# Most Scenic Mountain Towns...



## vantexan

...that are popular with expats? I read on Mexico Connect about terrific scenery in Veracruz State. Just wondering what towns you all consider to have the most spectacular scenery in Mexico with the caveat that these are places you'd enjoy living in? I know there are mountain views over most of the country but what places make you go wow when you go outside? Thanks!


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## TundraGreen

vantexan said:


> ...that are popular with expats? I read on Mexico Connect about terrific scenery in Veracruz State. Just wondering what towns you all consider to have the most spectacular scenery in Mexico with the caveat that these are places you'd enjoy living in? I know there are mountain views over most of the country but what places make you go wow when you go outside? Thanks!


You might look at the list of pueblos magicos. Just google pueblo magico mexico for a list Many of them are mountain towns. Guanajuato is the only one that I know has a substantial number of foreigners. For others, I don't know if there are many foreigners living in them.


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## vantexan

TundraGreen said:


> You might look at the list of pueblos magicos. Just google pueblo magico mexico for a list Many of them are mountain towns. Guanajuato is the only one that I know has a substantial number of foreigners. For others, I don't know if there are many foreigners living in them.


Thanks for the info. I've been looking at places in the Andes, some of which have pretty spectacular settings. Banos, Ecuador, Huaraz, Peru and La Paz, Bolivia to name a few. Obviously the Andes are bigger mountains but the mountains don't have to be huge to have a fantastic setting. Bisbee, AZ comes to mind. Jerome, AZ too. Something like them, affordable, and reasonably close to a bigger town with good markets. I'll check out the Pueblos Magicos. I stumbled across one while reading last night called Tepoztlan that sounds interesting. Thanks again!


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## sparks

Tepoztlan is in a pretty setting but not a lot of room to escape the tourist crowds that arrive from Mexico City and Cuernavaca. Interesting to visit but wouldn't want to live there.

The Patzcuaro area has lots of scenery and room to move around. Check out Lake Zirahuen

If you are in a tight little valley like Tepoztlan the sun goes down early


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## vantexan

Thanks Sparks, good to know. I think I'll settle on Oaxaca and just visit other places. May eventually find something that'll make me want to relocate.


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## conklinwh

Not sure if you are talking Oaxaca state or city. We love Oaxaca City but not sure that I would call scenic mountain town. In fact, if Oaxaca weren't so far from the Texas border, we seriously would have considered moving there. Even with the Norte around Mexico it is at least day & 1/2 to the border. Granted there was earlier post by person that did Puebla to Laredo in one day. If distance to the border not an issue, there are any number of places of interest in the state of Oaxaca.


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## vantexan

conklinwh said:


> Not sure if you are talking Oaxaca state or city. We love Oaxaca City but not sure that I would call scenic mountain town. In fact, if Oaxaca weren't so far from the Texas border, we seriously would have considered moving there. Even with the Norte around Mexico it is at least day & 1/2 to the border. Granted there was earlier post by person that did Puebla to Laredo in one day. If distance to the border not an issue, there are any number of places of interest in the state of Oaxaca.


Defintely the city. I was just curious if such a mountain town existed that had alot of expats. A place close enough to a larger place with good amenities, but exceptionally nice on it's own. Oaxaca has a nice suburb at 6000' called San Felipe del Agua. I think that will do but hey, if retired and can make a choice, why not something exceptional if it exists?


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## conklinwh

Scenic & mountain are sort of in the eye of the beholder. Because of the distance restraint, our focus was the bajio which goes from about 5K to 11K feet. We also wanted some expats but not as many as San Miguel or Lake Chapala. We ended up in one of the "ghost mining towns of the bajio" at some 7k feet. It had 50-70k people 1910 when miners included and now about 4K people with 50 expats and some 300 abandoned mines. We are about 45min from both San Miguel & Queretaro. I don't think where we live is for everybody but for us it really works.


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## vantexan

conklinwh said:


> Scenic & mountain are sort of in the eye of the beholder. Because of the distance restraint, our focus was the bajio which goes from about 5K to 11K feet. We also wanted some expats but not as many as San Miguel or Lake Chapala. We ended up in one of the "ghost mining towns of the bajio" at some 7k feet. It had 50-70k people 1910 when miners included and now about 4K people with 50 expats and some 300 abandoned mines. We are about 45min from both San Miguel & Queretaro. I don't think where we live is for everybody but for us it really works.


That sounds very nice. I like Real de Catorce but at 9000' the winters are pretty intense on driving to Matehuala on that long cobbled road would get old.


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## conklinwh

You are right on two counts-Real de Catorce is great but too remote and too cold which is why we aren't there but it is another of the ghost towns of the bajio.
As I said, we are a more manageable 7000 ft and pretty easy access to most of Mexico.


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## vantexan

Ran across a Pueblo Magico called Zacatlan in Pueblo State that has a terrific setting at edge of large canyon. Has 29,000 population, good infrastructure, not too far from Puebla. And a city, Tehuacan, that's halfway between Puebla and Oaxaca, 240,000, not touristy but nice with Sam's Club, Autozone, a large multiplex theater, seems totally off the radar. And finally Comitan, Chiapas, at over 5100 ft has a pleasant climate. San Cristobal de las Casas gets all the tourists but Comitan might be better for living. Their zocalo has free wi-fi, could see wandering down there every day and reading USA Today on an iPad. I'm sure there are other places worthwhile, and I think my first year might be spent traveling to see a number of them.


