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Puerto Penasco Sonora

faunadocpam wrote:

Outside of the coasts, SMA seemed like it was THE expat retirement spot.  And then Ajijic became THE spot.  Is there an up and coming location on its way to becoming the next hot spot?  Not too popular or crowded yet, but with some access to libraries with books in English, movies, American goods (even if they are a 2 hr drive away)?  With people who would be patient with my combination of Spanish and charades?
Thanks!
Pam

Ajijic came decades before SMA. I first visited the area in 1985 and Lake Chapala was full of Expats. SMA had tourists not Expats back then.

OK... But the question is, is there a place with the natural beauty of Lake Chapala, a private, rural town with little expat presence where I can become part of the community BUT within a couple hours of a thriving expat  community when I crave books and movies and American groceries and conversation with people from a shared background.  In other words, I want to live in the wilds of nature, seeing local people often and my fellow Americans occasionally.  I love people but I need solitude to recharge my batteries.  And as a biologist I do that best by studying the lives of the creatures that come to my own back yard.

Check out Colonet or Camalu Baja California.

faunadocpam wrote:

OK... But the question is, is there a place with the natural beauty of Lake Chapala, a private, rural town with little expat presence where I can become part of the community BUT within a couple hours of a thriving expat  community when I crave books and movies and American groceries and conversation with people from a shared background.  In other words, I want to live in the wilds of nature, seeing local people often and my fellow Americans occasionally.  I love people but I need solitude to recharge my batteries.  And as a biologist I do that best by studying the lives of the creatures that come to my own back yard.

So fauna other than a less domesticated natural treasure but close to a bigger city, what are your other desires? a warm environment, or a mountainous environment. sand and surf or what ?. SMA and Chapala are very domesticated. But there are small less traveled areas all over Mexico.

I think we can be of more help with more information.

This is a hard thing to get specific about because I have loved every place I've lived, and many of those moves were to an unknown city for a job.  So I know wherever I land will be fine.  But to stack the deck in my favor....

1. Scenic natural beauty, ideally with mountains on the horizon.  Here in Africa I look out on high hills with the Olifants River marking the boundary between them and our land.  My last home in the US was at the foot of Mt. Rainier with the hypnotic play of shadow and light changing throughout the day.  A place where we slept out under the stars to watch meteor showers and hunting bats  (would love to do that here in Africa, but leopards).

2.  Animal life.  As a retired veterinarian and college biology teacher I find animals endlessly fascinating.  I will be living with cats and dogs so I need a community that will tolerate that eccentric connection.  Here I study the curious giraffe at my waterhole who are also studying me, the nyala who grazes on the lawn, the shongololo millipedes who sense impending rain and I am thrilled to my core by the elephant who ignores the electric fence and eats all the landscaping, standing arm's length from the window.  So ideally in Mexico I would have a small yard that I could make a quiet oasis for birds, butterflies and whatever indigenous wildlife was about.

3.  Climate would be "typical snowbird" - 60-90º year round with minimal gray days.  But I don't melt.  I can live with very hot weather if a pool is available.  A child's wading pool would be fine.  And as to rain, hello!  I lived in WA 17 years!  As a native Californian, though, I thrive on that kind of Mediterranean climate.

4.  As an introvert I can manage pretty well with Netflix and Amazon books and MOOC online classes.  But in the best of all possible worlds there would be a movie theater and bookstore within driving distance ( say, 2 hrs), a community of expats to do things with every so often, a community need I can help fill (here, I am making eco bricks for schools to turn into benches and I am trying to organize a silent auction of all our possessions to benefit the Black Mambas, our all female anti-poaching unit).  And my heart's desire, the one I am afraid is too much to ask for, is that I would find a couple of people who were willing to be amazed by the world to do day trips and longer ones.  Travel and adventure are a blessing, even solo.  But to have someone to share the delight with is priceless.  Friends would be the icing on the cake, but I don't want to be greedy.  Natural beauty, animal companions, books, pleasant weather and a way to contribute to my new community would be blessings enough.

Somehow this doesn't seem to have narrowed the choices down much...

Thank you so much - I will look into them!  In 2014 (I think) my husband and I took a Road Scholar bus trip from San Diego down the baja peninsula to pet whales.  It was an awesome trip and it felt like the deserts of baja were studded with  little oasis towns and beautiful coastal cities.  At the time I thought "I want to come back someday."

My big concern with anywhere coastal is whether I could buy property as a US citizen.  I would prefer to rent.   But depending on which of my pets I can find homes for here, I may be relocating with 7 (!) cats and 2 African mastiffs.  So renting might not be an option.

I am confident that you will find somewhere to rent that accepts pets. Many renters in Mexico have pets.

Yes with that many pets it would have to be a house. You might like something smaller and in the mountains like Coatepec
Superficie: 255,8 km²
Tiempo: 18°C, Wind E at 10 km/h, 76% Humidity


By the way, I lived in Washington and I have to tell you that frequent drizzle and some rain is worlds apart from rain here. I doubt that Washington has ever seen rain like here. At least in my 20 years in Washington, I never saw anything like here.

I will research Coatepec, thank you.  I actually prefer torrential downpour to endless gray drizzle.  Here summer is the rainy season.  What a concept!  To have it rain when you need to cool off, not when you're already freezing. 

And yes, I do want a stand alone house.  For the past 15 yrs I have lived on rural places with acreage so I hope to have solitude with runs into town a couple of times a week for socializing.

My husband gave me a two year deadline for when he wants to be back in the US, divorced.  I'm starting to get excited about a fresh start in Mexico - relearning Spanish!  Food and a culture I've always loved!  Picking out a home that's just for me!  I know a lot of people who have moved a lot, hate it.  Not me - I'm already giving stuff away in preparation for a move like when we came to Africa.  Two suitcases.  One half full of "treasures" and keepsakes.  I wonder if we can't wrap up the old life in the next few months and get on with the new. 

Thank you all!  Keep the tips and advice coming and I hope to meet you all for a round of drinks (or coffee) by summer.  Your summer.  It's already summer here so I'll just skip the upcoming winter.

is Coatepec in Veracruz? if so you must be referring to the Chipichipis....misty rain?
I have read allot about unsafe areas in Veracruz...is it safe there?

the safest and friendliest place for expats is CIUDAD JUAREZ! 2 miles from el paso, weekends, texans come here to shop. gets to see lots of americans here shopping., enjoying cheap groceries, restaurants. ive been here now over a year. friendliest people ive ever met. lot of them speak english. influence of federal and state police everwhere.  good to have them around. i have talked so several and they ask me how i like living here. friendly bunch; armed to the teeth due to pockets of cartels still roaming streetsn there was a gun battle about 3 blocks from my apt. tons of cops battling it out with 'bad boys'. heard over 30 gun shots within 10 minutes . but safe here. warned by embassy to stay indoors at night, dont go to bars  ;stay away from downtown at night. i live in an upstairs apt above a busy street and cops cruising 24/7. met several expats here so far, mainly in malls and church.