# Anyone in Tequisquiapan?



## perezl

Going to Mexico soon.... hope to go to check out Queretaro and Tequis. DO you recommend I stay in Queretaro a few nights and make day trip to Tequis. Or I can do the contrary.... Any recommendations? Slowly checking out the country and doing my research for plan to retire in Mexico. Leticia ---CAChicana


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## Anonimo

Stay in Tequis, if that's what you are interested in. Why commute?

OTOH, Querétaro is worth several days' visit also.


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## GARYJ65

Queretaro has many more places to see. Stay in Queretaro and go to Tequisquiapan for a day...perhaps two
Let me know if you come!


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## Howler

perezl said:


> Going to Mexico soon.... hope to go to check out Queretaro and Tequis. DO you recommend I stay in Queretaro a few nights and make day trip to Tequis. Or I can do the contrary.... Any recommendations? Slowly checking out the country and doing my research for plan to retire in Mexico. Leticia ---CAChicana


I don't know much about Tequisquiapan, except it seems to be a developing place about ready to go BOOM! My cuñado y concuña live in Queretaro and love it - but have expressed a desire to build & live in Tequis. It's close to Queretaro, so you'll be okay going from Q to T if you can't find a place to stay in Tequis. It sounds like Queretaro is the place for work, history & entertainment, although it is a nice & safe place to live; while Tequisquiapan will be more of a place for quiet living & residences. 

Enjoy!!


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## GARYJ65

Howler said:


> I don't know much about Tequisquiapan, except it seems to be a developing place about ready to go BOOM! My cuñado y concuña live in Queretaro and love it - but have expressed a desire to build & live in Tequis. It's close to Queretaro, so you'll be okay going from Q to T if you can't find a place to stay in Tequis. It sounds like Queretaro is the place for work, history & entertainment, although it is a nice & safe place to live; while Tequisquiapan will be more of a place for quiet living & residences. Enjoy!!


Tequisquiapan, to my taste is not a place to live, it lacks of many services, stores, amenities
It is more like a place to spend the weekend
It's development has been waaay too slow


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## Howler

GARYJ65 said:


> Tequisquiapan, to my taste is not a place to live, it lacks of many services, stores, amenities
> It is more like a place to spend the weekend
> It's development has been waaay too slow


Hey Gary - I just noticed that you are from Queretaro! My cuñado lives in Colonia Satellites - anywhere close to you? We make a habit of hitting Tio Lalo's Barbacoa whenever we're there on weekends. It would be great to meet up next time we are there, probably in July or August.


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## GARYJ65

Howler said:


> Hey Gary - I just noticed that you are from Queretaro! My cuñado lives in Colonia Satellites - anywhere close to you? We make a habit of hitting Tio Lalo's Barbacoa whenever we're there on weekends. It would be great to meet up next time we are there, probably in July or August.


I live in San Juan del Rio, close enough to Queretaro. Used to live IN Queretaro many years ago. And of course, let me know when you come!


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## mexine

*Tequisquiapan lacks amenities?*



GARYJ65 said:


> Tequisquiapan, to my taste is not a place to live, it lacks of many services, stores, amenities
> It is more like a place to spend the weekend
> It's development has been waaay too slow


No offense, but I'm not really sure what you mean when you say Tequisquiapan lacks amenities. If you mean that it retains its small town charm and is not full of industrial plants like in San Juan del Rio, then I agree. Tequis has plenty of restaurants and shopping for those who want a more leisurely pace in their lives. Even though there are a handful of big-box grocery and appliance stores and a modern cinema, the majority of the stores one sees are typical mom and pop businesses that cater to their neighborhood. I think there's something to be said about a storekeeper who recognizes you as a regular client and welcomes you by name. I, personally, am glad that Tequis has retained its status as a quaint though comfortable place to live. If once a month I need to fill up on paper goods and industrial-sized food packages, I can head to Queretaro or San Juan, but as for the lifestyle in those larger, busier places, we chose to build our home in Tequis for a reason and rarely find it lacking.


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## GARYJ65

mexine said:


> No offense, but I'm not really sure what you mean when you say Tequisquiapan lacks amenities. If you mean that it retains its small town charm and is not full of industrial plants like in San Juan del Rio, then I agree. Tequis has plenty of restaurants and shopping for those who want a more leisurely pace in their lives. Even though there are a handful of big-box grocery and appliance stores and a modern cinema, the majority of the stores one sees are typical mom and pop businesses that cater to their neighborhood. I think there's something to be said about a storekeeper who recognizes you as a regular client and welcomes you by name. I, personally, am glad that Tequis has retained its status as a quaint though comfortable place to live. If once a month I need to fill up on paper goods and industrial-sized food packages, I can head to Queretaro or San Juan, but as for the lifestyle in those larger, busier places, we chose to build our home in Tequis for a reason and rarely find it lacking.


