Villa 1927 Chapala

It took two years to get all the permits needed to renovate this amazing family hacienda into a top of the line hotel on the Chapala Malecon.  Our bed had quality linens, air conditioning, and a huge bathroom with tub and shower. Take a TAXI for only 500 pesos, or $35 US from the Guad airport and arrive within 45 minutes into this exquisite hotel. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. Put your bags down, and walk right out on the malecon and stroll a mile of restaurants, city hall, cafes, banks, and maybe take a boat ride out to Scorpion Island. You will hear birds chirping, kids laughing, and dog walkers chatting about the best places to eat. You can book this online for the best rates. Walk out the front door and catch a bus to Centro Laguna to catch a movie, enjoy a Trip's Burger, or a Subway

sandwich. Get your pedicure at Christine's Salon, go to the casino, or shop at Wal-Mart. Walk down the street past the Church and grab a fresh Gelato, go to the Beer Garden and catch a sunset while they make up fresh guacamole at your table. Walk to Paris Cafe for the best cappuccino, or to the sister hotel in Chapala called the San Francisco Hotel for a meal on the veranda. Walk all the way down the malecon and enjoy the shops along the water, or have a margarita at a variety of places. We enjoy Alberto's California Cafe, El Kafe, or Paris Cafe in Chapala. Take a bus to Ajijic and stroll their malecon and shop till you drop down Colon street. Mike and I booked a room for on July 4, 2019 to celebrate the published book "Biblia Compacta" in Spanish. The hotel staff is great and they will strive to make your stay perfect. When you book make a note about birthday, anniversary, or special occasion and they will make it memorable. Perhaps a FIRST NITE stay at Villa 1927 to get your footing in Chapala. The street traffic is a bit noisy for a long stay. Travel to La Floresta and book a room at Real de Chapala. Take a taxi to San Juan Cosala and spoil yourself with a spa treatment at the Monte Coxala Spa! While in Chapala walk to Christina Park, visit the old Train Station which is at the end of the park. It hosts free musical events. Pick up a free local paper called the "El Ojo" magazine and view all the events coming up. Hotels.com collect nites. Hotel Villa 1927 Chapala

Mezcala

The Mexican Revolution is celebrated every September 16th. People from all over Mexico flock to the small fishing village of Mezcala. We live in San Nicolas de Ibarra and Mezcala is only 7 miles up the road past Vista Del Lago and San Juan Tecomatlan.  You just pull into town and go to the town square and in front of the church you will find a museum. Book a guide and he will take you by a fishing boat (250 pesos) out to see the famous fort on the island of Mezcala which can be seen in the photo posted.  HISTORY of MEZCALA: From 1812 to 1816, a small band of Mexican rebels or insurgents on the island held off the Spanish army and navy against overwhelming odds. Tired of the humiliation, the Spanish finally negotiated a peaceful surrender with the insurgents. Later the island served as a Spanish prison for many years. There is a Ceremonial precinct where indigenous structures and hieroglyphics existed on the island before the fortifications were built, there are still traces remaining. Now the ruins are being catalogued and restored by the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History. 

Monte Coxala at Lakeside

LUNA HOTEL room name MUAN has two beds with lake view. Women love to be treated like queens and this is the place to be to be treated like majesty. This elegant local resort for a SPA DAY. It is located inside the "Racquet Club" Drive to Jocotopec and turn up the hill towards the guard shack. Tell guards you are going to Monte Coxala. Pack your bathing suit, shades and lotion. The Infinity pool overlooks the lake and it is surrounded with natural steam pools. This 5 star resort is a favorite. In the summer months request to lodge in the LUNA HOTEL. It faces the lake and the sun does not set on the room so it remains cooler. "ZAC" or "TZAC" are the names of the rooms that have one king bed at 3,500 pesos per night = $175 USD. Call or email Coxala to book a shared room, schedule massage, a pedicure or facial. No reservation required if you come to just swim for the day. A small fee for a daily pass.

For any spa treatment, call ahead to make your reservation. Numbers below. The Spa is open from 10 AM - 6:30 pm seven days a week. The lovely onsite "Chac-Lah" restaurant is open from 8:30 AM - 9 PM. The Spa offers several different types of massage. You can ask for the "Holistic" 60 minute massage for 1,200 pesos. Opt to simply relieve tension in your neck and back with a 30 minute massage called "Cuello Y Espalda" for 550 pesos $27 USD. Pamper yourself with a pedicure for 510 pesos, or just have your polish changed for 50 pesos. The facial and manicure area is in a separate building from the massage area. Both are located up the Mayan staircase.

Enjoy a "Scrub de Champagne" for 30 minutes (550 pesos) to renew cells with vital antioxidants. There are four different hotels at Monte Coxala. After walking the entire property and viewing all the rooms in each location, my favorite hotel is the "Luna Hotel". From the Luna it is a short walk to the restaurant and to the spa treatment area up the Mayan stairs. The thermal hot springs also require a stroll to descend into a unique garden area. Next to the hot springs is a majestic infinity pool with lounge chairs on a step stair inside the pool. There is also a bar at the pool area which is only open on weekends. A favorite two bed room is called "Muan" which has a private patio overlooking the lake with a large step inside shower. WEB Monte Coxala Spa Hotels

HOTEL: Monte Coxala Spa - LUNA HOTEL
ADDRESS: Rafael Osuna Oriente – Racquet Club gate – San Juan Cosala 45820

