We're currently spending a few months up at Mexico's largest freshwater lake, Lake Chapala in the State of Jalisco (only about 45 minutes from Guadalajara). We lived here full time for about three years and are currently Tucson-based, so this area with its perfect year-round climate (it's at 5000 feet: temps are typically mid-70's-low 80's during the day and around 50 at night) is a great escape from Arizona heat. It's the rainy season here - meaning heavy rain for an hour or two most nights and usually clear, sunny says.
Most tourists think of Mexico as a winter-only escape and of course think "beach," but here and in Central America too the vast majority of the population lives in the highlands where the temperatures are pleasant year-round.
We used to average around 11 pesos to the dollar during our years here, but for much of this year the exchange rate has been 18 pesos plus (today's rate is 18.77). This makes the already more-than-reasonable prices here truly amazing; if you've been contemplating a visit or extended stay down here, there's never been a better time.
Lake Chapala is the largest American and Canadian expat haven in the world, so in addition to plenty of Mexico food there are lots of gringo-oriented eateries and amenities. To give you a sense of prices, here are some recent ones from our day-to-day existence here (peso amounts converted to U.S. dollars at 18.4 to the dollar):
Roasted half chicken with rice, just-made tortillas and salsa: 2.98
Mini watermelon, large papaya, large pineapple, 5 limes, 3 large mangoes: 4.80
Steak dinner for two with rosemary roast potatoes, steamed vegetables and a bottle of Chilean cabernet $23 (including generous tip)
Street tacos for two for lunch (tacos de barbacoa - long-stewed beef, with lots of veggies): 54 cents per taco/$2.71 total.
Dental cleaning (U.S. trained, English speaking dentist) $13-24 (many expats come to the area just for dental work and can add on a couple of week's R & R plus airfare and still come our ahead vs. U.S. prices for major work like crowns or root canals).
Travel within Mexico is equally attractively priced. There are super deluxe buses here that don't have any U.S. equivalent (think first class seating on an airplane, but with more room) and also a fiercely competitive discount airline market almost entirely made up of airlines that can't be booked on travel agglomerator websites (Google Vivaaerobus, Aerolineas TAR, Volaris and Interjet). As an example, from Guadalajara airport less than 30 minutes from Chapala, one can fly roundtrip to Oaxaca for $130-150, or roundtrip to Mexico City for just over $100.
There are a bunch of factors fueling these amazing exchange rates, including low oil prices, Brexit and overall weakness in Europe. Who knows how long it will last, but it's an amazing opportunity for travelers and we also see many snowbirds who've been coming down for years looking at buying properties and vehicles at what could be once-in-a-lifetime prices.
Most tourists think of Mexico as a winter-only escape and of course think "beach," but here and in Central America too the vast majority of the population lives in the highlands where the temperatures are pleasant year-round.
We used to average around 11 pesos to the dollar during our years here, but for much of this year the exchange rate has been 18 pesos plus (today's rate is 18.77). This makes the already more-than-reasonable prices here truly amazing; if you've been contemplating a visit or extended stay down here, there's never been a better time.
Lake Chapala is the largest American and Canadian expat haven in the world, so in addition to plenty of Mexico food there are lots of gringo-oriented eateries and amenities. To give you a sense of prices, here are some recent ones from our day-to-day existence here (peso amounts converted to U.S. dollars at 18.4 to the dollar):
Roasted half chicken with rice, just-made tortillas and salsa: 2.98
Mini watermelon, large papaya, large pineapple, 5 limes, 3 large mangoes: 4.80
Steak dinner for two with rosemary roast potatoes, steamed vegetables and a bottle of Chilean cabernet $23 (including generous tip)
Street tacos for two for lunch (tacos de barbacoa - long-stewed beef, with lots of veggies): 54 cents per taco/$2.71 total.
Dental cleaning (U.S. trained, English speaking dentist) $13-24 (many expats come to the area just for dental work and can add on a couple of week's R & R plus airfare and still come our ahead vs. U.S. prices for major work like crowns or root canals).
Travel within Mexico is equally attractively priced. There are super deluxe buses here that don't have any U.S. equivalent (think first class seating on an airplane, but with more room) and also a fiercely competitive discount airline market almost entirely made up of airlines that can't be booked on travel agglomerator websites (Google Vivaaerobus, Aerolineas TAR, Volaris and Interjet). As an example, from Guadalajara airport less than 30 minutes from Chapala, one can fly roundtrip to Oaxaca for $130-150, or roundtrip to Mexico City for just over $100.
There are a bunch of factors fueling these amazing exchange rates, including low oil prices, Brexit and overall weakness in Europe. Who knows how long it will last, but it's an amazing opportunity for travelers and we also see many snowbirds who've been coming down for years looking at buying properties and vehicles at what could be once-in-a-lifetime prices.