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## Hound Dog

We are retirees who have lived in Mexico for about ten years wirth homes in both Ajijic, Jalisco and San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas. We also often visit the Oaxaca Coast and Oaxaca City. When we visit Oaxaca City we usually stay with friends about 20 kilometers out of the city in the Zapoteco town of Teotitlan del Valle which is not in a spectacular setting although very close to some beautiful small mountain towns such as nearby Benito Juarez. I don´t think you would be welcomed as a foreigner to live full time in most of the indigenous villages near Oaxaca but there are some rural communities with fairly substantial foreign expat communities which you could explore while using Oaxaca as a base.

I agree with another poster who said he/she doesn´t think of Oaxaca City as a spectacular mountain town . It certainly has a beautiful historic center with many architectural treasures but it might also prove difficult to find reasonably priced atttractive housing in the historic center.

We moved to San Cristóbal in 2006 to live seasonally in the winter which is the dry season in Chiapas and, when they say rainy season in Chiiapas, they really mean it so keep that in mind. We have maintained a residence on Lake Chapala since 2001 and the climate there at 5,000 feet is undeniably great almost all the time. We definitely did not move part of the year from Lake Chapala because of the weather but because we needed a seasonal escape from the major influence of the large American and Canadian expat retiree community at what is locally known as Lakeside. The Chiapas Highlands provided that escape to say the least and we find the cultural and environmental change stimulating. However, when it comes to a spectacular mountain setting you will find that the only way you can determine what you really like is to vist these places you are thinking of comparing. For instance, the mountain vistas from certain parts of the Chapala Municipality are more spectaclar than the vistas from San Cristóbal at 7,000 feet but when you drive into the surrounding mountains from San Cristóbal you enter some of the most indescibably beautiful spectacular mountain scenery anywhere but this is all territory governed by the indigenous descendants of the Maya and you are not likely to be welcome as a resident or even a tourist if you are not respectful of local customs so if you chose to live in the Chiapas Highlands, you would be wise to locate your residence in an established urban area of, say San Cristóbal or Comitan for instance. 

Before settling on San Cristóbal as a second home base, we considered Oaxaca City but, were frankly put off by the noisy, polluted and frenetic city with traffic bordering on anarchy. We were also unable to find housing that suited us which had to be located in an attractive and more sedate part of the historic center and, at least in 2005, we found a tight real estate market and no residence for sale that we found desireable. That´s just us, however, and many people love Oaxaca City. Give it a try.


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## vantexan

Hound Dog said:


> We are retirees who have lived in Mexico for about ten years wirth homes in both Ajijic, Jalisco and San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas. We also often visit the Oaxaca Coast and Oaxaca City. When we visit Oaxaca City we usually stay with friends about 20 kilometers out of the city in the Zapoteco town of Teotitlan del Valle which is not in a spectacular setting although very close to some beautiful small mountain towns such as nearby Benito Juarez. I don´t think you would be welcomed as a foreigner to live full time in most of the indigenous villages near Oaxaca but there are some rural communities with fairly substantial foreign expat communities which you could explore while using Oaxaca as a base.
> 
> I agree with another poster who said he/she doesn´t think of Oaxaca City as a spectacular mountain town . It certainly has a beautiful historic center with many architectural treasures but it might also prove difficult to find reasonably priced atttractive housing in the historic center.
> 
> We moved to San Cristóbal in 2006 to live seasonally in the winter which is the dry season in Chiapas and, when they say rainy season in Chiiapas, they really mean it so keep that in mind. We have maintained a residence on Lake Chapala since 2001 and the climate there at 5,000 feet is undeniably great almost all the time. We definitely did not move part of the year from Lake Chapala because of the weather but because we needed a seasonal escape from the major influence of the large American and Canadian expat retiree community at what is locally known as Lakeside. The Chiapas Highlands provided that escape to say the least and we find the cultural and environmental change stimulating. However, when it comes to a spectacular mountain setting you will find that the only way you can determine what you really like is to vist these places you are thinking of comparing. For instance, the mountain vistas from certain parts of the Chapala Municipality are more spectaclar than the vistas from San Cristóbal at 7,000 feet but when you drive into the surrounding mountains from San Cristóbal you enter some of the most indescibably beautiful spectacular mountain scenery anywhere but this is all territory governed by the indigenous descendants of the Maya and you are not likely to be welcome as a resident or even a tourist if you are not respectful of local customs so if you chose to live in the Chiapas Highlands, you would be wise to locate your residence in an established urban area of, say San Cristóbal or Comitan for instance.
> 
> Before settling on San Cristóbal as a second home base, we considered Oaxaca City but, were frankly put off by the noisy, polluted and frenetic city with traffic bordering on anarchy. We were also unable to find housing that suited us which had to be located in an attractive and more sedate part of the historic center and, at least in 2005, we found a tight real estate market and no residence for sale that we found desireable. That´s just us, however, and many people love Oaxaca City. Give it a try.


