# Quiet places to retire in Mexico



## hando4949

My wife and I are retired Australians. We are looking at retireing to Mexico.
We would like some feedback on some nice, quiet seaside areas. We are not into the big city type places.
Regards Hando


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## RVGRINGO

Welcome to the forum. I'm sure you will get many suggestions for places to retire. The central highlands are the most popular places because of the weather. Most coastal areas are very hot and humid except in the winter.
If you haven't visited Mexico, a long vacation to explore would seem in order.


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## hando4949

*Thanks*



RVGRINGO said:


> Welcome to the forum. I'm sure you will get many suggestions for places to retire. The central highlands are the most popular places because of the weather. Most coastal areas are very hot and humid except in the winter.
> If you haven't visited Mexico, a long vacation to explore would seem in order.


Thanks RVGRINGO for your reply,I thought I would have got more replies, i think people must be enjoying the weather. The coast was only a starting point for me, and after more reserch I think it would be wise to go inland a bit, because of the high temps and humidity.
Thanks Mate


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## BajaGringo

One of the things I love about Baja is that this peninsula gives you a wide range of choices in weather, topography and lifestyle with lots of quiet seaside areas to choose from with over 2000 miles of coastline along the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez. We personally chose the San Quintin area in the northern Baja Pacific region for the mild weather, small-quiet community and great fishing...


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## roni

You may want to take a look at the Gulf of Mexico coast of the Yucatan Peninsula - relatively affordable compared to the Caribbean side and there are some small towns that have some expat population.

There are also many smaller cities on the Pacific coast - some have a lot of US'ers and Canandians during the winter. RVGringo will know a lot more about them than I do.


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## quinta

With regards to the Yucatan, Campeche area of Mexico, Chelem (15-20 min from Merida on the beach)is very popular with English speaking expats and there is a good network of activities an more for them. All along this coast including Playa del Carmen are very popular but yes, hot and humid although the winters are glorious! Merida too (large city with much culture, etc.) has quite an expat population and easy access to the US and Canada. Campeche city is a tranquil and lovely area, quite inexpensive as well. Villahermosa in Tabasco has a lot to offer as does Vercruz which are lovely as well. Puebla, Tlaxcala and the area around the center, are higher altitude and so are cool year round and offer Colonial charm and more.... Guadalajara is amazing, with good weather as well and much closer to the US border so access is easy and many expats truly like it there. Queretaro is now and up and coming area for expats, especially Tequesquitiango area. A long vacation, with a car, would seem to be in order so you can travel from place to place and be able to compare them all. A wonderful journey awaits!


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## jlms

quinta said:


> With regards to the Yucatan, Campeche area of Mexico, Chelem (15-20 min from Merida on the beach)is very popular with English speaking expats and there is a good network of activities an more for them. All along this coast including Playa del Carmen are very popular but yes, hot and humid although the winters are glorious! Merida too (large city with much culture, etc.) has quite an expat population and easy access to the US and Canada. Campeche city is a tranquil and lovely area, quite inexpensive as well. Villahermosa in Tabasco has a lot to offer as does Vercruz which are lovely as well. Puebla, Tlaxcala and the area around the center, are higher altitude and so are cool year round and offer Colonial charm and more.... Guadalajara is amazing, with good weather as well and much closer to the US border so access is easy and many expats truly like it there. Queretaro is now and up and coming area for expats, especially Tequesquitiango area. A long vacation, with a car, would seem to be in order so you can travel from place to place and be able to compare them all. A wonderful journey awaits!



Villahermosa is infested with mosquitoes, it is really unpleasant at times.and has been severely flooded several times in the last few years...


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## MexicoGolfer62

I really like the baja peninsula.. there are alot of "gringos" in areas but every time that I have been able to look at the area it seems nice and quiet. Very relaxing especially around alot of the beachy areas. Hope this helps  Anywhere a few miles away from the larger cities is good.


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## shari

We are sooooo happy living in our little paradise....a small fishing village but lots of services, stores, hospital, gas station, internet, water and power real cheap...wonderful locals and only a handful of canucks and gringos here...mostly part time in the winter. The climate here is awesome year round...not too hot because of the pacific breezes...outrageous fishing...ya gotta come and check it out for yourself...we've had a few auzzies guests and they totally loved it.


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## RVGRINGO

Shari,
You might consider posting your URL in your signature line or get a Pemium Membership and advertise openly.


