Cynthia:  We’ve heard a LOT about Lake Chapala over the years and were anxious to see for ourselves why it’s home to so many North American expats.

Edd:  Right. It’s estimated that out of a total population of about 50,000, there are between 15 and 20 thousand expats living full time in the town and municipality of Chapala, which includes the town of Ajijic. And that number swells to more than 30,000 in winter when the snowbirds show up!

C:  Those are remarkable statistics. We were so lucky to find an Airbnb right between the two places, which made for easy exploration.

E:  A duplex with a pool that we shared with the owners? Perfect way to end our Mexico travel adventures! 

C:  It was such fun to meet up with friends from Cuenca living nearby that were happy to show us around. We were incredibly grateful for their help since we didn’t have a car, and their perspective as residents was invaluable. 

E:  Sure was. We...

Cynthia:  Our original plan was to spend two weeks in San Miguel. Shortly after arriving, we decided to extend our visit an additional week. That pretty much sums up our feelings about this top expat destination, right?

Edd:  Yep. And I’m glad we moved to a different part of the city for that extra time. It gave us a more complete impression.

C:  Turns out we chose an extremely popular location for the expat community. It was really convenient. Only about a 15-minute walk to downtown, and there were lots of great restaurants in the neighborhood.

E:  Plus a 2-story building full of organic foods and products was so close. I went to a massive supermarket that, like the modern northern area of Mérida, almost made me forget I was in Mexico! 

C:  Can you even think of anything we didn’t like?

E:  Well, let’s be honest, the hills in some areas of town are incredibly steep. And even with good walking shoes on, the cobblestone...

We were thrilled to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary in San Miguel de Allende. It’s so incredibly beautiful you often feel like you’re walking around in a fairy tale.

But simply being in this fabulous setting wasn’t enough for such a momentous occasion. We wanted to make this anniversary extra special. To create a lifelong memory.

Cynthia came up with the perfect idea. We would celebrate with a 5-day extravaganza. One event for each decade!

To kick things off we enjoyed a lovely lunch at Cumpanio, a downtown bistro serving French and Italian classics with a modern twist.

The menu featured inventive dishes like this pumpkin blossom ravioli in a citrus sauce. Delicious!

Next came an afternoon of pampering at a spa we had noticed while exploring. After massages, reflexology, and facials we floated back to our place.

Day 2, our actual anniversary day, started with lunch at Restaurante del Parque, a Belmond property nearby. Yes, those pork al pastor...

We told you in the last post how our visit to San Miguel got off to a rough start. Happy to report that once we were settled things immediately improved.

Let’s first back up and tell you why we decided to visit this beautifully preserved colonial city in the Mexican highlands. San Miguel de Allende has been an expat magnet since former U.S. soldiers began flocking there to study art through the G.I. Bill after World War II.

Attracted by its temperate climate, low cost of living, proximity to the States, cultural opportunities, and low crime, San Miguel today is estimated to have up to 20,000 expats, over half of whom are from the States.

All those attributes are on our personal wish list, so we wanted to experience this expat hot spot firsthand.

The city rises up on all sides from the historic center, and our Airbnb was perched on a hillside with a magnificent view. From our terrace the first morning we were delighted to see a hot air balloon floating in the distance....

Cynthia:  Transitions from one expat destination to the next are always our most difficult days, but the trip to San Miguel de Allende got off to an especially rough start.

Edd:  Beginning before we even got to the Cancun airport. We checked out of our Airbnb early to give ourselves plenty of time. It’s a good thing we did because an accident caused a massive traffic backup. Our 15-minute ride took more than an hour.

C:  We had a choice of two airports to fly into—Querétaro or León-Bajío. They’re both just over an hour’s drive from San Miguel. We took the second choice because it was cheaper, but can’t give high marks to our first experience with Viva Air.

E:  This airline is one of those low-cost carriers where the flight is inexpensive, but the add-ons can, well, add up. The agent at the ticket counter was trying to nickel-and-dime us with stuff like, “Your bag’s too heavy—your bag’s...

