This coming January I will once again head south to Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico. Nestled a mile high in the Sierra Madres. National Geographic has determined it is the second-best climate in the world. That’s good enough for me. There I’ll again be staying at my favourite place, Ajijic Suites. It will be my third winter there. There are many reasons why I keep returning.
Ajijic village is conveniently located a twenty-five minute taxi ride from the International Guadalajara airport. Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city, is only a 45-minute drive north of Ajijic and a great place to visit. If you come to visit, be prepared to stay longer.
At Ajijic Suites the bilingual owners, Elaine and Luis, are friendly and helpful. The hotel, with eight units, is clean and charmingly Mexican in décor. It has a lovely inner courtyard with a large fountain, plants and flowers. Unlike other hotels in the area, each suite has a separate bedroom, bathroom, and a comfortable all-purpose room that combines living room and kitchen. The kitchen areas have all the essentials to prepare your own meals – a small refrigerator, sink, microwave, appliances and utensils. This is unusual for Ajijic hotels. There’s laundry and maid service. There’s also free telephone service (Vonnage) to U.S and Canada, cable television and WiFi. Rates are reasonable.
Ajijic Suites is conveniently located, less than a ten-minute walk to the beautiful ‘plaza’ (village square) at the centre of the village. It’s a short three blocks to Lake Chapala, Mexico’s largest lake. The malecon along the lake is wonderful, a great place to walk, jog and meet people, locals and ex-pats. There you have beautiful views of the lake and surrounding mountains.
Watch the sun set while enjoying a beer at the wonderful Tequila Republic on the pier. Steps further along the shore you’ll get a friendly greeting from Yves, the owner of Yves Restaurant. Here you’ll find excellent food with a great view of Mount Garcia across the lake. You’ll see Vino Blanco the albino donkey that Yves rescued wander on the beach. Have a margarita next door at the Old Posada, where Tennessee Williams played poker and wrote the short story that became his hit play “A Streetcar Named Desire.” This is but a sampling of the many reasonably-priced, clean restaurants and cafes in the village. Of course the wonderful Mexican cuisine reigns but every nationality is represented from Chinese to French to Japanese to Thai.
Colourful murals decorate the walls of this 400-year-old cobblestone village. There are dozens of small art galleries and pottery and craft shops. Ajijic Suites is an easy walk to one of my favourite places, the lovely Lake Chapala Society gardens. There you’ll find a great variety of services, clubs and activities: yoga, Spanish lessons, music, interesting lectures, poetry readings, comfortable patios, snack bar, koi ponds, movies and an English-language library. I tend to hang out there a lot, reading, writing and chatting. You’ll find writers at work there as well. A vibrant writers group meets every two weeks. Ajijic has been a magnet for writers and artists for decades. When you visit this village you’ll understand why.
To get a taste of the fascinating places to visit in the Lakeside area and beyond, check out the excellent blog, Jim and Carole’s Mexico Adventure, by Ajijic resident Jim Cook. Find it at cookjmex.blogspot.com/
So, there are many reasons to visit Ajijic and stay at Ajijic Suites. That’s why so many guests like me return year after year.
John (Canadian)