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## shari

ooops OK, well anyway, if you want more info on our area you can email me at [email protected] (is this allowed?)


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## phil&sue

There is a small fishing village about 30 miles from Merida called Sisal. There are two developments currently in progress. We purchased a lot there and if you are interested PM me.


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## RVGRINGO

Posting your own e-mail in a thread is up to you, but may attract a lot of spam or misuse of your address. Those with a wish for others to contact them at a personal URL, may add that to a single line signature via your controls on this forum, or by becoming a Premium Member and advertising openly on the forum. If in doubt, go to the top of the page and click on " Expat Forum For Expats, For Moving Overseas And For Jobs Abroad" then "Information" and you'll find the forum rules.

To bookmark the Forum Rules, go directly to http://www.expatforum.com/expats/expat-forum-information/2397-forum-rules.html
and you'll be able to refer to them at your convenience.

They may seem a bit strict or even confusing, but they have served well to keep the site free from junk, spam, those who like to argue on forums, name calling, illegal activity, etc.


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## El Toro Furioso

shari said:


> We are sooooo happy living in our little paradise....a small fishing village but lots of services, stores, hospital, gas station, internet, water and power real cheap...wonderful locals and only a handful of canucks and gringos here...mostly part time in the winter. The climate here is awesome year round...not too hot because of the pacific breezes...outrageous fishing...ya gotta come and check it out for yourself...we've had a few auzzies guests and they totally loved it.


You never say that I can see where your "little paradise" is. Where are you?


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## RVGRINGO

Shari has posted her contact information as [email protected] and I think she has a B&B at Bahia Asuncion. Perhaps she will get a Premium Membership to make it easier for interested travelers to find out about the area.


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## YaVengo

Hola,
I'm new the this forum. Thinking about retiring to Mexico in 2 years after 30+ years of teaching. Recently divorced guy who will get a lot less from my pension due to divorce so lower cost of living is important. Speak fairly good Spanish from teaching in the bilingual program (students mostly Mexican American). I'm a fairly active person and like the water/coast. Enough of being landlocked! Looking to hang out, play my guitar, maybe snorkel, kayak, bike ride, run. That sort of thing.
I get the the weather is pretty nice in most areas Nov. thru April/May, but what is a tolerable coastal location during the summer months? 
Also, what's the real deal on scorpions? I read somewhere that there are scorpions on the beach in Puerto Vallarta.
Hope to vacation someplace down there next year to start checking it out.
Any info will be appreciated.
Rich


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## RVGRINGO

Welcome to the forum. I'm glad you are 'already here' and you will probably get lots of suggestions by just reading through all of the existing posts, as well as new responses to your more specific questions.
You are right about the 'tolerable' season on the coasts. Personally, I would prefer the Pacific coast climate over the eastern coast for both weather and access. April through September are considered 'intolerable' by many on either coast and we, in the central highlands, all know of several folks who have tried to live there year round and have returned to a milder climate. Younger folks with 'beach bum' lifestyles may survive the summers, but not retirees who generally want a climate which allows activities of all sorts throughout the year. We have friends who moved to Lake Chapala several years ago, after a few very lonesome summers in a coastal location. One must also consider the civilized amenities that are desirable in retirement; everything from theaters to operating theaters. If you can afford it, two homes are nice, but most of us can't do that and are forced to compromise. Personally, we like living in Lake Chapala's microclimate and taking occasional trips to the Pacific coast in the winter months. After all, Manzanillo is only half a day away by 'autopista', for example. The entire 'Costa Alegre' is within comfortable reach.
Scorpions are very territorial, so you either have them, or you don't. Fortunately, at our house, we don't. I've seen three in more than eight years here and stomped them all.
To explore, you should vacation in the good and bad seasons, at several locations. Be sure to stay at places away from the beach and without air conditioning to simulate how you will probably live. Only the rich and famous can afford either beachfront property and/or air conditioning. Study up on how CFE charges for electricity at various levels of consumption.
In any event, welcome again and come on down and do your homework. Life is good!


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## shari

Hi Rich...i tried to private message you ...email me will ya? One of the main factors about choosing where to live for me was a decent comfortable year round climate...nice folks, not touristy, ocean front, affordable living...and i found all of that and more here in Bahia Asuncion. Living on a budget is easier in a smaller village...and land prices here are still very cheap.


