# Would like to retire in Mexico



## kakh (Apr 4, 2010)

I am interested in retiring to Mexico, although it won't be until 10 years from now. I am interested in knowing the locations in Mexico with the largest expat populations, particularly waterfront, but am looking for an inexpensive location (not really a resort area).


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

The 1st real decision that you need make is beach, I'm assuming salt water, or not. The coasts tend to be very hot and humid in the summer so a lot of people opt to be 4-6 hours from the beach with milder weather. Since it seems that you live in Arizona hot summers probably not an issue but humidity might be. If you opt to be 4-6 hours, there are sizable expat populations in the Lake Chapala area, San Miguel de Allende, Patzcuaro and Oaxaca City. If you really want the beach but not resort areas, good places seem to be the Progreso area north of Merida, Trancones north of Ixtapa, Sayulita north of Puerto Vallarta, and parts of the Oaxacan cost and parts of the Mayan Riviera.
Expect that you probably have more specific delimeters. Always best to try a few places.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

10 years gives you plenty of time to study and visit. My first choice would be the coasts of Colima/Jalisco/Nayarit. Grab a map and start Googling the locations you find from Tepic to Manzanillo. Lots of info and message boards on that area.

If heat and humidity might be an issue hop a plane to Vallarta in the summer (Aug/Sep) and travel the coast for two weeks by bus. If the Florida like summers on the coast don't agree make your next trip to Guadalajara and visit inland areas from there


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

The suggestion to start visiting, especially multiple seasons, is a critical point. There are an amazing set of options in Mexico depending on your interests and circumstances. Our was pretty clear in that my wife is a painter and I'm into history. We are also not beach people so being in the historic colonial highlands in an artist community 4-6 hours from the beach works well. Especially on days like these where we wake up to an almost unlimited vista of 100+ year old mine ruins and the Sierra Gorda mountains.


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## AJ_DXB (Apr 4, 2010)

Sounds interseting but why mexico in the first place? have you seen a location you liked perviously or visited before?


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## kakh (Apr 4, 2010)

*Retire to Mexico*



conklinwh said:


> The 1st real decision that you need make is beach, I'm assuming salt water, or not. The coasts tend to be very hot and humid in the summer so a lot of people opt to be 4-6 hours from the beach with milder weather. Since it seems that you live in Arizona hot summers probably not an issue but humidity might be. If you opt to be 4-6 hours, there are sizable expat populations in the Lake Chapala area, San Miguel de Allende, Patzcuaro and Oaxaca City. If you really want the beach but not resort areas, good places seem to be the Progreso area north of Merida, Trancones north of Ixtapa, Sayulita north of Puerto Vallarta, and parts of the Oaxacan cost and parts of the Mayan Riviera.
> Expect that you probably have more specific delimeters. Always best to try a few places.



Thank you for your reply. We are really interested in the Caribbean side of Mexico around Playa de Carmen area or similar.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

I answered your other Playa del Carmen post but if you are serious about there you need spend time in both the summer to see the heat and humidity and in winter to experience the crowds as Playa is the 2nd largest resort area on the Yucatan after Cancun.


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## freeda (Dec 20, 2008)

We just got home from our first exploratory visit to Ajijic/Chapala/Guadalajara. There's art, water, mountains.. it was really great.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

There's water and then there's the beach. Great you had a successful look see. Mexico has a lot of wonderful communities to explore and decide what works best, or not.


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## freeda (Dec 20, 2008)

True enough! I like the look of water, but don't care for the true sandy beach experience or salt water! Diff'rent strokes...


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

I'm glad that you enjoyed your visit and I was very happy to meet you both. Come back soon.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

Freeda, I can certainly identify with "diff'rent strokes"!
We live almost 8000 feet up surrounded by the ruins of 100+ year old mining complexes about a 10 min walk to a town of 3000 that had between 50,000 and 75,000 in 1900 and was one of the richest towns in Mexico.
The vistas are incredible but no water!


