris...not in a town where here are some Americans and then the rest of the people are those native to the place.

Hope this helps some..homework is good, lots of thinking and talking it over is good..you both have to agree on it all, in this case...best of luck

degas

Thanks blondlady

I'll have to do some research on that area. I was surprised that they compared the weather to Hawaii.

http://www.sayulita.com/information.htm


Scarlett

Honolulu has spoiled us, but it is just so expensive here. Maybe I'm doomed to be a nomad, roaming around the world without a place to call home!
Or maybe I'll have several places to call home, each at a different time of the year?

suze

Degas, Puerto Vallarta has everything on your list (with the exception of hot springs, I am not sure about that... but every single other thing you request). You should go for a visit and check it out. You need to stay in the "Old Town" area which includes an area both north and south of the Rio Cuale also called El Centro and the south-side.

degas

Suze, PV is a real option. I've lived around water most of my life and expect I'd enjoy it down there.

I may try to do some sort of Guadalahara, PV, SMA combo trip this fall. I really need to get a good map of Mexico to plot out some route options.

suze

I just got back from my 18th trip there, last week! I would love to live there 1/2 time if/when I finally get to retire. My plan would be to rent an apartment, not try to buy property.

degas

Suze, I think we'll also end up renting. 18 trips! Let's team up and start some walking tours!

suze

I consider Vallarta my "home away from home"

But I've also got a new love - Hawaii specifically Waikiki/Honolulu. And for obvious reasons think living in Hawaii would be the easier choice (technically being the U.S. and all).

degas

Suze

Honolulu is very seductive.

I wish those mexico pacific coast cruises spent more time in PV.

Pausanias

I have a friend who's lived in one of the colonial cities for several years now. His only real complaint is that they're a tad provincial. Every once in a while, he heads to Mexico City for a taste of the cosmopolitan atmosphere. Perhaps that's what Scarlett was referring to.

For what it's worth, his favorite city in the area is Zacatecas.

degas

Hi Pausanias

That does look like another another good choice in towns:

http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/trave...zacatecas.html

I guess size really does matter - not too big and not too small!

degas

Suze,

How long do you usually stay in PV and do you have any hotel/B&B recommendations?