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## El Toro Furioso

Hi Rich. Out of curiosity, if you are thinking of retiring to Mexico in two years, why do you list yourself as an "expat in Mexico"? Anyway, after living on Lake Chapala for almost four years, my wife and I bought a house in La Manzanilla on the Costa Alegre 18 km north of San Patricio Melaque. We have, however, kept our rental on Lake Chapala. The tourist season from at least Manzanillo to the south and well into Nayarit to the north is usually considered to be December 15 to April 15. Comfortable weather runs conservatively from November 15 to June 15. Today, July 7, the temperature is 30 C. (about 87 F.) and the humidity is quite mild. There isn't a cloud in the sky and there is a mild breeze off the Tenacatita Bay. The morning was spent transplanting and moving a full-grown lime tree from a friend's granja to our home...with a little help from Ramon and the use of Antonio's camioneta. (Yesterday was way humid and not too pleasant for much of the day.) We have stayed here in early November with the weather being quite nice. Surprisingly, October can be the most brutally hot month. So, notwithstanding short bouts of humid heat and the occasional hurricane, one can live pretty comfortably on the mid-Pacific coast from November 1 to July 15 or even July 31. After that it depends on the individual. So there is a minimum of three and more like three and one-half months a year when only the very hardy, the very proud and the very poor stick around. We will be returning this month to spend most of the time until the beginning of November lakeside. We may just keep our lake rental, either subletting during the "tourist" months or just paying the rent. But we already have an offer to house sit in Riberas del Pilar every July and August (lake views, no less). So if we can find another month or two of year-to-year house sitting, we'll probably give up the house lakeside after this year. You may be able to find a similar situation house sitting, but probably only after you have established yourself in Mexico. Most home owners want someone who is familiar with the area and who knows the rudiments of paying utilities, working with help, etc. 

My point is that one can consider living on the beach, at least for most of the year, without suffering miserable weather, social isolation, and a dearth of amenities. We have DSL service, satellite radio, satellite TV, our own La Manzanilla web board, numerous opportunities to volunteer our time and money to worthy causes, and an English-language "libreria" (it is not free, ergo not a biblioteca). Not to mention friends. The theaters, operating and otherwise, are an hour plus away in Manzanillo. (However, a new IMSS hospital is being constructed 30 km away in Cihuatlan.) Overall, healthcare lakeside and in Guadalajara is greatly superior to that along the coast (with the possible exception of Puerto Vallarta). 

Hope these ramblings help you put things in perspective. !Que le vaya bien!


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## YaVengo

*Thanks*



El Toro Furioso said:


> Hi Rich. Out of curiosity, if you are thinking of retiring to Mexico in two years, why do you list yourself as an "expat in Mexico"? Anyway, after living on Lake Chapala for almost four years, my wife and I bought a house in La Manzanilla on the Costa Alegre 18 km north of San Patricio Melaque. We have, however, kept our rental on Lake Chapala. The tourist season from at least Manzanillo to the south and well into Nayarit to the north is usually considered to be December 15 to April 15. Comfortable weather runs conservatively from November 15 to June 15. Today, July 7, the temperature is 30 C. (about 87 F.) and the humidity is quite mild. There isn't a cloud in the sky and there is a mild breeze off the Tenacatita Bay. The morning was spent transplanting and moving a full-grown lime tree from a friend's granja to our home...with a little help from Ramon and the use of Antonio's camioneta. (Yesterday was way humid and not too pleasant for much of the day.) We have stayed here in early November with the weather being quite nice. Surprisingly, October can be the most brutally hot month. So, notwithstanding short bouts of humid heat and the occasional hurricane, one can live pretty comfortably on the mid-Pacific coast from November 1 to July 15 or even July 31. After that it depends on the individual. So there is a minimum of three and more like three and one-half months a year when only the very hardy, the very proud and the very poor stick around. We will be returning this month to spend most of the time until the beginning of November lakeside. We may just keep our lake rental, either subletting during the "tourist" months or just paying the rent. But we already have an offer to house sit in Riberas del Pilar every July and August (lake views, no less). So if we can find another month or two of year-to-year house sitting, we'll probably give up the house lakeside after this year. You may be able to find a similar situation house sitting, but probably only after you have established yourself in Mexico. Most home owners want someone who is familiar with the area and who knows the rudiments of paying utilities, working with help, etc.
> 
> My point is that one can consider living on the beach, at least for most of the year, without suffering miserable weather, social isolation, and a dearth of amenities. We have DSL service, satellite radio, satellite TV, our own La Manzanilla web board, numerous opportunities to volunteer our time and money to worthy causes, and an English-language "libreria" (it is not free, ergo not a biblioteca). Not to mention friends. The theaters, operating and otherwise, are an hour plus away in Manzanillo. (However, a new IMSS hospital is being constructed 30 km away in Cihuatlan.) Overall, healthcare lakeside and in Guadalajara is greatly superior to that along the coast (with the possible exception of Puerto Vallarta).
> 
> Hope these ramblings help you put things in perspective. !Que le vaya bien!