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## phredo (Aug 15, 2009)

*Like to learn more about Mineral*



conklinwh said:


> The suggestion to start visiting, especially multiple seasons, is a critical point. There are an amazing set of options in Mexico depending on your interests and circumstances. Our was pretty clear in that my wife is a painter and I'm into history. We are also not beach people so being in the historic colonial highlands in an artist community 4-6 hours from the beach works well. Especially on days like these where we wake up to an almost unlimited vista of 100+ year old mine ruins and the Sierra Gorda mountains.


Is there a good website or two you could recommend about where you live? How many total population? How many foreign residents? Would you say it's very expensive, because sometimes "artist communities" tend to be a bit chi-chi? How's the water situation and other infrastructure. Just a few questions.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

There is significant material on Mineral de Pozos on line. There is also a Mineral de Pozos website that talks about the various amenities although it is about to be redone. I also wrote an article "Mineral de Pozos:Magical Tranquility" that will come up if you google Mineral de Pozos.
Mineral de Pozos has been called one of the 4 ghost towns of the bajio because it was so rich and famous over a hundred years ago but dropped to 200 in the 1950's from 50,000-75,000 in 1900. It started back about 20 years ago when the then Mexican President recognized it as a national treasure. Because of this some 80-90% of the tourists here are Mexican from all across the country. 
We now have about 3,000 people. Of that 20 are permanent expats, 30 more are like us in that we have a place and spend 6+ months here. Another 20 or so expats own land but haven't yet built.
This makes for a very interesting set of dynamics as people come and go throughout the year so nothing gets stale. 
Pozos was named by International Magazine as a place that you can live very well on $1200/month. With our house and traveling as well as a lot of help and eating out, we spend about double that. 
The utilities have gotten much better. We are now tied into the San Luis de la Paz water supply and one of the local hotel owners said that for the 1st time he didn't need water delivered during Semana Santa. You will still want a cistern. By the way, I pay $90/year for water. 
There is plenty of power with all the new substations along highway 57 but there are still some outages, although much less, due to infrastructure. They are presently working to bury the electric lines as part of the requirement for Pueblo Magico so that will help
Our biggest issue is high speed internet. Telmex keeps threatening but not yet. Today you either need satellite or 3G and the latter acts more like 2G.
Pozos is a great place in a terrific location. You can be a hermit or go out every night.
Let me know if you would like more.


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## ruminator (Mar 2, 2010)

you might want to consider the downsides of the Playa area as we considered these when we recently purchased a home in Cabo. Playa is great but much hotter and more humid than the desert beaches of Cabo. Also, the yearly threat of hurricanes/storms worried us as we looked for property. The Baja has only a fraction of these storms. The nearby town of San Jose makes Cabo desireable because as I say to people, you can retire with the Jennifer Aniston's of the world in Cabo or with the normal people in San Jose just a few miles away.


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## phredo (Aug 15, 2009)

conklinwh said:


> .... Pozos is a great place in a terrific location. You can be a hermit or go out every night.
> Let me know if you would like more.


Thanks for the extensive depiction. It should hold me for a while. Sounds like a nice place. I just came to hear about Pozos recently while looking up something about Guanajuato. Then I watched a Mexican film (can't remember the name off hand), a dark comedy about a family of well to do Mexicans, mostly female, who typically murdered their husbands after a while, and the grande dame of the family, which was mostly Mexico City based, had a home in Pozos. So I'm not surprised that you write that there is much Mexican tourism there.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

I neglected to mention that the only thing "chi-chi" about Pozos is the Chichimeca reservation just out side of town. They are really great for Pozos as they have a significant pre-hispanic musical tradition and there are multiple shops and a number of concerts throughout the year.
In fact the Chichimeca(actually Pames & Janes as Chichimeca is a term used by the Aztecs for them as they wouldn't stand and be killed) are the initial reason for Pozos as they used to attack silver caravans and the Spanish established an outpost for protection.


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## Tucson (Oct 30, 2010)

Kahk, we are also from Arizona and have called SE Mexico (Q. Roo state) our second home for 6+ years. We fell in love with the warm Caribbean waters and the Mayan culture. Cancun is way too big and crowded but PDC is a very good half-way point between big city life and laid back rural existance. We've been there off and on, during the best and worst of what nature has to offer. The tropics feels good to some of us!

