# Moving around Mexico



## Me Linda (Jan 26, 2017)

Staying here in lake Chapala area until I get my perm res card and take spainish classes. It is beautiful here and will be here 6 months, but thinking of moving around to see more of Mexico before settling down. Landlord here has house rented for winter and I have the opportunity to give another area a try for 3 months .Any one here lived in Ensenada? Also looking at puerta Vallarta, playa del Carmel or Quintero. Cost of living here is on the high side in ajijic but anyone's experience in these other areas will be welcome. I am used to hot weather so that not a problem. I have no car and would like to keep it that way. So any suggestions for a 3 month walk about?


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

There is no such thing as hot weather in Ensenada,
Puerto Vallarta and Playa del Carmen high season is in the winter so that is the most expensive time to go there.
Where is Quintero in Mexico?


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## Me Linda (Jan 26, 2017)

That would be Queretaro lol one of the city's I had marked as interesting. Funny I was told hot all year long in Cancun ? Can't stay here , need somewhere to go for a few months. Hate cold weather so was wondering what would fit. Haven't been to Ensenada or Puerta Vallarta for years.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Me Linda said:


> That would be Queretaro lol one of the city's I had marked as interesting. Funny I was told hot all year long in Cancun ? Can't stay here , need somewhere to go for a few months. Hate cold weather so was wondering what would fit. Haven't been to Ensenada or Puerta Vallarta for years.


Queretaro is beautiful and we're in the process of moving there in a matter of weeks. It is almost the same elevation as Guanajuato so based on our experience there, there are about 6-8 weeks of somewhat chilly weather each year, so if that is a major issue for you, you may need to either get out of town from just before Christmas until early February when it gets warm again or else scratch it off your list. The rest of the year is gorgeous but it isn't 52 weeks of awesome weather like Chapala.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

circle110 said:


> Queretaro is beautiful and we're in the process of moving there in a matter of weeks. It is almost the same elevation as Guanajuato so based on our experience there, there are about 6-8 weeks of somewhat chilly weather each year, so if that is a major issue for you, you may need to either get out of town from just before Christmas until early February when it gets warm again or else scratch it off your list. The rest of the year is gorgeous but it isn't 52 weeks of awesome weather like Chapala.


I have some friends who were freezing for months one winter in Queretaro. Their apartment never got about 45 F for a long time. They were from Idaho and used to cold weather, but in Mexico, when it is cold outside, it is cold inside.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

TundraGreen said:


> I have some friends who were freezing for months one winter in Queretaro. Their apartment never got about 45 F for a long time. They were from Idaho and used to cold weather, but in Mexico, when it is cold outside, it is cold inside.


I can almost guarantee that was the winter of 2009-10. It was in January and it broke every record in the history of the Bajio for cold by a long shot. During that stretch we had to sleep in full winter gear under the covers with wool caps on our heads. I hod only seen bed caps in children's stories from 100 years ago! It was a brutal 10 days or so.

But, it was a total freak event. Even on the Mexico/Texas border there was snow -- I forget which city but it was all over the news. Every year after that has been quite mild, nothing even remotely close to that year. They said it was a once in a century cold snap so I guess if you live here for 90 more years you might see something like it again. Outside of that 10 day stretch, our house never got below 60 at night, which is nippy but easily tolerable.

And this was Guanajuato, which is at 6600 feet. Queretaro is at 5900 so it will be warmer in Queretaro than Guanajuato as a general rule.

And on February 15th, like clockwork, it goes back to the mid 70s


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> I have some friends who were freezing for months one winter in Queretaro. Their apartment never got about 45 F for a long time. They were from Idaho and used to cold weather, but in Mexico, when it is cold outside, it is cold inside.


Basically, there's no central heating in Mexico. But you can buy space heaters that make life indoors pleasanter. I have a little one that helps me deal with winter evenings in Mexico City.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

Here in Cancun last winter it got all the way down to 69 a few times in the evening. The locals were wearing down-filled jackets and I was walking around in shirt sleeves trying not to laugh at their shivering. Most of the winter I felt it was warm but comfortable, not hot enough to be hot. Now it's the humid season. 90 degrees for the high isn't so bad, but it gets really sticky during the day time. The locals are sweating as much as I am, so I don't think they're getting their laughs back.

You'll be able to find non-tourist apartments for rent even during the high season in Cancun, and if you can afford $25/day you can find hotels for that if you look for independent boutique hotels in town. Considering you're not paying rent anywhere else, you might just decide $750-$900/month is affordable for a couple of months. If you just show up at a hotel in person and ask for a weekly rate, you'll probably get a decent rate. If not, walk away. 

Playa is, I think, more popular than Cancun now, Cancun is the "old" hot spot, Playa is the "in" spot on the Riviera Maya. So you might have to pay more down there. You can try both, though, you have time to kick around. 

You can get a bus to Cancun, then when you feel like moving on there are a lot of buses down to Playa from Cancun.


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## Me Linda (Jan 26, 2017)

eastwind said:


> Here in Cancun last winter it got all the way down to 69 a few times in the evening. The locals were wearing down-filled jackets and I was walking around in shirt sleeves trying not to laugh at their shivering. Most of the winter I felt it was warm but comfortable, not hot enough to be hot. Now it's the humid season. 90 degrees for the high isn't so bad, but it gets really sticky during the day time. The locals are sweating as much as I am, so I don't think they're getting their laughs back.
> 
> You'll be able to find non-tourist apartments for rent even during the high season in Cancun, and if you can afford $25/day you can find hotels for that if you look for independent boutique hotels in town. Considering you're not paying rent anywhere else, you might just decide $750-$900/month is affordable for a couple of months. If you just show up at a hotel in person and ask for a weekly rate, you'll probably get a decent rate. If not, walk away.
> 
> ...


. Thank you ! That sound great! Weather and all . I don't need a in spot , I really prefer a good mix of people. I need to practice spainish and the gulf water is warm. A few months by the beach and the busy city should be good for a few months.


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## Johnbott (Oct 20, 2012)

You might want to consider Baja Sur it has a little of everything. Cabo for nightlife and choices that tend to be expensive: Todos Santos for Arts and Music and good restaurants: La Paz for a good clean middle class city with beautiful beaches and a vibrant downtown. We have the cormel winds now, so it is still very pleasant and the water is warming up.


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