My bad about the flag. When I signed up the option was pick a flag to show the country to which you have already moved or to which you plan to move. I understand the confusion and so I have taken the flag down and posted my current midwestern US locale.
Thanks for all the info from my first post.
Muy amable.
Rich


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## MexicoGolfer62

Rich, 
My wife and I are looking at and doing the finalization on purchasing a home in San Jose Del Cabo. For us the weather is great, it is a coastal area and the amenities are top notch. I myself am an avid golfer, swimmer, cyclist and I found the are ample courses and great beaches to swim at.


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## YaVengo

*Will check it out*

Thanks,
I'll check out the site. I'm also looking into La Paz.
Rich


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## gkloken

hando4949 said:


> My wife and I are retired Australians. We are looking at retireing to Mexico.
> We would like some feedback on some nice, quiet seaside areas. We are not into the big city type places.
> Regards Hando


 I can honestly say that Peurto Penasco Sonora MX or Rocky Point as we call it, is really the best place for us . Such friendly people , lots of Expats permanent or temporary. 
We have a lovely place on Sandy Beach side. It is a great resort town and still in the Free Zone area. 
That enables us to pop across to the USA in under an hour, do some shopping there and get back. 
There's a lot of activities here, climate is beautiful all year round . It is also sheltered against most of the storms from the Gulf side as well as the Pacific ocean. 

Water is lovely and warm for swimming , great fishing, sailing, hang gliding, lots of organised concerts and activities. With easy access to any of the bigger cities and has its own international airport, hospitals etc. 

Quite a long stretch of Resorts / housing communities to choose from With open areas in between, yet one can remain private and relaxed if needed to . 

Both English and Spanish languages used here.

I agree you should first take a vacation come and visit then decide . But I can almost bet that you would fall in love and decide to settle here once you come to visit.

It is right now the ideal time to come , very reasonable prices especially for longer stay.


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## El Toro Furioso

gkloken said:


> I can honestly say that Peurto Penasco Sonora MX or Rocky Point as we call it, is really the best place for us . Such friendly people , lots of Expats permanent or temporary.
> We have a lovely place on Sandy Beach side. It is a great resort town and still in the Free Zone area.
> That enables us to pop across to the USA in under an hour, do some shopping there and get back.
> There's a lot of activities here, climate is beautiful all year round . It is also sheltered against most of the storms from the Gulf side as well as the Pacific ocean.
> 
> Water is lovely and warm for swimming , great fishing, sailing, hang gliding, lots of organised concerts and activities. With easy access to any of the bigger cities and has its own international airport, hospitals etc.
> 
> Quite a long stretch of Resorts / housing communities to choose from With open areas in between, yet one can remain private and relaxed if needed to .
> 
> Both English and Spanish languages used here.
> 
> I agree you should first take a vacation come and visit then decide . But I can almost bet that you would fall in love and decide to settle here once you come to visit.
> 
> It is right now the ideal time to come , very reasonable prices especially for longer stay.


At the almost sure risk of getting beat up on for saying this, I humbly suggest that there is more to Mexico than Baja California. To get to know the peso and the breadth of cultures in this varied and beautiful country, Baja included, one should visit mainland Mexico too. The Mexican government recognizes that Baja is different from the rest of Mexico: it makes Mexicans from Baja go through immigration when they travel to the mainland by ferry or airplane. If you are spending $USD in Baja you are not taking advantage of the favorable exchange rate when buying pesos. Check out the differences in prices for, say, food between mainland Mexico (not Cancun nor Puerto Vallarta, of course) and Baja and I think your eyes will be opened. Try hiring a skilled, knowledgeable, educated gardener in Baja (that's 1 1/2 hours a day, four days a week) for the peso equivalent of $50 USD per month. Try listening to the rich vocabulary and proud enunciation of Jaliscan Spanish in Baja. And many would say that propinquity to the US border is a highly dubious advantage. Visit and consider retiring to the Mexico where "to park" is estacionarse, not aparcar or, as I have seen in Tijuana, parkarse, "to lunch" is almorzar, not lunchear. Compare real estate prices mainland with those in Baja. Most places mainland are much less expensive. Consider a location in central Mexico, including large swaths of the Pacific coast, where you are a short day's drive to the beauty of Lake Patzcuaro, an overnight drive to the spectacular ruins of Monte Alban in Oaxaca, a 7- to 12-hour dirve to the world heritage city of San Miguel de Allende or nearby Guanajuato. Baja has many very beautiful places, though there seems to me to be a "touristy" feel about many of the places I have visited. Obviously, Baja has appealed to many expats, the vast majority of whom seem to be Americans from the Western states. I'm not trying to knock Baja. I'm just trying to point out that there is a whole big vastly more diversified country called the Mexican mainland.