As you consider possibilities in Q. Roo, you may want to add Tulum to your list. It is home to wonderful ruins and a growing English-speaking population. A half-way point between PDC and Tulum would be Puerto Aventuras, a 22 year-old gated community of condos, homes, a few hotels, dolphin pools, restaurants, shops, beautiful white sand beaches, and a thriving marina selling fresh fish from fishing boats or other enterprises offering cruises or day trips to any number of places. Housing prices are lower, we found, than in PDC. At least it was 6 years ago. 

We do not drive in Mexico and find we can take the ADO bus from the Cancun airport to PDC and, from there, either take the Collectivo public trasportation to P.A. (ADO bus is $106 pesos from the airport to PDC and the Collectivo is $20 pesos from PDC to P.A. Or you can take a taxi from PDC to P.A. for $15 US dollars (good to do when you have shopping bags and can't take the Collectivo). 

PDC, as you probably have come to find out, has a major ADO bus terminal there and you can catch a bus to anywhere in Mexico that your heart desires. With all the great historical sites and ruins, that would keep most travelers busy for years.

Another location on the Yucatan peninsula with large ex pat populations is Merida (state of Yucatan). It is a Spanish colonial type of town, fairly close to the beach (but not the Caribbean), and it has its own airport.

We plan on taking a day trip to Merida and staying at a bed and breakfast, just to see the beautiful architucture and have a different experience. Besst of luck on your search.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Tucson said:


> We do not drive in Mexico and find we can take the ADO bus from the Cancun airport to PDC and, from there, either take the Collectivo public trasportation to P.A. (ADO bus is $106 pesos from the airport to PDC and the Collectivo is $20 pesos from PDC to P.A. Or you can take a taxi from PDC to P.A. for $15 US dollars (good to do when you have shopping bags and can't take the Collectivo).


Just a note on bus fares for those over 60...
You can obtain an ID card from INAPAM (Instituto Nacional de las Personas Adultas Mayores) that gives you a 50% discount on intercity bus fares. It is also good for free or reduced fee entry into many museums, free access to the Metro in Mexico City, a small discount on drugs in drugstores, near half price tickets to movie theaters, etc. The senior citizen discount in Mexico is much better than in the US. The card can be obtained fairly easily at any INAPAM office or at many DIF (Desarollo Integral de la Familia) offices. The documentation required to obtain an INAPAM card varies depending on the office, but usually includes some subset of copies and originals of your visa, passport, maybe birth certificate, proof of address, and passport photo.

Memo


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## Tucson (Oct 30, 2010)

Thanks for sharing the info on INAPAM!!! A quick look at requirements online makes me think it is offered to full-time residents only (not us part-timers). It certainly is worth researching further since we do plan on traveling to other cities for visits by using the ADO bus.

Muchas gracias!


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

That's true. The DIF and INAPAM (state/federal) cards are for residents, not tourists. Non-citizens must show no-inmigrante or inmigrante credentials, proof of address, and other documents.


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## Tucson (Oct 30, 2010)

Even though in Mexico we pay property tax on the property we own and have various utilities in our name, it seems like we'd have a problem meeting the requirements for being a 'resident'. Any authorities looking at the passport of the applicant could figure out who is (and is not) a real resident. To qualify as a resident of Mexico, how long do you have to reside in Mexico during a calendar year? Just curious. Thanks.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Tucson said:


> Even though in Mexico we pay property tax on the property we own and have various utilities in our name, it seems like we'd have a problem meeting the requirements for being a 'resident'. Any authorities looking at the passport of the applicant could figure out who is (and is not) a real resident. To qualify as a resident of Mexico, how long do you have to reside in Mexico during a calendar year? Just curious. Thanks.


If you have a no-inmigrante (former FM-3) visa or an inmigrante (former FM-2) visa, you can get an INAPAM card. It doesn't matter how much time you spend here. Probably not possible to get one with a 180 day Tourist visa. I have heard of extranjeros (non-citizens) having trouble at some offices. As is often the case here, local offices sometimes have their own interpretation of the rules.

