Pacific Coast

PE - Surf

Here’s where you’ll find the some of the best surfing beaches in the world.  And, the well-known, glamour beaches, like Acapulco, Puerto Escondido, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and, of course, the surfer haven of Sayulita. The Pacific coast of Mexico is rugged terrain falling into beautiful, and sometimes dangerous, beaches.  If the ocean is your bag, [...]

Mazatlán

Mazatlan - symbolic picture

Mazatlán is the second largest city in the state of Sinaloa. It was founded in 1531 by the Spaniards and local Indian settlers.  Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards the area was occupied primary by native Indians attributed to the abundant fresh water from rivers, excellent fishing and wild game in the area. In the early [...]

Puerto Vallarta

puerto-vallarta church

Average Lifestyle Rating: B (range C- to A+) Founded in 1851 (or 1859, depending on your source), prior to the 1960s, Puerto Vallarta was a small coastal village with ties to the mining industry of the Sierra Madres. For decades, its land properties were tied up in legal disputes that required rulings by the Mexican [...]

San Miguel de Allende

san-miguel-de-allende

Average Lifestyle rating: B+ (range C+ to A+) Home to one of Mexico’s largest American ex-pat communities, San Miguel de Allende, at the beginning of the 20th century was in danger of becoming a ghost town. It was snatched from the jaws of obscurity in the 1930s and 40s when its colonial structures were “discovered” by foreign artists who promptly [...]

Baja California Sur

Todos Santos 1

There is a lot more to Baja California (Sur) than surfing, sand and rocks. Wonderful wine growing areas and fresh seafood make the tip of the Baja peninsula a great place to live. In fact, here is where you’ll find the best fish, oysters, clams and scallops you’ll ever taste. Winter brings the whale migration from Alaska, and [...]

Playa Del Carmen

map riviera_maya

Average Lifestyle rating: B+ (range – B- to A+) Playa del Carmen, only 25 miles south of Cancun, is a universe away in atmosphere. The beautiful, all-star beaches start in this area of the Yucatan coast. Hotels in Playa del Carmen range from thatch-roof bungalows to boutique hotels to the massive, all-inclusive 5-star resorts. There are several excellent golf courses that [...]

Things I wish I had known before I landed!

Mayan Calendar 2

Numbers Mexican-style Dates are in the form DD/MM/YYYY.  It takes a while to adjust to seeing them that way, especially when you’re dealing with the first 12 days of the month.  June 10, 2012 is written as “10/6/2012,” which still, at first glance to me, appears to be October 6, 2012. Decimals and commas in [...]

The Lake Chapala Area

chapala_malecon

Average Lifestyle rating: C+ (range from D+ to B+) Ajijic is a majestic mountain town on the northeast shore of Lake Chapala at an elevation of 5,000 feet. For the most part, year round, the days are warm and sunny with an average temperature of 75 degrees. Ajijic may only be rated #2 for perfect weather by the National [...]

Mexico Is Safe and Fun for Expats

  “Bad press” is the name of the game for Mexico. The U.S. State Department  travel “warning” begins with this caveat… “Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day.  The Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. [...]