Hi Hound Dog,
I'm the guy who asked what had happened to you recently on Mexconnect's Southern Mexico forum. Most likely I'll initially come down in a small rv and camp in the rv park in San Felipe del Agua outside of Oaxaca. I've seen enough pics and videos of Oaxaca to conclude it's a big city with all that implies but if anything is spectacular about it then it's the Centro. Just seems a good starting point as it has the elements necessary for starting out as an expat who lacks deep pockets, or at least deeper pockets than mine.
I really enjoyed your descriptions of Comitan here and elsewhere. You mentioned La Trinitaria to someone awhile back and you may be the sole authority on that town on the 'net. If I end up in Comitan it's good to know about such options.
Most likely as a victim of this economy I'll go for the most bang for the buck and that appears to be Oaxaca. I find quite a few places further north interesting but I'll either end up in a place with little to offer or one I can't afford if I move up there. Fortunately Southern Mexico has plenty to offer and I want to say thanks for being a great advocate and source of knowledge. If there's one question I would ask it's do you find the highlands of southern Vera Cruz a worthwhile possibility? Curious as to why Orizaba is so affordable. Regards, vantexan


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## Hound Dog

vantexan said:


> Hi Hound Dog,
> I'm the guy who asked what had happened to you recently on Mexconnect's Southern Mexico forum. Most likely I'll initially come down in a small rv and camp in the rv park in San Felipe del Agua outside of Oaxaca. I've seen enough pics and videos of Oaxaca to conclude it's a big city with all that implies but if anything is spectacular about it then it's the Centro. Just seems a good starting point as it has the elements necessary for starting out as an expat who lacks deep pockets, or at least deeper pockets than mine.
> I really enjoyed your descriptions of Comitan here and elsewhere. You mentioned La Trinitaria to someone awhile back and you may be the sole authority on that town on the 'net. If I end up in Comitan it's good to know about such options.
> Most likely as a victim of this economy I'll go for the most bang for the buck and that appears to be Oaxaca. I find quite a few places further north interesting but I'll either end up in a place with little to offer or one I can't afford if I move up there. Fortunately Southern Mexico has plenty to offer and I want to say thanks for being a great advocate and source of knowledge. If there's one question I would ask it's do you find the highlands of southern Vera Cruz a worthwhile possibility? Curious as to why Orizaba is so affordable. Regards, vantexan


Vantexan:

Thanks for You comment on my recent absence from the Mexico Connect Southern Mexico Forum. While I don´t post any longer on Mexico Connect where I, for several years posted comments about our lives here in Chiapas, I do read comments over there on occasion and appreciate your inquiry. You can still go to the archives at Mexico Connect and find many posts I made there over the years since 2002 both originally as "Bubba" and most recently as "Hound Dog". In fact, I was their most prolific poster for maybe nine years and my wife still posts there. As you can see, I still frequently read and post on this forum as well as the Lake Chapala Insider´s Forum and the All Mexico Oracle Forum out of Morelia which has a wider readership than the Chapala forum which concentrates more on happenings at and around Lake Chapala . 

I agree that Oaxaca City is a good starting point for you as you get more acquainted with Southern Mexico and the fact that you can rent in an RV park is a good economic plus which also gives you the flexibility to move on down the road if you become disillusioned with Oaxaca. Remember that, among the reasons we settled on San Cristóbal de Las Casas was the fact that one of our important goals was to buy a home in the old colonial historic district of a southern Mexico city and, in 2005 when we were looking at Oaxaca as an alternative, we really couldn´t achieve our goal there in a very illiquid real estate market in the nicer parts of centro where really charming colonial homes are not that often on the market or at least that was the case in 2005 . San Cristóbal, a charming and mostly tranquil smaller city more readily met our needs and Chiapas is a fascinating place of often great beauty so we chose Chiapas. That doesn´t mean we don´t visit Oaxaca from the coast to the city often since it´s also a fascinating and beautiful place.

As for the cities of Comitan and La Trinitaria in the Chiapas Highlands, you may find that someday they better suit your needs but I think you are wise indeed to start with Oaxaca City as these two Chiapas cities are somewhat isolated and one´s Spanish needs to be really good to keep from being quite isolated in that region. Many Chiapanecos, especially from the capital of Tuxtla Gutierrez, think that Comitan is a better place to live than San Cristóbal but these folks are native Chipanecos and this is their ancestral stomping grounds. That sense of isolation should be mitigated by getting your feet wet in Oaxaca City with its fairly significant expat population and big city cultural advantages.

More later, I have an errand to run.


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## Hound Dog

VanTexan:

Sorry to cut my comments short momentarily but I wanted to get back to you on two issues you brought up I failed to address. That would be the question of why Orizaba is "so affordable" and whether or not the highlands of Southern Veracruz are a worthwhile possibility. When you say Southern Veracruz, I presume you mean from the Orizaba- Cordoba corridor south to the Oaxaca/Tabasco/Chiapas state lines which covers a lot of territory. Ever since we moved to Chiapas in 2006, we have annually spent several days a year in Orizaba and Fortin de Las Flores on our way from Chapala to Chiapas and at one time we considered movng to Fortin and you are correct that it is pretty affordable there but later we decided against that move because we came to dislike the chilly dampness and persistent drear and chipi-chipi in much of Highland Veracruz which is significantly affected by humid breezes blowing in from the Gulf and the northerlies that often bring a winter´s chill to the region. Such cities as Orizaba and Xalapa which can otherwise be attractive places to live in many respects can often become dreary with this Gulf Coastal influence. If, on the other hand, you are talikng about the Southern Veracruz Highlands that abut parts of Oaxaca State, Chiapas and Tabasco, let me know and we can discuss that region.


