Ajijic, a Corner of Paradise on the Lake

After spending a few days in Guadalajara, we headed south toward the mountains and the village of Ajijic (pronounced Ah-ee-heec) on the shores of Lake Chapala. Originally an artists' colony, Ajijic is still full of art galleries and studios. Artists and artisans, Mexican and non-Mexican, offer prints, oil paintings, water colors, sculpture and jewellery.

The village, population 15,000, is considered a hospitable haven, drawing the adventurous from every corner of the globe. The Lake Chapala Society, established to support the ex-pat community, has 3,400 members from 31 nations.

The streets and sidewalks are narrow, paved with cobblestones adding to the charm of this delightful village.

Artisans' shopping district in the heart of Ajijic.

Lake Chapala, the largest freshwater lake in Mexico, is surrounded by mountains and lush vegetation during the summer season when frequent storms occur at night.

The "malecon" or boardwalk along the lake in Ajijic.

We arrived in Ajijic without a hotel reservation. Our taxi driver was very patient as he drove us from hotel to hotel until we settled on Hotel Ajijic Suites. Elaine, the owner of the hotel, immediately made us feel so welcome providing us with a map of the village, restaurant recommendations and other valuable advice.


The hotel has eight rooms, situated around this charming and tranquil courtyard. Our room was at the top of the stairs and the patio provided a wonderful view of the mountains.



Typical of every city, town and village in Mexico is the central plaza and Ajijic is no exception. During the day there is plenty of shade to sit and watch the passing parade. At night the plaza comes alive with street vendors hawking their wares, children playing, friends and families meeting and greeting.

Many of the stores in the artisan district are brightly painted with murals.

A specialty store, supplying only wrapping paper and gift cards. Down the street is another little store dedicated to ribbons of every description.

How about this beauty shop ladies, where you can have a pedicure and a drink at the same time! As the store was closed every time we passed by, we couldn't confirm that was indeed the case or just one of those endearing translation blunders!

The sign painted on the garage door clearly states "No Parking" however this obviously doesn't apply to horses!

Scrawny bird stands watch over the fruit and vegetables at a local market.

Many of the restaurants are open air affairs - this one fronted the lake. The sunset on the lake provides a tranquil setting.


The La Nueva Posada Restaurant is a charming garden venue for lunch.....


and here is our lunch - delicious! The meal, soft drinks and tip came to a whopping $11.00.

We met some wonderful people and felt so comfortable we extended our stay by a week. On our last evening in Ajijic we had dinner at Roberto's Restaurant, a first class establishment. Pictured above are Elaine, sitting around the table is Chuck, Freddie and Colin.

Off to the beach in Veracruz....best wishes, Ben and Lindy