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Writer's picture Michaela & Ricardo

How To NOT Look Like A Tourist When Visiting Lake Chapala



Lake Chapala and Ajijic. If you are Googling "best places in the world to retire", you are bound to run across these two names. Lake Chapala is a place that, while obviously not for everyone, is a place that you should visit and learn more about in your search for a retirement destination. Don't let social media comments sway you. Come down here! Check it out for yourself. I can guarantee you that you are a different person with different wants, needs and interests than the "original poster". Set aside lots of time to talk to people who already live here. Take in the local entertainment, cultural events, and engage in some of the many activities available Lakeside. Contact any one of us at Retire In Lake Chapala and Lake Chapala Retirement Seminar and tour the areas. Learn first hand the pros and cons to this retirement destination. Be smart about your first visit so you don't go away from here with the wrong impression.


Luckily there is a cheap and effective way to bone up on all there is to know for your first visit and that's what my Kindle book "The Ultimate Guidebook To Visiting and Retiring To Lake Chapala" is partly about. Giving you the knowledge to make an educated first visit, knowing what to look for, how to get around, find a place to stay, where to eat and so much more!


I've seen some of you coming down here, doing some of the "tourist" mistakes that, hey, I do them too when I'm traveling to places I don't know. After all, we're all tourists when we travel. You come down in January, February, or March (our peak tourist months) and find a hotel or Airbnb right in Ajijic. You go to the Ajijic plaza, walk the malecon, shop in the many gift stores and peruse the art galleries in the village. This is good. You are in Ajijic, the pueblo magico. But you probably stand out as a green tourist, and therefore, could be a mark for someone unscrupulous. Buying and reading my book will help but here are a few more tips to make you blend in with the established expat community.


Ask For The Check

One of the cultural anomalies that you need to get used to is asking for the check at restaurants. It is culturally rude to push people out of a restaurant and the serving staff will not bring you a bill unless you ask for it. Practice saying "la cuenta por favor" or if you can catch one of the staff's eye, just make a scribbling motion on your hands. They'll know what you want.


Get To Know The Money

One of the most important things is getting used to the money and conversion rates! Luckily the conversion rate is close enough to 20-1 that converting quickly in your head is fairly straight forward. So, for example, a 100 peso bill is divided by 20 to equal $5.

Mexican money comes in different colors like Canadian money and this makes it easier to distinguish different denominations without pulling out a wad of cash from your purse or wallet. You can easily determine, for instance, a 200 peso bill by it's green color.

Unfortunately, the Mexican government has introduced new bills with extra security features and for whatever reason decided to color it differently from the original bill. For instance, the old 500 peso bills which were always brown, are being replaced with blue bills. For the neophyte this can make things complicated so you need to make sure to look at the numbers too. The old brown bills are continued to be handed out at banks and there seems to be no move to take them out of circulation.

Besides the bills, you need to learn the coins. The 10 peso coin is one of the most easily recognized but be careful. The Mexican government has recently introduced a 20 peso coin that looks virtually identical to the untrained eye. The only way to tell the difference is the 10 peso is perfectly round and the 20 pesos (which is ever so slightly larger) has a hexagonal shape with slight points.

One of the best blogs I've come across which talks about the peso currency is this one.


Learn The Transportation System

Getting to know the bus and taxi system is also very important. This is thoroughly covered in my book but I will touch lightly upon the subject here.

There are three types of busses. The (often shorter) bus with yellow plastic seats is the Third Class bus and costs 10 pesos. This bus will go into the villages off the carretera. The Second Class bus stays on the carretera. It is a full length bus and has plush blue seats and blue curtains and costs 12 pesos. Both these buses can be picked up at bus stops (or often times just about anywhere your are standing) by raising your arm to flag him down. Finally there is a full length bus with luggage bin at the bottom. These larger first class buses do not normally stop and are intended as direct buses to Guadalajara. Do not flag one down, or try to get on one, if you are making a short trip down the carretera. If going to Guadalajara you can board one at the Ajijic bus station and at Laguna Mall (in front of Black Coffee. They run every half hour.

Keep smaller change and bills for the busses. Try not to board with only a 500 peso bill. Like everywhere in Mexico, keeping small bills and coins is a full time job and always needs to be at the forefront of your mind as (too often) businesses do not have change.

Taxis are located at Taxi stands and are usually not just driving around looking for fares therefore don't be disappointed if they don't stop for you when you try to wave them down. They are probably on a call. Taxi stand locations and fare rates are in my book.


I hope this article helps make you look like one of the established old timers, savvy in the ways of Mexico, and makes your first delightful, fun and without incident. As always if you have questions or want to chat, Retire In Lake Chapala offers free and unlimited phone/email support to help you make a smooth transition to your new home.


Get all the information you need on moving to Lake Chapala! Whether you are a first time visitor or seriously considering relocating to Lake Chapala, this book is for you!

Buy Now on Amazon Kindle!



Don't have Kindle? Contact us for a PDF version and receive $2 off your purchase!


Michaela & Ricardo are your FULL SERVICE Real Estate Agents. With over 25 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.





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