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## vantexan

Hound Dog said:


> VanTexan:...If, on the other hand, you are talikng about the Southern Veracruz Highlands that abut parts of Oaxaca State, Chiapas and Tabasco, let me know and we can discuss that region.


Thanks for the info. I knew about the chipi-chipis in Xalapa, didn't realize it was common to the entire region. I'm guessing the other regions you mention include Catemaco? I would greatly appreciate hearing about any place you feel would be enjoyable to live in that is affordable. Just saw a video of market day in Coscomatepec, 24 km's north of Fortin. It was made by an American and as he panned around I was struck by the size of the mountain, guessing Pico de Orizaba, that loomed over the town. I would like good scenery, a reasonably mild climate, wi-fi access to the Internet, and to be able to get by without strain on $800 a month, $1000 if that opens up more possibilities. Appreciate it!


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## dongringo

vantexan said:


> Thanks for the info. I knew about the chipi-chipis in Xalapa, didn't realize it was common to the entire region. I'm guessing the other regions you mention include Catemaco?


I don`t think of Catemaco as a mountain town, but yeah, we could qualify for your requirements.

see: http://www.catemaco.info/media/index.html


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## Hound Dog

Vantexan:
Best to converse with dongringo on the Catemaco area or The Tuxtlas. We have visited this area but only on short visits while passing through. As dongringo noted, this is really not a part of the Southern Veracruz Highlands but I believe would be an inexpensive alternative place to set up residence. This is an attractive and hilly region and may be worth your consideration but Catemaco and The Tuxtlas are located near sea level and Orizaba is at about 4,000 feet.. Perhaps dongringo can give you more accurate information. 

I wouldn´t say that chipi-chipi is common to the entire region so I may have mislead you. Xalapa and Orizaba back up to mountainous areas and the moist air from the Gulf tends to back up against the mountainside in those two areas. The same is true in some other places in Northern Veracruz State I believe but I am not very familiar with that area.

By the way, you´d better look into how much independent income you may need to verify to qualify under the new visa rules. I guess you can always come in under the 180 day tourist visa rule but I don´t know what income will be required of you to get an extended visa. Since we are here as permanent residents (the old "inmigrante" card) I haven´t looked into the current rules being proposed at the present time. Maybe someone else can addresss the income issue and I´ll also look into it as that might be a good subject for discussion here.


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## ZTraveler

If you have not been to Xalapa, Veracruz, there are many areas close by that you can get to in day trips which are some of the most beautiful scenic areas in the mountains. You also have a view of Mount Orizaba, which can be had in a day also, but you do best to stay overnight. While in the area of Xalapa, make sure you also visit Xico, and the the Cascada de Texolo, which is the waterfall filmed in the movie "Romancing the Stone." Love it there!


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## vantexan

dongringo said:


> I don`t think of Catemaco as a mountain town, but yeah, we could qualify for your requirements.
> 
> see: catemaco.info Gallery


That's a very well done website, thanks!


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## djenmexico

I'm living in Morelia, the capital of Michoacan. I'm surrounded by mountains. It is a city though, with about 1 million people. Nice escapes aren't too far though, Patzcuaro, as mentioned above is about 30 minutes away. Paricutin is the most beautiful scenic place I've been, and it was on a rainy day! A volcano erupted and buried a little town but it is a lot of fun to hike to the ruins where only a church steeple remains. You can also rent a horse and ride there, it is a tough hike to do but with plenty of water and breaks, totally do-able.


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## vantexan

ZTraveler said:


> If you have not been to Xalapa, Veracruz, there are many areas close by that you can get to in day trips which are some of the most beautiful scenic areas in the mountains. You also have a view of Mount Orizaba, which can be had in a day also, but you do best to stay overnight. While in the area of Xalapa, make sure you also visit Xico, and the the Cascada de Texolo, which is the waterfall filmed in the movie "Romancing the Stone." Love it there!


That I would love to see! I believe "Clear and Present Danger" with Harrison Ford was filmed in the Xalapa area. Was that Coatepec in the fight and helicopter escape scene near the end? "Romancing the Stone" definitely had some gorgeous scenery.


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## vantexan

djenmexico said:


> I'm living in Morelia, the capital of Michoacan. I'm surrounded by mountains. It is a city though, with about 1 million people. Nice escapes aren't too far though, Patzcuaro, as mentioned above is about 30 minutes away. Paricutin is the most beautiful scenic place I've been, and it was on a rainy day! A volcano erupted and buried a little town but it is a lot of fun to hike to the ruins where only a church steeple remains. You can also rent a horse and ride there, it is a tough hike to do but with plenty of water and breaks, totally do-able.


I think when Social Security starts that, along with my $1100 a month pension, I'll have enough to consider places like Morelia. Certainly there are many choices in the Bajio, but I'll be saddled with a strict budget when I come down. Morelia certainly looks nice!


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## vantexan

Hound Dog said:


> Vantexan: By the way, you´d better look into how much independent income you may need to verify to qualify under the new visa rules. I guess you can always come in under the 180 day tourist visa rule but I don´t know what income will be required of you to get an extended visa. Since we are here as permanent residents (the old "inmigrante" card) I haven´t looked into the current rules being proposed at the present time. Maybe someone else can addresss the income issue and I´ll also look into it as that might be a good subject for discussion here.


