The Magic of Lake Chapala, Mexico
Living in Lake Chapala offers something even more special than the long list of reasons that cause Canadians, Americans and Europeans to choose Lake Chapala as the # 1 alternative place to retire (either full or part time).  We call it The Magic of the Lakeside. 

This special ‘Magic’ is truly hard to explain.  When you first arrive, you look at the Mexican people, at their culture and at their way of life.  You look at the North Americans living here and how they seem to have integrated into the community and combined both cultures to get the best from both worlds.  Then one day you wake up and realize that you are no longer looking at the scene; you have actually become part of the picture.

Then a sense of belonging takes over and a feeling of contentment that only those of us that live on the Lakeside can truly understand.
 
 
It is often said that North Americans living here appear happier and are more content, and believe it or not, don’t seem to have the same aches and pains they had back home.  Is it the lack of stress and pressure from work, the perfect climate year round, the influence of the Mexican people; or perhaps the therapeutic and curative thermal waters in San Juan Cosala?  No one knows for sure, but the bottom line is Lake Chapala, Mexico has been discovered by the Baby Boomers and more and more are choosing this area as their very own Shangri La, and for good reason.  Read "Retirement Paradise in Mexico".


There’s more! 

Probably the greatest contribution to feeling that magic comes from the wonderful Mexican people and their rich culture.  Mexican people welcome us and remind us of the value system we once had back home.  They are gracious and warm and invite us to share in whatever they have.  Family and friends have more meaning than material belongings (they aren’t as materialistic as we are).  They live for today, not tomorrow.  They take the time to savor the tastes, sounds and smells. They have learned how to enjoy the moment, and everything around them. Older people are treated with dignity and respect.  Children are mostly well behaved and happy.  Living here we continually learn lessons from these honest and honorable hosts, and hopefully in our own way, we give something back in appreciation for all that we receive.

I don't know if the Mexican people rub off on us or what, but there is definitely something about living on the lakeside that inspires people to live life to the fullest, to appreciate the small treasures and the joys of living and giving,  Once here, you'll soon succumb to the Magic of the Lakeside.

And believe me, in Lake Chapala, you really can have a wonderful, wonderful lifestyle without having to worry about running out of money before you run out of life.
 
 
Every single day - we feel blessed living here!  Lake Chapala, Mexico offers a low-stress, slower pace of life, coupled with a huge variety of things to do in an established infrastructure, and with like-minded people.
 
The chance to reinvent ourselves:
Source:  Alejandro Gratton, Editor in Chief - Ojo del Lago
I have been in and out of Mexico for most of my life, and would have had all the consciousness of a pet rock not to have formed a few conclusions by now as to what (perhaps subconsciously) attracts people to this country. There are several possibilities, but paramount among them, I believe, is what most of us perceive as the chance to reinvent ourselves.

We come here hoping to be more than we have ever been; more creative, curious, compassionate, courageous, mentally alert, physically vigorous, and adventurous. In short, more alive. Someone once said of Mexico that it’s a Technicolor country in a largely black and white world—a country where nothing is ever forgotten and anything is possible. A film director friend of mine called Mexico “a Huston picture, written by Steinbeck and starring Humphrey Bogart.” That’s good enough for me!

Here, indeed, it seems possible to become the person you always wanted to be, the one who never quite got the chance or the time (or both) to realize all of his potential, and now does. Perhaps Mexico is not alone in casting out this finely-webbed net, though as one who has lived in Colombia, Venezuela, Denmark and in five different states in the U.S., never have I seen this magic at work anywhere else; can one imagine the same allure drawing foreigners to England, Germany, New Jersey?

This magic is at the heart of what has always been my favorite movie, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. The film, for those who have never seen it, concerns a motley trio of prospectors who go up into the mountains of Mexico in search of gold. They find, then lose the gold, but the two men who survive the adventure nevertheless ride away greatly enriched—for they have gained something more precious than gold. They have discovered the best parts of themselves. The film is set in 1925, but its timeless message continues to play out every day in every part of this, our beloved adopted country of Mexico.
 
 
Living in Mexico gives you a new lease on life.