One of México's most popular retirement communities.

Lake Chapala and the city of Chapala are famous in their own right.  This area along the shoreline of México's largest lake is where the many Mexican businessmen and upper class families have weekend and summer homes.  The lake itself has lost much of it's attractiveness, but the area itself remains attractive and still thrives.  The entire lakeside area has also become a haven for retirees from around the world.  Foreigners, from all over the world, drawn here by the constantly pleasant climate and moderate cost of living, have established retirement communities all along the northern shore of the lake.  

The town of Chapala is a pleasant 45 minute drive from the center of Guadalajara and the change of pace is easily recognizable and readily felt.  It is a different, slower paced, world.  Ajijic, a few miles to the west is another lake front area that is very popular with retirees and tourists alike.

Airport code for Guadalajara: GDL

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For more information about Lake Chapala, visit AllAboutGuadalajara.com.
Then visit the "Great Side Trips" page.
 

La Paz is located on the Sea of Cortez, 100 miles north of Cabo San Lucas and is the capital of the state of Baja California Sur.  La Paz, which was originally a pirate's haven, is the states largest city.  Italian missionaries built a church in La Paz over 500 years ago.  Your trip to La Paz should include shopping, strolling along the malecón and lunch on the beach or in one of the many seaside restaurants.  If you are a diver the nearby islands make La Paz a great place for some incredible dives and are also excellent for fishing.  There are plenty of local tour operators that specialize in dive tours and fishing trips.

You may want to plan an extra night into your itinerary just to enjoy one of the famous La Paz sunsets, which can be some of the most picturesque seen anywhere.  The beaches north of La Paz include some incredible coves where you will easily put the rigors of reality far behind you.  Carnival in La Paz, held on the six days before Ash Wednesday,  is one giant party with fireworks, colorful parades, street dancing, carnival rides, entertainment, games and a great family atmosphere.

La Paz is also the terminus of the ferry routes from Mazatlán and Topolobampo and as such receives and distributes much of the cargo that supplies all of southern Baja with many daily necessities.  Both ferry routes also serve passengers, cars and campers that wish to continue their trip to the Mexican mainland.  If you plan on putting your vehicle on the ferry you will need a special permit, required of all vehicles traveling to mainland México.

Airport code for La Paz: LAP

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For more information visit AllAboutCabo.com.  Then visit the "Great Side Trips" page.
 

Loreto is the oldest permanent settlement in Baja, dating to 1697 when the mission Nuestra Señora de Loreto was founded.  The mission took 55 years to complete (a long time even by Baja standards) and is in use to this day.  If you are driving the length of Baja Loreto makes a great overnight stop or at least a charming place to fill up the gas tank, have a leisurely lunch and maybe stretch your legs with a walk along the pleasant Malecón.

Loreto had the distinction of being the capital of Baja for 132 years and was very prosperous during that time, as most capitals in México are.  In 1829 a hurricane devastated the city and La Paz then became the capital.

Loreto has long been a favorite destination for fishermen and divers alike.  The five nearby islands and the numerous nearby coves make for some great fishing and diving.  November through March is Yellowtail time in Loreto and the summer months bring with them substantial numbers of Dorado along with smaller numbers  Marlin and Sailfish.  Bottom fishing off the islands and some nearby seamounts offer even more variety for avid fishermen.  There is a sizable panga fleet that works out of the small marina and boats are usually available.  Sea kayaking, mountain biking and hiking are also gaining popularity in and around Loreto.

The Loreto mission a popular attraction and there is a small, but interesting, museum next door.  There is an International airport, an 18 hole golf course where tee times are almost always available and many empty lots on deteriorating streets, all signs of a resort developing at pace much slower than planned.  The Mexican government has been trying to get development in Loreto going for many years, without much success.  The hot summer days and cold winds that the winter months bring to this area have proven difficult obstacles to overcome although there is quite a bit of private capital being injected into Loreto at this time.

Airport code for Loreto: LTO

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San Javier

About 1 mile south of the main entry into Loreto is the turnoff for San Javier which lies at the end of a passable 22 mile drive over a well maintained dirt road.  San Javier is home to a picturesque, well preserved mission, the second in the California's, dating back to 1758.  While in San Javier try to buy some guayaba or mango marmalade, cactus candy or other locally made sweets, as all are incredibly delicious.  Further south lie the well protected anchorages of Puerto Escondido, bearing all of the scars of another failed development and Agua Verde, a remote undeveloped anchorage, known mainly to private yachts and many sailboats that ply the Sea of Cortez.

Los Mochis is pleasant city in an area of farms and fertile valleys in the northern part of the state of Sinaloa.  The port city of Topolobampo, where one of the ferries from La Paz lands, is less that fifteen miles away.  The resort city of Mazatlán is approximately 120 miles to the south.  Los Mochis is one of the gateways to the Copper Canyon, being the home of the western terminal of the Chihuahua al Pacífico railway.  This railroad is probably better known to most travelers as the Copper Canyon Railroad and is often touted as being the most exciting railroad trip in the world, it is certainly the most scenic.   