As always, it all depends on who is talking.
Queretaro and San Juan are not large cities to me, they are rather small. Of course Tequisquiapan is smaller, in my opinion it is a nice little town, but not so nice, not so beautiful. It floods badly when it rains a lot, has no cultural anything, no theaters, no galleries, no nothing. But yes, many people live there, I bet they like it, and some hate it and cannot leave. Whatever, it's up to each one. Oh, and no offense either


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## mexine

*a curious response*



GARYJ65 said:


> As always, it all depends on who is talking.
> Queretaro and San Juan are not large cities to me, they are rather small. Of course Tequisquiapan is smaller, in my opinion it is a nice little town, but not so nice, not so beautiful. It floods badly when it rains a lot, has no cultural anything, no theaters, no galleries, no nothing. But yes, many people live there, I bet they like it, and some hate it and cannot leave. Whatever, it's up to each one. Oh, and no offense either


Gary,
I'm a little surprised by your response. You seem to have a particularly strong and negative opinion about Tequisquiapan, and I cannot imagine why. No one has said anything bad about San Juan del Rio and yet you react as if it were some sort of competition over which is the best place to live. To say Tequis has "no cultural anything,...no galleries, no nothing" is pretty harsh. You are absolutely correct in that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but as a North American and Mexican couple who have chosen to live in Tequis, we cannot disagree with your sour outlook. Everyone from el norte who has visited us there has come away pleasantly impressed and this includes Mexicanos we have met who currently live in our U.S. home of San Francisco. In fact, on numerous occasions I have mentioned to Mexican nationals in el D.F. and elsewhere that we have a place in Tequis and almost invariably their reaction is extremely favorable "Tequisquiapan, que bonito!" I'm not claiming it's paradise - far from it, but lots of people find it charming, safe and scenic. Those are pretty positive attributes, especially attractive I would think for the retirees and expats who participate in this forum.


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## GARYJ65

mexine said:


> Gary,
> I'm a little surprised by your response. You seem to have a particularly strong and negative opinion about Tequisquiapan, and I cannot imagine why. No one has said anything bad about San Juan del Rio and yet you react as if it were some sort of competition over which is the best place to live. To say Tequis has "no cultural anything,...no galleries, no nothing" is pretty harsh. You are absolutely correct in that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but as a North American and Mexican couple who have chosen to live in Tequis, we cannot disagree with your sour outlook. Everyone from el norte who has visited us there has come away pleasantly impressed and this includes Mexicanos we have met who currently live in our U.S. home of San Francisco. In fact, on numerous occasions I have mentioned to Mexican nationals in el D.F. and elsewhere that we have a place in Tequis and almost invariably their reaction is extremely favorable "Tequisquiapan, que bonito!" I'm not claiming it's paradise - far from it, but lots of people find it charming, safe and scenic. Those are pretty positive attributes, especially attractive I would think for the retirees and expats who participate in this forum.


Just to not let it as it is. I do have very strong opinions on many things, mine about Tequisquiapan is just because I do not like it very much, I don't find it appealing. If no one has said bad things about San Juan, that is not important here, anyone is welcome to do so, San Juan del Rio is not mine either. you are right, it is not a competition, perhaps if it was, we would choose Vienna.
Tequisquiapan does not have important cultural events, or galleries or museums, if that is too rough, I would not be the one to blame.
Good for you if you like it, and I am very glad your friends, Mexicans and foreigners also enjoy it, it is not an ugly town, I just don't like it much, sorry about that


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## Isla Verde

So, Gary, what are your favorite towns and cities in Mexico, for visiting or for living?


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## GARYJ65

I don't know all Mexico, I like DF, Queretaro, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Veracruz
Within those states, many towns and cities


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## Mexico Bound

I am new to the forum...hope to be moving to the state of Queretaro in a year or so...am wondering about flooding in Tequisquiapan, can anyone give me some input? Thanks Mexico Bound


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## GARYJ65

Mexico Bound said:


> I am new to the forum...hope to be moving to the state of Queretaro in a year or so...am wondering about flooding in Tequisquiapan, can anyone give me some input? Thanks Mexico Bound


Sometimes, when it rains real hard, the "Centenario dam" overflows and parts of Tequisquiapan floods badly
This may happen...almost yearly


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## Mexico Bound

Am wondering what the rent would be for a decent roomy one bedroom apartment wold be in Tequis., Queretaro? Thanks