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## quinta

Well said, Toro. I grew up in Tijuana but under much better conditions than most people seem to see, lived in San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, etc. however due to the increasing violence and problems, we moved away a long time ago. I wouldn't recommend anything close to the border for the time being, especially since there are so many options to choose from. I have lived all over the world and can recommend some alternate areas: if money is no object, the world is yours, but if you're like most of us, on a limited budget Mexico has advantages for sure. We lived 10 years in Puerto Vallarta (my kids grew up there) and we miss it still, yet due to all the expats from all over the world moving there it became a busy, traffic laden city where you couldn't afford living anymore; we lived in Merida and while beautiful, very safe, full of charm and Mayan culture, more reasonable prices too, expats are now heading out that way and have already caused prices to spiral, but the weather made us move, HOT!, if you want to live around a lot of expats at the beach, go to Chelem or Chuburna; there are small towns up and down the Yucatan Peninsula where it's quiet if you don't mind driving an hour or so, could be a great option like Sisal, San Bruno, Santa Clara, Telchac Puerto, etc.; Playa del Carmen is out of reach, expats from all over have already turned it into another tourist spot; then onto San Miguel Allende where prices and tourists drove us out; Guadalajara is fantastic and while there are some foreigners, it's a large city so they blend in, this might be our next move; Lake Chapala and Ajijic is full of too many expats for us; Queretaro is being discovered as we speak and Tequesquitiango is quietly becoming an expat haven as well; we live in Puebla now, not touristy, full of history, economical and safe too, good cool weather, very small expat community, 2 hours from either Veracruz or Mexico City (where we go to often), so it depends on what you're looking for and whether you need other expats around you, but if you're independent and want to try living in the "real" Mexico I can tell you that you live better here than in the US (for the same amount). 
I would recommend an extended trip so you can get to know the different areas and climates all over... and while expats seem to favor the beach, you should also consider inland... there is so much out here, come experience it! You could also rent in several places and see what it's really like to live in an area, that would give you a better take on a place and make it easy to move on should you decide that area is not for you, as selling a property can take quite a while since all the economic problems began. So brush up on your Spanish and head out there!


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## MexicoGolfer62

I totally understand the diversity between the many areas of Mexico. I do agree with one thing.. stay away from the border!!! lol. I feel like there is such a draw to Baja because of most of the Westerners that come down from the regions of the U.S. like CA and AZ. Is this an incorrect assumption? I do feel like Baja has some things that central Mexico doesn't have to offer.. simply because it is beachfront or at least nearer towards the water. While the prices obviously show the difference, you get what you pay for. What do you guys think?


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## Traveler123

shari said:


> We are sooooo happy living in our little paradise....a small fishing village but lots of services, stores, hospital, gas station, internet, water and power real cheap...wonderful locals and only a handful of canucks and gringos here...mostly part time in the winter. The climate here is awesome year round...not too hot because of the pacific breezes...outrageous fishing...ya gotta come and check it out for yourself...we've had a few auzzies guests and they totally loved it.


Sounds great. Where are you located?


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## RVGRINGO

Shari is located at Bahia Asuncion, Baja California.
Perhaps she is on vacation today.


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## Traveler123

Thanks, RV.
And thanks, quinta, for your excellent overview of several locations in Mexico.


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## BajaGringo

I personally know Shari and she and her husband Juan have a great little place down in Bahia Asuncion. It is located in the very northern part of Baja California South along the Pacific Coast. 

That is where we would probably be if we weren't in San Quintin, a few hundred miles further north along the coast...


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