Memo


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## abscissa (Apr 5, 2010)

kakh said:


> I am interested in retiring to Mexico, although it won't be until 10 years from now. I am interested in knowing the locations in Mexico with the largest expat populations, particularly waterfront, but am looking for an inexpensive location (not really a resort area).


Check out Progreso area (west of Cancun). You can get a beach front casa for a resonable price (some under 100k). There are lot of rentals availible in the area. Merida is close by for all your big box stores and entertainment.

This area doesn't have a large expat populations ... but there are quite a few and it's not a resort area.


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## jbennet (Nov 4, 2010)

I definitely recommend making a list of a few locations and visit them often over the new few years this way you'll get a great feel if this is where you want to live.

Good luck!


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## Bgarza2003 (Mar 25, 2013)

I am just starting my research on retiring in Mexico. 

I want a place that has nice weather. I live in Brownsville Tx, so we don't really have a winter. Our Summer does get in the high 90 - 100s, so I could do without that.

Don't really need to be by the beach but a place with mountains and lakes would be nice.

Safety is a big issue as I am single and don't know if any of my adult children would want to go with me. My daughter is in her early 20s and she says she will go, so then therer has to be things that she would enjoy as well.

I have heard alot about San Miguel de Allende, and Aguascalientes. I have not visited, but by research thos would be two of my top choices.

Please give me some input. Anybody from the US living in one of these areas. Tell me how it is, do you like it.

How much would I need to live comfortable. Safe secure neighborhood, gated community preferred. Live in housekeeper would also be nice. High speed internet a must.

Bea Garza


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## Tucson (Oct 30, 2010)

Bgarza2003 said:


> I am just starting my research on retiring in Mexico.
> 
> Safety is a big issue as I am single and don't know if any of my adult children would want to go with me. My daughter is in her early 20s and she says she will go, so then therer has to be things that she would enjoy as well.
> 
> ...


Safety is a very big concern (in al lof Mexico) and you can really learn a lot by checking out news reports from those communities via internet searches. My community is in the state of Quintana Roo (not any of your target communities) but I did a little non-Q. Roo searching for safety and crime recently, just to learn more about the area of Lake Chapala in general.

The more informed you are, the better your decision-making will be. Try putting in a place name and then folowing it with "crime".

Best of luck with your Mexico searches and finding that perfect place to call home. Mexico is diverse: geography, climate, the population that make up the different areas, and the food all have their own flavor.

From our 7 1/2 year experience of living part-time in Mexico, we have found that generally food is fresher, it is less dependent upon frozen or packaged items, and the cost of food is cheaper than in the US. 

I'd probably suggest checking out a B&B in your target communities and talking with your hosts while you are there. Most often, the B&B hosts are ex pats themselves with a lot of info to share.


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## Bgarza2003 (Mar 25, 2013)

Hummmm good idea, thanks.. Hadn't thought about the Bed n Breakfast. I will definately keep that in mind.

Bea


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Bgarza2003 said:


> I have heard alot about San Miguel de Allende, and Aguascalientes. I have not visited, but by research thos would be two of my top choices.
> 
> Please give me some input. Anybody from the US living in one of these areas. Tell me how it is, do you like it.


It's been suggested in response to other comments of yours in a different discussion thread, that the opinions of others can be helpful only to a point. Once you develop a short list of possible relocation spots, it would be best if you visited each to see, first-hand, which appealed to you most. You might stay in each place 2 or 3 months before making a decision. Of course, you shouldn't buy anything until after you've lived someplace in Mexico for at least a year ... that's my advice.


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## Bgarza2003 (Mar 25, 2013)

How would I go about getting a place to live? Should I stay at a B&B while I look for something locally? I would also like a place where the cost of living is low. I imagine the more Americans a place have the more expensive it is. Lanuage is not a problem, as I am fluent in both English and Spanish.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

_


conklinwh said:



There's water and then there's the beach. Great you had a successful look see. Mexico has a lot of wonderful communities to explore and decide what works best, or not.

