There is lots of hype over the dangers of living in Mexico on the news media but is there a real concern living in Lake Chapala? What better way to find out than to listen to people already living here? Ripped from the pages of Facebook, how safe is Lake Chapala?
I came a across a recent post in Facebook and thought this would be good material for a blog post.
I only edited out irrelevant posts and kept all posts both good and bad pertinent to the Original Poster's Question. If you don't believe me you can read the full post here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/112561076007959/permalink/793365021260891
Original Poster's Question
My husband and I are planning to live here in Lake Chapala. We would like to know how safe is this area and especially the Hacienda Chapala 2 area. Also is there any problems with the Cartels and extortion in this area? Thank you for your answers!
Answers Given
Us too. My mom and Dad moved in in 1968. I soon followed in 1971. Lived here half time from 93 to 2002. Then full-time since 2002. I've never felt scared here. I take reasonable precautions and don't anticipate being ever harmed by cartel activity… We live 3 blocks from the plaza. Our street is busy. Its a wonderful place to live. Never want to leave.
I have lived here for four years and three different locations. I find your best defense will be baking cookies for your neighbors and helping out when their kids need book. My neighbors have always looked out for me
As the saying goes,
“Keep a clean nose and you will not have any issues!!” Don’t show off your wealth by wearing expensive jewelry or Rolex watches.
Keep low key!! … Family been here since the 1970’s!!
No cartel problems since 2013.
- people that have problems here are the ones that bring their bad habits with them. You will be good.
We enjoy living in Chapala Haciendas, which is one fraccionamiento with 3 entrances; one of which is across 23. We love it here. Our area is quiet, really quiet. Not so for the entire fracc. Research when start looking.
And don't forget to keep the sidewalk in front of your house clean ,)
In 2018 I purchased land in Haciendas 2, in 2019 I started with the home construction. I moved in Christmas Day of 2020. No issues during construction, no one stole materials, no news of anything happening in the area during those 2 years. The security guard in charge does a good job making his rounds, plus he lives here so he can be reached at any time. I like being here, very quiet. I feel safe.
Entirely safe. Even in areas where cartels are dominant,( this isn’t one of them,) the cartels are the government, providing schools, utilities, street maintenance, and keeping the populace safe. The killings are between rival gangs. Mexico , by and large , is much safer than the US.
I lived 5 years in Chapala Haciendas.It is quiet and I had less problems than people that live in lower La Floresta.No traffic,Do not have people knocking on the door begging for money. I felt comfortable and safe living there.
We moved here form Phoenix Arizona, best decision we ever made, safer than Phoenix. AZ. Phoenix was labeled the car jacking capital of the world. better food here, There were places in Phoenix you do not go at 11pm in the evening. same here in some areas. You must be careful and not be a easy target no matter where you live.
How safe is the area you currently live? Any gangs? Drug dealers? Car jacking?
Just aa safe here, only in a different language.
I am a single woman and I feel pretty safe.
Chapala Haciendas are a bit more remote than other areas and are not gated. However, with prices rising, they are becoming more populated and built up. If you have to leave the place unoccupied for more than a day or two, it would be wise to have a ho…house sitter, but there are a lot of people willing to do that. The best defense is to always get to know your neighbours well. And look out for each other.
Exactly. We have alarm system, dog and always if gone any extended period of time a housesitter. GOOD point.
Neighbors would not interfere if they saw anything--the robbers could come back and 'get' them. This is a lovely idea, but not really practical
Welcome. Be cautious but enjoy the heck out of living at the lake. I was robbed 3 times in Florida. Never a problem here.
ditto. My parents home was robbed twice, my grandmother's home was robbed once and I have had a home robbed. All north of the border!
Everywhere I have lived in the states rural areas, not cities) there have been reports of shooting…not cities) there have been reports of shootings on the nightly news, it's much safer in Mexico
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The entire lakeside area is fairly safe for expats. The cartel does not bother you unless you are involved in illegal activities.
The only real security issues here that occurs with any kind of frequency are thefts. Just secure your home as you would… north of the border.
there is no difference in safety in gated and non-gated communities, some people just feel more secure if there is a guard or gate in front.
Have lived in Chapala Haciendas 2 for the last year and have no problems. The neighbors know each other and it’s a lovely place.
We are building in Chapala Haciendas 2 and will be moving full time in April.
Secure your home. Be aware of your surroundings when out like anywhere. Mind your business. Do not partake of any drug purchases. Noone can guarantee your safety only give you ideas for safety and security.
Lake area is much safer than Guadalajara.
Been here 9 years with no issues. The houses are a little more secluded in Haciendas 2 so ensure you take proper security measures.
The cartels are here but don't bother the gringos.
Been here 6 years without any issues.
Been here 4 years. No issues.
Neither are really an issue with expats. Burglary, however, can be a problem in houses that are not secured properly. Pretty much just like north of the border.
I use Blink mini cameras from Amazon to send me an instant text alert to my cell phoneof motion outside my gate and for peace of mind when I'm not home. I live in Riberas in a non gated community, fortress style with gate and driveway gate and feel super safe here in my neighborhood and all areas here. I would rent first for at least a year.
Just like NOB, keep one's nose clean, stay far away from illegal activities, get home at a reasonable hour (by 10 pm), be friendly with neighbors (never call the police) walk with purpose, shoulders back aware of surroundings, carry only what is necessary, certified copy of visa leaving original in safe place, be generous, volunteer at any of the plethora of organizations ... you'll be fine
We live in Chapala Haciendas two. We love it. Lots of wildlife wonderful views of the lake from our terraza. Many improvements were made over the past few years to improve security including new lighting security service general cleaning up. I believe it’s a much better place than it used to be and better than some people’s opinion of it.
Very secure. We have not had a problem in 14 years
We lived in Chapala Haciendas 2 in 2000-2001 our daughter (14 at the time) was brutally raped there and neighbors from Canada were held hostage and robbed. We moved to San Antonio and then on into Chapala. We have lived in Mexico for decades, many states, cities and areas. We have seen it improve greatly. We feel so much safer here now. We have friends who live in CH2 and love it. When we lived there, there were not many people at all. There were a lot of empty lots. It is much nicer cleaner and safer. We love living in Chapala. It’s beautiful here and the neighbors are lovely. You just have common sense but that being said, out of all the expats communities in the world that we have lived in-Lakeside is the loveliest.
I’ve lived in Chapala Haciendas #2 for 10 years now and love it. We’ve never had an issue. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions at all
So there you have it. If you have questions then contact us. We're always here for you!
Thanks for reading.
Michaela & Ricardo are your FULL SERVICE Real Estate Agents. Along with our Retirement Seminars, our over 20 years of combined experience Lakeside, and our network of area Professionals, we help guide you to from beginning to forever in your Retirement Journey to Lake Chapala, Mexico.