That's why Comitan, being close to the border, is very attractive to me. Quick border runs to renew my tourist card. What I'm thinking of doing however, since I'll be living in a RV for awhile, is make a little circuit between Oaxaca, San Cristobal, and Catemaco as they have the 3 best RV parks in southern Mexico, at least outside of the Yucatan. Social Security will eventually open up many choices, but that's 12 years from now, so looking for great and yet very affordable places for now.


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## bougainvillea

vantexan said:


> Thanks Sparks, good to know. I think I'll settle on Oaxaca and just visit other places. May eventually find something that'll make me want to relocate.


Since your post is eight or nine months old, it would be interesting to know where you finally settled. Oaxaca wouldn't generally be included in the list of places where the scenery is spectacular. Taxco, yes. The state of Michoacan is often mentioned as the most beautiful state in Mexico, so I'd drive around in that area if I were you. It really IS gorgeous. Have a look at Morelia.


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## stilltraveling

sparks said:


> Tepoztlan is in a pretty setting but not a lot of room to escape the tourist crowds that arrive from Mexico City and Cuernavaca. Interesting to visit but wouldn't want to live there.


I had that impression as well. However, I went on my annual retreat there before my birthday last month and discovered the best kept secret of Tepoztlán...

It's a whole different city on weekdays! I got to know a lot of the locals, by locals I mean lots of Mexican, ****** and European hippies who call the place home. They all hunker down on weekends (or get out of town), so it really is two different places depending on the day of the week.


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## vantexan

bougainvillea said:


> Since your post is eight or nine months old, it would be interesting to know where you finally settled. Oaxaca wouldn't generally be included in the list of places where the scenery is spectacular. Taxco, yes. The state of Michoacan is often mentioned as the most beautiful state in Mexico, so I'd drive around in that area if I were you. It really IS gorgeous. Have a look at Morelia.


A lot of good choices in Mexico but I like Oaxaca primarily for the city itself, cost of living, decent amount of English speakers there. My company will be announcing a buyout soon to reduce costs, will take it if I qualify, which I should. Should by heading south by next year!


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## bimini6

vantexan said:


> ...that are popular with expats? I read on Mexico Connect about terrific scenery in Veracruz State. Just wondering what towns you all consider to have the most spectacular scenery in Mexico with the caveat that these are places you'd enjoy living in? I know there are mountain views over most of the country but what places make you go wow when you go outside? Thanks!



Mazatmitla and Tapalpa are both near Lake Chapala and Guadalajara areas and are beautiful towns in the mountains to visit. You may think you are sitting somewhere like Switzerland when in Mazatmitla. It is on the South side of Lake Chapala and up the mountain about 30 miles. Just beautiful and cool weather.


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## jdan6466

*Bajio??*



conklinwh said:


> Scenic & mountain are sort of in the eye of the beholder. Because of the distance restraint, our focus was the bajio which goes from about 5K to 11K feet. We also wanted some expats but not as many as San Miguel or Lake Chapala. We ended up in one of the "ghost mining towns of the bajio" at some 7k feet. It had 50-70k people 1910 when miners included and now about 4K people with 50 expats and some 300 abandoned mines. We are about 45min from both San Miguel & Queretaro. I don't think where we live is for everybody but for us it really works.


We are trying to find our "place" in Mexico. Please, what is the name of your town? We live in Colorado so like the altitude, cool weather, some expats. Thank you for advice.
Barbara


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## jdan6466

*Patzcuaro Michoacan*

I have "heard" that the drug cartels are in Michoacan. Is that true? and what about Patzcuaro? Is it safe? I would really appreciate some comments. Thank you.
Barbara


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## RVGRINGO

Only those of us who are truly fearless dare to live here. It keeps the population free of timid souls and fraidycats and their whining ways. Of course, we stay inside our walls and only send the women out to shop, enjoy the restaurants, scenic drives, beach trips, concerts and other entertainments that we fearless ones have to miss. They tell us of their adventures and we keep them secret from 'newbies' as a means of maintaining less traffic congestion on the roads. There are enough killings as it is, although not near as many as ten years ago, when we would see many more carcasses along the roads. Now, the farmers seem to take better care of their horses and livestock in order to keep them from being killed by cars. Even the dogs are getting smarter and seem to be losing some of their fearlessness; staying inside, at home and only sending the distaffs out to propagate.
Oh well!


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## circle110

Conklinwh lives in Mineral de Pozos in the state of Guanajuato. It is quite beautiful. My wife and I visited there last month and really enjoyed the town as well as having the pleasure of meeting the genial Mr. and Mrs. Conklinwh. 

PS - I hope you get that Rvgringo's comment is rather heavy on the sarcasm. The reality is that the overwhelming majority of us who reside in Mexico do not live in daily fear at all. I will leave it for folks living in Michoacan to comment on how they feel in regard to safety in that specific location but I have traveled in Michoacan a few times in the last 2 years and didn't feel unsafe.