Click to expand...

_Well, now, where there is a body of water, whether the sea or a lake, an estuary or or you name it, there is a beach. It is all according to what you seek.

Dawg used to live on Mobile Bay and on San Francisco Bay , both of which are technically estuaries and often strolled on the beaches there but also drove down to the Gulf beaches of the Alabama coast or the Pacific beaches of the California coast. I now live part of each year in the Ajijic delegacion of the municipio of Chapala on Lake Chapala and walk on miles of deserted beaches with my five pooches just about every day when I am there. The rest of the year I live in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas where there is no beach and I must walk my pooches on city streets or in that part of the surrounding countryside open to public access which is surprisingly limited so I am accutely aware of the importance of beachside living. Which beach you choose has everything to do with what you are looking for . The advantage of the beach where I live at lake Chapala is that it is mostly deserted and primarily hard packed clay with numerous trails and even dirt roads available for dog strolling without the dual hindrances of soft, deep sand or crowds of other people my big old mastinos and bothersome xoloitzquintlies might annoy. It also has the advantage of being at an elevation of 5,000 feet so has a marvelous spring like climate nearly every day of the year with reasonable hunidity levels. In contrast, the beaches on the sea in Alabama and California were composed of soft, deep sand making walking more difficult and the climates were hot or cold and humid or foggy respectively. However, walking next to the sea on those seaside beaches was a bit more exciting than walking adjacent to a murky lake. Everything is a tradeoff.

If I were to choose a seaside beach in Mexico upon which to live, I would choose among
Tulum, Quintana Roo
Bahias de Huatulco, Oaxaca
Somewhere on the Gulf Coast of Yucatan State between Chicxulub and Isla Holbox.

If I were to choose among lakeside beaches besides Lake Chapala. they would be
Laguna Bacalar, Quintana Roo 
Lago de Patzcuaro, Michoacan
I would say Lagos de Montebello, Chiapas which is a spectacularly beautiful and colorful chain of lakes but they are in a national park and lack adequate beaches so that will not do.

That is about it for me although I am curious as to the attractions of La Paz and San Jose Del Cabo in Baja California Sur. Maybe someone can enlignten us on those places for beachcombing.


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## Tucson (Oct 30, 2010)

Bgarza2003 said:


> How would I go about getting a place to live? Should I stay at a B&B while I look for something locally? I would also like a place where the cost of living is low. I imagine the more Americans a place have the more expensive it is. Lanuage is not a problem, as I am fluent in both English and Spanish.


You are so ahead of the challenge, being able to speak Spanish. Many of us (after too many years, sadly) are still a work in progress.

First question that comes to mind concerns your having found a community or a geographic area that you think you would like to call "home". If you have (and, again, congratulations for such progress), you might consider contacting some B&B's and asking if they have reduced rates for longer stays. You just might decide that you want to experience a few different locations and you would need the ability to up and go to the next location.

If it is the Lake Chapala region, this forum seems to have many people from that area. Other communities are represented here, too, but that one comes to mind (I guess because of the community online newspaper stories that have stuck in my mind).

If and when you decide on a B&B, why not ask some B&B owners questions by e-mail about the rental market in general and any suggestions they could make to you to suggest long-term rentals. In all of our B&B experiences all over the place, we've found the hosts always helpful and excellent sources of information.

Maybe start by googling for B&B in the community you are most interested in right now (with the thoughts that could and probably will change down the road). I haven't looked yet, but do you think the "VRBO" website might show you some possible listings for your target area?

Food is relatively inexpensive in Mexico (emphasis on fresh and not too much on frozen or packaged, like we are used to back home in the US) and, if you can find Farmer's Markets, you can do very well. Fish and chicken are generally available at reasonable prices (or so it is our experience in the state of Quintana Roo). Even in communities with large ex pat populations, prices for basics are not inflated like they often are in the restaurants. Again, I am just going by our own experiences here. 

Best wishes for finding your little piece of paradise!


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