superdave
Recycles dryer sheets
Looking for suggestions for places to spend 2-4 winter months somewhere in Mexico. Safety would be the biggest issue, so any info would be appreciated.
A lot depends on what you're looking for in addition to safety. Mexico is a big country. Do you speak Spanish at all? Do you want a sizeable ex-pat English-speaking community nearby? Do you want to be near a beach? Are cultural activities and attractions important to you? Do you want lots of other worthwhile nearby sights to visit?
If I personally were to spend part of the winter in Mexico, I would be inclined to go to Oaxaca. If I wanted to be near a beach, I would seriously consider Puerto Vallarta. Elsewhere in the country, I would even consider Mexico City because of its wealth of attractions and central location for visiting other nearby places. (Yes, I felt safe in Mexico City.)
My mother used to live in the Lake Chapala area (which is near Guadalajara). Lots of ex-pats, they even have an American Legion with an American flag.
It seemed safe to me the several times I visited it. Decent weather too, it's a higher elevation. Lots of English spoken, but like anywhere in Mexico, knowing Spanish is best.
They have a mail bin for people to put their mail in at the Legion. Every few days someone is going to the US, and the mail gets brought with them to deposit in a US Mail box. It was much faster and safer than the mail in Mexico, but every time I received a letter from her, it would be postmarked from a different place. Texas and Florida mainly.
You cannot drink the water there, until you get used to it.
But why not just vacation in FL, where it is helping the US and is safer.
Kevink
Can you recommend where to find info on longer term rentals in Lake Chapala. I've googled but got such a varied mix that it is somewhat confusing to decipher. Living there I figure you might have good first hand knowledge. Thanks for any help. Tom