Cynthia:  Our day trip to Isla Mujeres was so different from anything else we’ve done during our months in Mexico exploring expat destinations.

Edd:  For sure. Starting with live music on the ferry from Cancun. Early morning classic rock including a ZZ Top cover?? That was certainly unexpected.

C:  “Unexpected” was pretty much the theme for our entire visit. Since lots of people told us we had to go there, we decided to just show up with minimal research and see for ourselves what was special about this place.

E:  Something that wasn’t a surprise was how touristy a little island near Cancun is. As soon as we stepped off the ferry we were approached by locals hustling diving tours, golf carts, and souvenirs. 

C:  No time for any of that because we needed to find the coffee shop where we were meeting a local expat. Isla Mujeres has been his home for seven years, and he was happy to get together to share some interesting insights...

Edd:  We had vacationed in Cancun before but arrived with no idea what it would be like to live abroad there.

Cynthia:  You’re right. On an anniversary trip years ago we only left the property where we were staying for one night. And even then we remained in the hotel zone.

E:  Cancun’s development began in the 70s, around the same time the area where we live in Cuenca called New Town started to be built. We were caught off guard to experience how similar downtown Cancun felt to our neighborhood.

C:  Especially after weeks walking throughout historic Mérida where the walls and doors are built right to the edge of the sidewalks. Then the contrast of countless mid-rise condos with rooftop pools in Playa del Carmen.

E:  Of all the places we’ve been so far, who knew we would feel the most at home in Cancun of all places!

C:  Not only because of the architecture, but also by the small family-run shops and restaurants serving mostly...

Cynthia:  Playa del Carmen was certainly a different experience from Tulum, wasn’t it?

Edd:  I’ll say. To begin with, the “hotel zone” of Tulum is totally separate from the actual town. The design of Cancun is similar. In Playa it’s all one big happy family.

C:  Generally speaking there’s the beach area. Running parallel a couple of blocks from the coastline is the famous pedestrian 5th Avenue. Beyond that thoroughfare, the town becomes more residential with businesses to support daily life.

E:  Gotta mention the beach itself. Our review of Tulum was kind of gloomy, so we didn’t even bring up the tons of stinky seaweed there and again at Playa.

C:  It was disappointing to see our second expat destination in the Riviera Maya having the same problem. You’re quite the ocean lover and you never got close to the water.

E:  No way I was going to walk on that disgusting greenish-brown carpet. Seaweed...

Edd:  Since we were only in Tulum for four days and there were heavy rains a lot of the time, we can’t really give the place a thorough evaluation as an expat destination.

Cynthia:  That’s true, but we do have some snapshot impressions we can share. I think it’s fair to say when most people think of Tulum, they picture blue skies, crystal clear water, powdery white sand, and upscale hotels and resorts.

E:  Of course. Tulum has done a marvelous job of packaging its image as an eco-chic destination. But even though we were only there a short time, we quickly recognized there’s a night and day difference between the “hotel zone,” along the beach road, and the actual town of Tulum.

C:  It’s important for our readers to understand that throughout our travels we’re staying where expats might actually live, not in pricey vacation areas. And, boy, the Tulum we experienced was an eye-opener.

E:  I’ll say. As...

The second destination after Mérida on our Mexico “Magical Mystery Tour” was Tulum. Since the route between the cities passes by two important Mayan archaeological sites, we decided to hire a professional guide to provide transportation and help us make the most of our journey.

The first stop, Izamal, is located just an hour’s drive from Mérida. Overlooking this small town is one of the oldest monasteries in the Americas, San Antonio de Padua. The convent’s prominent position is due to the fact that it was built right on top of a Mayan temple.

In addition to the town’s religious fame, almost every building in Izamal is painted bright yellow. There are various reasons explaining this odd characteristic, and the locals seem to enjoy telling their own version of the story.

Right in the middle of town sit the ruins of a HUGE pyramid called Kinich Kakmó!

And when we say huge, we mean HUGE! See those two dots at the bottom?...