Airport code for Los Mochis: LMM

Chihuahua al Pacífico Railway

The train trip through the Copper Canyon leaves from Los Mochis or Chihuahua.  Many experts consider the train to be the best way to see the Copper Canyon.  The tracks cover over 400 miles, rise from sea level to over 8000 feet in elevation, pass through 86 tunnels and crosses 38 bridges.  The route, which took over 90 years to build also crosses the continental divide three times.  Most of the tours, available in both Chihuahua and Los Mochis, break up the journey with overnight stops at some very interesting villages and hotels.  This is a spectacular adventure that delivers some of the most incredible scenery you will ever see.  See our Copper Canyon section for more details.  The train offers both first and second class tickets, air conditioning and heating, has a dining car and a separate car that contains a smoking bar.  You can call (614)  439-7212 (from the U.S. and Canada, first dial 011 52) for reservations and also limited information in English.  

The city of Los Mochis is also the place where many dove and duck hunters and bass fishing enthusiasts come to prepare for their hunting or fishing trips to El Fuerte and the other nearby lakes and hunting reserves.  Bird watching tours are also a favorite with visitors to Los Mochis. 

Manzanillo, 220 miles south of Puerto Vallarta, is set along two sparkling Pacific bays that are separated by a small peninsula. Manzanillo can boast of many beautiful beaches, a friendly population and a real small town atmosphere.  Manzanillo is actually a city of many faces - one of a full blown beach resort - one of a busy international seaport - one of a small Mexican beach town.  Manzanillo first got put on the tourism map by the 1980's movie "10" co-starring Bo Derek and Dudley Moore, the real star was the Las Hadas resort and the golden beaches of Manzanillo.  Sunny days, relaxing beaches, beautiful sunsets, all kinds of water sports, two golf courses and some pretty incredible deep sea fishing, especially for Sailfish, await visitors to Manzanillo. 

The city stretches for almost fifteen miles along Bahía de Santiago and Bahía de Manzanillo with resorts near both ends and on the small Santiago peninsula that divides the bays.  The busy port lies at the southern end of the city, also located here is  the, surprisingly typical town square, or zócalo, and further to the north are numerous beaches, resorts and several suburbs.   A long malecón brings it all together and is dotted with seafood restaurants, hotels and shopping opportunities. 

Water sports of all kinds, from sea kayaking to wind surfing to fishing are readily available.  Fresh seafood is of course a local specialty and some really great fish tacos are available all along the beaches and at stands along the malecón. One of the golf courses is located on the peninsula near Las Hadas (18 holes) and the other is near the north end of the bay at Santiago Golf Club which also has some public tennis courts.  Las Hadas is also home to an excellent 100 slip marina, for yachts up to 80 feet.  Buses run all along the beach every few minutes and offer cheap transportation.  A helpful tourist office is located at Playa Azul, next to the Hotel Fiesta Mexicana, they offer maps, can recommend tours and tell you where is to make fishing arrangements.

Manzanillo is also a gateway to the incredible "Costa Alegre" to the north, where there are some incredibly beautiful resorts that are very exclusive, but manage to maintain a very laid back atmosphere.  There are some nice, less inhabited and much less exclusive, beaches an hour or so to the south where many of the locals from the state capital of Colima spend their weekends and vacations. 

Airport code for Manzanillo: ZLO

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 For more information visit: AllAboutMazatlán.com , the complete travel guide to Mazatlán.
 

In the early 1500's Mérida was the site of a large Mayan ceremonial center.  The actual city of Mérida was founded by the Spaniards in 1542 to celebrate a victory over the Mayan inhabitants.  The Mayans were then forced to destroy all of their palaces and temples. The materials were then used to build the new city for the Spaniards, using the Mayans as slaves to do all of the labor.  Mérida's magnificent cathedral is just one example of the results of this building campaign.  The colonial ambience of this enjoyable city, in the heart of the Yucatán peninsula, has been maintained throughout the centuries.

Merida today is a large modern city and the center of commerce for the entire Yucatán peninsula and is also the capital of the state of Yucatán.  Mérida is surrounded by antiquity, the Mayan cities of Chichén Itzá, Mayapan, Dzibilchaltún and Uxmal, to name just a few, are all close. The architecture of the colonial period is quite evident in downtown Mérida, many of the elegant government buildings, churches, charming plazas, private mansions and expansive haciendas date back to the 16th and 17th centuries.  Some of the more opulent haciendas, in the outlying countryside, have been turned into elegant hotels allowing visitors to get a small taste of what life may have been like (for the rich) in the early days on the Yucatán peninsula.

The shady plaza dominates the center of Mérida and the everyday life of the locals.  This is where everyone gathers to enjoy the cool of the evenings and perhaps enjoy a light meal in one of the many sidewalk cafes.  Many of Mérida's elegant colonial buildings are located around the plaza.  There are many museums and art galleries near the plaza and a variety of concerts, cultural events and exhibitions are scheduled seven days a week in and around the city center.  The central market is also close by and deserves a look if only to enjoy the atmosphere that comes with local tradition.  Other attractions include day trips to the Cenotes, open pools of refreshingly clear water from the underground rivers that crisscross the peninsula.  Day  trips to Río Lagartos National Park, an ocean inlet that is home to over 30,000 pink flamingos, multitudes of other bird species, some very rare, and a few crocodiles.  There are also some interesting caves in the area to explore. 

Chichén Itzá

Many people who arrive in Mérida are there solely because of the tours to the nearby ancient Mayan cities, Chichén Itzá being the most popular.  Mérida is in the heart of what remains of the Mayan civilization and makes a great place for a stop over.  Merida is a stop over that will surely capture the hearts of many travelers, inviting a return trip devoted especially to enjoying this captivating city.