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## Ken Wood

jdan6466 said:


> I have "heard" that the drug cartels are in Michoacan. Is that true? and what about Patzcuaro? Is it safe? I would really appreciate some comments. Thank you.
> Barbara


We, my Mexican wife and I, live in Querétaro, but have friends scattered all around central Mexico. We are on the road a lot, frequently traveling from Querétaro to Veracruz, Zacatecas, Guadalajara, Morelia, DF, Cuernavaca, Oaxaca, and many points in between. Near Morelia, there is a beautiful small town called Acuitzio, deep in Michoacan. We have many friends here and are frequent visitors. Our route is always Queretaro to Salamanca, Salamanca to Morelia, then Morelia to Acuitzio. Acuitzio is a short, beautiful drive away from Patzcuaro, and we make that drive often also. We have never seen a hint of any kind of trouble on any of our trips. I do believe that there are remote areas inside Michoacan where one does not want to go sneaking around, but, me, being a tourist and a main roads kind of guy, I feel completely comfortable while in Michoacan.


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## Isla Verde

RVGRINGO said:


> Only those of us who are truly fearless dare to live here. It keeps the population free of timid souls and fraidycats and their whining ways. Of course, we stay inside our walls and only send the women out to shop, enjoy the restaurants, scenic drives, beach trips, concerts and other entertainments that we fearless ones have to miss. They tell us of their adventures and we keep them secret from 'newbies' as a means of maintaining less traffic congestion on the roads.


I am a truly fearless woman! I live in in building with no doorman in the middle of big bad Mexico City and am still alive the tell the tale after 5 years of residence.


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## bougainvillea

Patzcuaro is on a lake and is quite humid, if the weather matters. And a little hard to get to.


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## Detailman

RVGRINGO said:


> Only those of us who are truly fearless dare to live here. It keeps the population free of timid souls and fraidycats and their whining ways. Of course, we stay inside our walls and only send the women out to shop, enjoy the restaurants, scenic drives, beach trips, concerts and other entertainments that we fearless ones have to miss. They tell us of their adventures and we keep them secret from 'newbies' as a means of maintaining less traffic congestion on the roads. There are enough killings as it is, although not near as many as ten years ago, when we would see many more carcasses along the roads. Now, the farmers seem to take better care of their horses and livestock in order to keep them from being killed by cars. Even the dogs are getting smarter and seem to be losing some of their fearlessness; staying inside, at home and only sending the distaffs out to propagate.
> Oh well!


I know that your eyesight is failing but as I read your post I visualized you with the biggest twinkle in your eye that I could imagine. Great humour RV.


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## Anonimo

We've been in the Pátzcuaro area 7 years now, and the worst thing that's happened to us is tripping on irregular pavement and falling. Very painful. I don't know anyone of our friends who have had any kind of cartel encounter. But then, I suppose it _could_ happen. One friend did drive back one night past burning vehicles at a _bloqueo_. That was all there was to that. I would have been very frightened.


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## conklinwh

jdan6466 said:


> We are trying to find our "place" in Mexico. Please, what is the name of your town? We live in Colorado so like the altitude, cool weather, some expats. Thank you for advice.
> Barbara


As Circle110 said, we live in Mineral de Pozos. We left today and are in Corpus Christi(no issues BTW). Before we left, we had get together of all the expats presently in town, about 15 of the 25 total.
Great pot luck comida on our mountain enjoying wonderful weather and terrific company.


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## Anonimo

*Relative Humidity*



bougainvillea said:


> Patzcuaro is on a lake and is quite humid, if the weather matters. And a little hard to get to.


Humidity is relative. (Oops! An accidental pun.)

We don't mind some morning fogs in the summer rainy season. Humidity also gives green vegetation a refresher. I will agree, however, that if you favor warm, sunny beaches or cactus studded desert terrain, you may not enjoy Pátzcuaro's cool, moist weather. But it's not like it rains here all the time, all year.

We don't find anything difficult about getting to Pátzcuaro. True, the nearest airports are in Uruapan, about 40 miles away, and the Morelia Airport, at Álvaro Obregón, is about 1 1/2 hours away. But we have good first and executive class bus service to all points, especially to Mexico City (5 hours) although to go to Zihuatanejo, we have to change buses in the Uruapan bus station.

Don't get me wrong. I am not encouraging more ****** expats to move here. We like it just about as it is.


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## bougainvillea

I have driven from one end of Mexico to the other, alone, a couple of times. Most recently (well, not too recently...this was three or four years ago) I drove from San Miguel to Morelia to Patzcuaro to Valle de Bravo and thence to Mexico City, then Cuernavaca and Taxco, then back to Mexico City, San Miguel and back to the States. The other time I drove from Guatemala to the States, when I left Antigua to return to the States. I never have had even a second of trouble in Mexico. On the contrary, I have never found the Mexican people to be anything but kind and helpful, indeed, to go out of their way to assist you. I should add that i speak fluent Spanish and know my way around Mexico very well, having lived there for a couple of years. Just be smart, stick to the toll roads and don't drive at night. Learn Spanish if you don't already speak it. It's extraordinary how many Gringos go to Mexico expecting everyone in this Spanish-speaking country to miraculously speak English.


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## Longford

I'm in Zacatecas this weekend. And all I can say is ... WOW! I've avoided visiting for years, for no particular reason, and I"m sorry I've waited this long. The winters may be a bit cooler than I'd like if I relocated here, but I'd certainly place this on my list of posibilities.


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## RVGRINGO

We loved Zacatecas, but did find it chilly. People are very friendly and it is a beautiful city. However, the altitude is much too high for my ancient lungs, so I can't return. Darn!