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## mexine

Mexico Bound,
We are currently in Tequis and can respond to your question regarding flooding. During the few years we have been here we have not seen any significant flooding worth mentioning. Of course with an intense downpour an overloaded drainpipe can overflow but everything drains off quickly and we have not witnessed any sort of damage or major inconvenience of any kind. I asked our neighbors who have been here 20 years or so and the only real issue they knew of happened about 12 years ago as a result of human error. A worker at the dam on the southern edge of town mistakenly opened a floodgate and released water that coursed into the adjacent neighborhood. This is not a regular occurrence and Tequis is not plagued with flooding. For that matter, we were in Queretaro last year during extremely heavy rains and a major street in the old downtown had water a foot deep - hardly reason to stay clear of that beautiful, historic area. In fact, that is one reason we like Tequis so much: it's pretty, calm, and peaceful. Of course there are things to do, but if we feel the need for a booster shot of museum or concert culture we can go to Queretaro, some 40 minutes away. We just had two Californian friends visit and they enjoyed it a lot. They are scouting out a retirement spot and sampling various towns and cities around the country. So far, Tequisquiapan ranks near the top of their list. 
I wish you luck in your search. Feel free to write with any other questions or concerns.


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## CAchicana

*Tequisquiapan, MX*

Just thought I would finish this thread, since I started it with my big question in 2012. I finally made it to Tequisquiapan. The purpose was to see if it was a potential city to settle in after retirement (or at least for a while). I went this summer and actually decided to stay both in Queretaro and in Tequis. Loved both. BOth cities are still potential places to see as 1) to purchase home and 2) live there for at least a while. My husband is from D.F. originally and I am from California (last 30 years in Bay Area). After 3 days in Queretaro and 2 days in Tequis, we see Queretaro as a major art center and great food. Great for shopping and receiving guests from USA and D.F. But Tequisquiapan we saw as a more hassle free, relaxed environment. THis was a little bit more attractive since we could easily make trips to Queretaro whenever we felt like it...only 1 hr. away! San Miguel de Allende is also only one hour away. D.F. only 2 hours away! Everything was easier. Would definitely want a car if I moved to Tequis, but we were both attracted to the sense of community there, the neighboring cities, its charm, and easier life. We were too busy to check out the restaurants in both cities, but we noticed a lot of good restaurants in both cities. Thank you everyone for your input. Our plan is to spend more time in our top 3 (at this time): San Miguel de Allende, Tequisquiapan and Queretaro. I think Guadalajara is off our list now (too big, hot, spread out, and not too charming). I prefer the idea of D.F. over Guadalajara. Making progresss with our research!!


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## theabroma

Quétarro is central, vital, stunning, historical, and modern. There are universities, a booming tech sector, bookstores, excellent food, wonderful mercado, great pastries, coffee, and ... ice cream (it is impressive). Tequis is fun, especially during the Wine & Cheese whingding in the late spring, but there are other wonderful historical sites, natural areas, and cultural things to visit and learn about. I drove through on my way back to Texas - and wound up staying a week because I found it to be such a treat. I study Mexican regional cooking, and I realized at breakfast the first morning while contemplating the array of salsas laid down on my table that this is the point where the ubiquituous dark, brick-red, spicy salsas from Veracruz to Puebla based in chile chipotle meet the fire engine-red, hot chile de árbol salsas of Northern Mexico and the Frontera. It turned out to be a meeting point for Northern and Southeastern foods in general. Live in Qto, visit Tequis.


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## GARYJ65

theabroma said:


> Quétarro is central, vital, stunning, historical, and modern. There are universities, a booming tech sector, bookstores, excellent food, wonderful mercado, great pastries, coffee, and ... ice cream (it is impressive). Tequis is fun, especially during the Wine & Cheese whingding in the late spring, but there are other wonderful historical sites, natural areas, and cultural things to visit and learn about. I drove through on my way back to Texas - and wound up staying a week because I found it to be such a treat. I study Mexican regional cooking, and I realized at breakfast the first morning while contemplating the array of salsas laid down on my table that this is the point where the ubiquituous dark, brick-red, spicy salsas from Veracruz to Puebla based in chile chipotle meet the fire engine-red, hot chile de árbol salsas of Northern Mexico and the Frontera. It turned out to be a meeting point for Northern and Southeastern foods in general. Live in Qto, visit Tequis.


I am so glad you liked Queretaro (Qro) so much, did you try the enchiladas Queretanas?


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## theabroma

Well, yes; however, the interpretations of "enchiladas queretanas" can vary a bit, so I am not sure of the nature of the preparation which you have been served.