HOTEL PHONE: 387-761-0111

Email reservation request.
Info@montecoxala.com

Hotel Real de Chapala

Hotel Real de Chapala sits right on the beach of Lake Chapala and it has two swimming pools, a fine dining restaurant, strolling mariachis for special events, a beautiful bar with weekend music,

tennis courts, and a billiard table. It is centrally located in the upscale, beautiful neighborhood of  La Floresta. With wide paved sidewalks, you can walk to Ajijic, San Antonio, the Cinema, Laguna Centro Mall and Wal-Mart. Depending on the months you visit, Luxury rooms with air conditioning are available. A few well known fine restaurants are within walking distance: Pranzo; Adelita's; Scallion; Tonys Ribs; the food court near the cinema which includes Trips Burgers and Subway. Choose to translate their website to English, select your room of choice and pay. You can book a Garden View Room on the first floor (quieter than view of lake). This room has 2 queen beds, for 2 adults and 2 kids, a sofa, shower and tub.  Garden View 2,420 pesos per nite $127 USD.  The Luxury Suite is for two people, a king bed, living room and private warm pool with air conditioning. The rate is 4,400 pesos per nite (232.00 USD per night)  Book directly on their website or call for reservation. (52) 333-641-9100.  Real De Chapala website

Breakfast Locally

Sam the Bagel guy owner

California Bistro in San Nicolas open at 8 AM

Closed on TUES and WED

Smell the coffee

Al Kafe in Chapala across from Bancomer

Black Coffee in San Antonio

Punto Verde next to Upscale

Gosha's in Ajijic

Joyful Expectations

We are always so thrilled to have friends and family visit us at Lake Chapala. There is truly many things to experience! We love the family oriented culture of Mexico and no matter what time of year people visit, you can count on bumping into a major fiesta! Even after living here for five years we still wonder what could they possibly be celebrating today? We ask our neighbors and they grin wide while they shake their head smiling "there is reason to celebrate everyday!" We have a list of places to take those who plan at least two days at Lakeside. We live less than a mile from Vista Del Lago Golf Club. Even if you do not golf, the restauant has an excellent view of the lake while we plan a day according to your likes. Around the corner form our casa is a Dude Ranch called Rancho San Francisco.

If you are an experienced caballero, you can take on the 7,000 foot mountain, or just canter around the stables. They provide exquisite tack for a comfortable saddle to tour our small pueblo.  Every weekend the malecon, or boardwalk at Lake Chapala is full of visitors from Guadalajara. Folks in Calif may drive to Lake Tahoe to get out of the crazy city traffic, here they come for the food and music. A frisbee golf park is in Chapala, a musical event at the old train station, or a concert in La Floresta? We have all flavors of cuisine from Italian, German, Chineses and of course Mexican. A trip to a Spa for a hot spring dip or a swim in the infinity pool with massage at the Coxala in San Juan. Great seafood is available at a number of lakeside places in Jocotopec. People love to stroll down Colon street in Ajijic and enjoy a margarita. Visiting a Tiangi in Ajijic or Chapala is a great cultural experience at our weekly outdoor markets. If you rent a car to map your own travel plans, the traffic in Guadalajara is a bit crazy and around the lake you can expect to bump along at a speed of 20 MPH due to the cobblestoned streets.  We do enjoy the slower pace of what we consider Mexico Country living. Living here is not for everybody, but people do love to visit and capture the essence of this culture of happy people. Click around the links provided on the side panel on this blog and view many personal pictures of our local experiences. VIVA MEXICO.

Explore Mexico

 

Explore Guadalaraja, Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa, Guerrero, Mx Beach ⛱ or something new.  This year my amazing husband and I will spend the first week of December in Zapopan which is one glitzy hood within Guad. Mike and I extend warm greetings to anyone who wants to get away for a few cultural thrills.  Since 2009 Barbara has been gifted with the zeal of NEW things in Mexico. In 2022 she met up with Jennette and Cheyl in Zihua which is situated in the center of Mexico’s Pacific coast. It offers an artistic downtown with artisan shops, easy access to 3 white-sand beaches surrounded by the towering Sierra Madre del Sur mountains. The old resort aspects of nearby Ixtapa offer golf and tennis for the snowbirds who have been flocking here for decades, while other unique experiences like sea turtle releases, tobacco plantations, coconut farms, paddle-boarding, and surfing are beginning to draw visitors to this picturesque cove that is best enjoyed between November and April for dry, sunny, and not too humid days.  Need a week's break from your routine? Come join us and after a few days at Lakeside, we depart by car at 9 AM and enjoy lunch at the beach in Manzanillo, Colima. 

In April of 2022 Barb flew from Mexico City to Ixtapa and discovered a delightful boutique hotel right on the beach. Zihua is the city where the escaped convict ran to from that great movie? One can fly direct from the USA to Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa, Mexico or to Guadalaraja. 

From our casa it is a 10 hour drive to Mazatlan and a 8 hour drive to Puerto Vallarta, and a 4 hour drive to Manzanillo in Colima, Mexico. To get to Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa fly to Mexico City, then to Ixtapa. Explore Mazatlan by taking a luxury bus, UBER to the Estrella Del Mar Resort and enjoy the finest accommodation on the beach in Mazatlan.  Golfers or those who just want to be spoiled, CLICK  Estrella Del Mar Mazatlan

We have flown to LaPaz to enjoy a village that hugs the ocean with the added bonus of great food and a wonderful malecon. We have bused to PV with various groups from church and have enjoyed the short drive to Manzanillo and Barra de Navidad through stunning landscapes.  To the beach? Pick one, pack light and just go. The quickest, safest trail to the ocean from Lakeside is Manzanillo. A new mall, a theatre, Starbucks, a blizzard at DQ,  and La Comer - all worthy of repeat visits.