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## GARYJ65

I don´t know what kind of scenery mountains you look for, but Queretaro has great mountains as well, look for images of SIERRA GORDA DE QUERETARO on the web and let me know if you like it

Saludos!


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## conklinwh

bougainvillea said:


> Patzcuaro is on a lake and is quite humid, if the weather matters. And a little hard to get to.


I do find Patzcuaro has more moisture than I like and this means a more biting chill at altitude but it is a great place to visit if only for the many side trips.
Not sure that I go for the remoteness part a a divided highway 30 min drive to Morelia with a pretty good airport. Now if they would only finish upgrading the ring road.
Also, it is a very easy drive to the beaches of Trancones, Ixtapa, Zihua & Barra de Potosi.

I keep Patzcuaro as a place where I don't think I'd live but really enjoy visiting.


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## Danpapa

vantexan said:


> Thanks Sparks, good to know. I think I'll settle on Oaxaca and just visit other places. May eventually find something that'll make me want to relocate.


Hi vantexan, I have been to the Andes (Machu Pichu- twice still not sure about the spelling). For beautiful mountain scenery it can't be beat. Keep in mind though that it is a long time to hang in the air and they are still at least 20 years behind anywhere in Mexico. I am also an aficionado of the Pueblos Majicos. You really have to visit them yourself to decide what is best for you. I would break them down into two categories - the dry and the humid. Tepozotlan is dry. Patzcuaro is more humid and generally cooler. My advise - take your time and try as many as you can.


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## sag42

Conklinwh; We were in Pozos a couple of years ago, had lunch at a small hotel, owned by a Texan, niece little town with some beautiful vistas. Is there a real estate market in Mineral de Pozos? Seems like a well located, safe place to live.


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## conklinwh

sag42 said:


> Conklinwh; We were in Pozos a couple of years ago, had lunch at a small hotel, owned by a Texan, niece little town with some beautiful vistas. Is there a real estate market in Mineral de Pozos? Seems like a well located, safe place to live.


Probably two Texans, Dave & Julie Winslow at Posada de las Minas. 
Yes there is a market. There are about 30 expats including part time in a town of about 4000.
Pozos named a Pueblo Magico last year so increased focus.

What is your interest?


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## chicois8

I found this site on another forum and thought it might apply to this thread:
Ranking de Los 100 Pueblos más bonitos de México - Listas en 20minutos.es


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## vantexan

chicois8 said:


> I found this site on another forum and thought it might apply to this thread:
> Ranking de Los 100 Pueblos más bonitos de México - Listas en 20minutos.es


That's a very interesting list but where are Guanajuato and Zacatecas?!!


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## chicois8

vantexan said:


> That's a very interesting list but where are Guanajuato and Zacatecas?!!


Not my list but maybe #'s 101 and 102.......jajajaja


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## Isla Verde

How was this list compiled and by whom?


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## Danpapa

I would have included Guanajuato, Colima and Tlaxcala. Maybe it should be the top 200.


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## citlali

What a strange list. Looks like people voted for their town rather than the prettiest they had seen..


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## Longford

Longford said:


> I'm in Zacatecas this weekend. And all I can say is ... WOW! I've avoided visiting for years, for no particular reason, and I"m sorry I've waited this long. The winters may be a bit cooler than I'd like if I relocated here, but I'd certainly place this on my list of possibilities.



I've been reviewing some of the photos I took in Zacatecas almost a year ago, and thought it would add to the discussion (of Zacatecas) if I posted several.


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## chicois8

Hi Mexico,could you enlarge the photos please.......


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## maxophia

*Scenic Mountains*

Definitely the rain forests of Oaxaca and all through Ciapas. A very underappreciated beautiful part of the world. Hoping it stays thus and does not get ruined. MS


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## Detailman

Longford,

Thanks for the pictures. Those were great.


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## Precisely

*Would love to view this list*



Isla Verde said:


> How was this list compiled and by whom?


Would love to view this list — Hope it isn't too late? Apparently I've missed this list by about 16 months, but it would be new to me, and very much appreciated! 

I am so pleased to have found this community.

Thanks,

Precisely


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## Hound Dog

Pueblos Magicos are all over the place some are nice and some are so so, but nicer that what is around , I guess it is all relative.


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## Precisely

*I may be confused*



Hound Dog said:


> Pueblos Magicos are all over the place some are nice and some are so so, but nicer that what is around , I guess it is all relative.



Hi Hound Dog,

You've got me wondering—when I replied to Isla Verde, I imagined that she was referring to a posted document, separate from this thread, like a Word doc. I have been assiduously reading this thread, and grateful for all the generous info provided. I just thought that I might have missed an embedded list.

I do agree, many different aspects can attribute to a location being magical, of course in many different viewers eyes, and at different times. Right now, I am appreciating my wood stove, stokin' away at 7200 ft in the mountains of Northern New Mexico, and my big stack of split logs semi-buried under a foot of new snow!