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## Oliver69

*Another opinion on Tequisquiapan*

Hello,

I just wanted to give my personal opinion about Tequisquiapan if anybody is interested. I live in Mexico City and am about to get a weekend home in Tequisquiapan. I´ve been visiting Tequis about 3 - 4 times a year for the last 10 years or so and everytime I went I liked it more. It is a very quiet, relaxed typical mexican town, which can get pretty busy on the weekends because of visitors from Queretaro and Mexico City. I consider it the perfect weekend getaway for me. I love Mexico City ... but sometimes it is getting overwhelming and one just wants to get out.

I really cannot see how anybody could dislike Tequisquiapan. It has a beautiful little downtown with typical mexican flair. It has a few decent restaurants and it is very walkable / pedestrian friendly (if you live near the center of town). It has all the amenities you could ask for... a big supermarket, markets, movie theatre, restaurants, wine bars, even a golf club... and I feel that the offer is constantly growing. If that is not enough there are bigger shops (home depot, Walmart etc.) in San Juan del Rio, aprox. 20 minutes drive from Tequis. San Juan del Rio is bigger, more industrial and in my opinion doesn´t have much to offer besides the shopping. 

There are a few wineries nearby Tequisquapan and the beautiful town of Bernal. It is also the enty way to the "Sierra Gorda", a beautiful mountain area. 

If you are looking for a lot of culture, theaters, high end restaurants, museums etc. then Tequisquiapan certainly is not for you, but neither is Queretaro. I you are looking for a small, walkable and beautiful mexican town, surrounded by beautiful nature, then you should take a look at Tequis. 

For me the perfect combination is living in Mexico City with a weekend home in Tequisquiapan to escape the big city once in a while. But I could see myself doing it the other way arround in a few years as well. Living in quiet Tequisquiapan and going to Mexico City when I am in need of more action and Culture.

Personally between Queretaro and Tequisquiapan I would choose Tequisquiapan. Queretaro hasn´t that much more to offer culturewise, but is growing too fast, too much traffic, too spread out... 

Just my personal opinion on things. Let me know if you have questions.


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## Gatos

Ya know - perhaps once or twice a year someone blasts emails to all the owners in our Fracc. regarding Tequisquiapan - offering special discounts. This feels like something similar.


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## Oliver69

Gatos said:


> Ya know - perhaps once or twice a year someone blasts emails to all the owners in our Fracc. regarding Tequisquiapan - offering special discounts. This feels like something similar.


Querido Gatos, thank you for this informative comment and for the warm welcoming to the forum. Please let all your neighbours know that they don´t have to read my post as they already received the emails.

Just if anybody cares, I am not in the real estate business, nor do I have any commercial interest in Tequisquiapan. I am just a german guy living in Mexico City and happen to like Tequisquiapan a lot. I stumbeled about this threat looking for more information about Tequis and thought I would post my personal opinion. Not more not less to it.


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## Isla Verde

Oliver69 said:


> Querido Gatos, thank you for this informative comment and for the warm welcoming to the forum. Please let all your neighbours know that they don´t have to read my post as they already received the emails.
> 
> Just if anybody cares, I am not in the real estate business, nor do I have any commercial interest in Tequisquiapan. I am just a german guy living in Mexico City and happen to like Tequisquiapan a lot. I stumbeled about this threat looking for more information about Tequis and thought I would post my personal opinion. Not more not less to it.


And we thank you for your contribution to the forum!


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## Gatos

Oliver69 said:


> Querido Gatos, thank you for this informative comment and for the warm welcoming to the forum. Please let all your neighbours know that they don´t have to read my post as they already received the emails.
> 
> Just if anybody cares, I am not in the real estate business, nor do I have any commercial interest in Tequisquiapan. I am just a german guy living in Mexico City and happen to like Tequisquiapan a lot. I stumbeled about this threat looking for more information about Tequis and thought I would post my personal opinion. Not more not less to it.


In the spirit of honesty - I went through my old emails and the solicitations we receive are for a place called Valle de Bravo outside Toluca.

But - fwiw - your post did feel similar - to me.


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## TurtleToo

Isla Verde said:


> And we thank you for your contribution to the forum!


Agreed! And welcome to the forum, Oliver!

.


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## Oliver69

Gatos said:


> In the spirit of honesty - I went through my old emails and the solicitations we receive are for a place called Valle de Bravo outside Toluca.
> 
> But - fwiw - your post did feel similar - to me.


Thanks for your honesty Gatos. Maybe I should dedicate myself to internet marketing  No bad feelings.


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