Best,
Precisely


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## ojosazules11

Precisely said:


> Would love to view this list — Hope it isn't too late? Apparently I've missed this list by about 16 months, but it would be new to me, and very much appreciated!
> 
> I am so pleased to have found this community.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Precisely


The list can be found by clicking on this link posted by Chicois:


chicois8 said:


> I found this site on another forum and thought it might apply to this thread:
> Ranking de Los 100 Pueblos más bonitos de México - Listas en 20minutos.es


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## vantexan

Precisely said:


> Hi Hound Dog,
> 
> You've got me wondering—when I replied to Isla Verde, I imagined that she was referring to a posted document, separate from this thread, like a Word doc. I have been assiduously reading this thread, and grateful for all the generous info provided. I just thought that I might have missed an embedded list.
> 
> I do agree, many different aspects can attribute to a location being magical, of course in many different viewers eyes, and at different times. Right now, I am appreciating my wood stove, stokin' away at 7200 ft in the mountains of Northern New Mexico, and my big stack of split logs semi-buried under a foot of new snow!
> 
> Best,
> Precisely


If you Google Pueblos Magicos you should find some great info. Wikipedia has them listed with the year they were selected.


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## ojosazules11

sparks said:


> Tepoztlan is in a pretty setting but not a lot of room to escape the tourist crowds that arrive from Mexico City and Cuernavaca. Interesting to visit but wouldn't want to live there.





stilltraveling said:


> I had that impression as well. However, I went on my annual retreat there before my birthday last month and discovered the best kept secret of Tepoztlán...
> 
> It's a whole different city on weekdays! I got to know a lot of the locals, by locals I mean lots of Mexican, ****** and European hippies who call the place home. They all hunker down on weekends (or get out of town), so it really is two different places depending on the day of the week.


Sparks, I say the opposite. Tepoztlan is a great place to live but I wouldn't want to visit there - at least not on the weekends or _días festivos_. That's because on the weekend it becomes so crowded with tourists - mostly Mexicans, but lots of international visitors as well - that as a visitor I think it would be hard to really enjoy and appreciate the town. When you live there, as stilltravelling points out, you can just avoid going to the town centre on those days if you don't particularly love crowds. But the rest of the week it's a wonderful place, beautiful scenery and streetscapes, great climate, gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains, lots of community spirit and pride, wonderful little boutiques, lots of walking/hiking/climbing opportunities, delicious foods in the market, plus the artisan market. 

It also has microclimates, so you can choose your preferred climate by what part of town you live in. We have good friends who love the heat, so they live in a lower part of town. They were hoping we'd buy a _terreno_ next door to them and build there, so we could be next door neighbours. But my husband prefers it a little cooler, so we bought a bit higher up the mountain (still in town) and have spring like temperatures year round. At night at this time of the year it can get cool at our place, but that's perfect, because as we continue to gradually add on to our little house, a fireplace is definitely in the future plans.


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## citlali

That 100 pueblos list is the list of the Pueblos Magicos nothing todo with mountain towns,


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## Precisely

*Thank you SO much!*



ojosazules11 said:


> The list can be found by clicking on this link posted by Chicois:


Hi OjosAzules11,

Thanks so much! I was beginning to wonder if I'd imagined this possibility.

Bueno, 
Precisely


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## Precisely

*Fabulous info!*



vantexan said:


> If you Google Pueblos Magicos you should find some great info. Wikipedia has them listed with the year they were selected.


Thanks, VanTexan.

How are your own scouting expeditions going? Have you found the place (places?) that make you want to take the wheels off the RV, yet? I am so tickled and inspired by your story so far, and wish you great touring.

Best, 
Precisely


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## Precisely

*Thanks to you and ojosazules11*



chicois8 said:


> I found this site on another forum and thought it might apply to this thread:
> [------------------------Ranking de Los 100 Pueblos más bonitos de México - Listas en 20minutos]


Mil gracîas to you, and to ojosazules11, who referred me to this link posted by you. What a helpful way for me to read about different places — just work my way down the list on WikiTravel! 

Thanks so much for posting this,

Best, Precisely


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## vantexan

Precisely said:


> Thanks, VanTexan.
> 
> How are your own scouting expeditions going? Have you found the place (places?) that make you want to take the wheels off the RV, yet? I am so tickled and inspired by your story so far, and wish you great touring.
> 
> Best,
> Precisely


Actually I got married in 2013, we went to San Miguel de Allende but she didn't care for it. Got my old job back, am working in beautiful mountains in SE Arizona. Will get my pension in two years, and am either going to live in a camper in a couple of Mexican cities, or move to Nicaragua. She plans to go back to Kansas City area, we'll see each other a couple times a year, and from there who knows.


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## sparks

ojosazules11 said:


> Sparks, I say the opposite. Tepoztlan is a great place to live but I wouldn't want to visit there - at least not on the weekends or _días festivos_. .


I was going to school 5-6 hours a day in Cuernavaca so weekends were the only free time I had


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## Precisely

*Wow! What a Reply!*



vantexan said:


> Actually I got married in 2013, we went to San Miguel de Allende but she didn't care for it. Got my old job back, am working in beautiful mountains in SE Arizona. Will get my pension in two years, and am either going to live in a camper in a couple of Mexican cities, or move to Nicaragua. She plans to go back to Kansas City area, we'll see each other a couple times a year, and from there who knows.


Hi VanTexan,

What a lot of changes in a seeming short time! I commend your courage and flexibility, and congratulate you with Best Wishes on your marriage. 

Nicaragua, huh? Wow, that's far... have you been there yet? Have you looked at Ecuador, while we're talking about FAR? 

Best, 
Precisely


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