One thing that has always amazed me about living in San Miguel de Allende is how many people describe it as “their happy place.” The combination of a diverse population, amazing weather, great food, constant festivals and events, cute kids everywhere, colorful plants and stunning architecture all contribute to people’s general happiness in this great town.
My wife and I recently went on a road trip to some parts of Mexico we had not yet discovered. The objective of the trip was precisely to “not really plan anything” so that we could spend our time listening, learning, and observing the communities and the people that live there. (Yes, that is a very geeky thing to do, but that’s how we roll.)
Our first stop was Ajijic, a charming little town on the shores of Lake Chapala an hour outside of Guadalajara. I had been hearing about Ajijic since I studied in Guadalajara 30 years ago, but never actually went there until this trip. We rolled into town at the tail end of the Día de Muertos long weekend, and the town was still buzzing with activities, music and color. We were given a great tour of town by Greg Custer, a long time resident, local historian and MND writer who recently completed a “Where to Live in Mexico” series of articles for us.
We were impressed and amazed at how many people have made Ajijic their “happy place” over the years — from famous writers and musicians to expats looking for a quieter life and slower pace, to Guadalajara families looking for a place to relax outside of the city. The charming town sits on a narrow strip of land between impressive mountains and Mexico’s biggest lake. The setting is impressive any time of the year, but even more so now that the mountains are lush green and the lake brimming with water after a good rainy season.
We spent time walking around over our two days there, visiting the Lake Chapala Society, and observing the many expats who have made the location their home. The common threads we felt were a strong sense of community, a slow pace of life, a beautiful and convenient location, and affordability.
Our next stop was La Manzanilla (not Manzanillo) on Jalisco’s Costalegre, about three hours south of Puerto Vallarta. Part of our inspiration for this stop was a series of articles written by MND writer Meagan Drillinger that described the area as one still relatively untouched from mass tourism. La Manzanilla was tiny. We stayed there for four nights and never drove the car a single time after arriving. It’s the kind of place that forces you to slow down, relax and scrap the action-packed agenda. It’s a place to just be and observe nature and the still-light touch of humanity on nature.
Mornings and evenings consisted of long walks on a beautiful, nearly 3-mile beach. Our entertainment was watching the birds fishing, dolphins jumping, fisherman at work and families playing in the water — very peaceful and calming.
Over several days there, we chatted with locals, foreigners from the U.S. and Canada, and Mexicans from other parts of the country. All described La Manzanilla as their happy place, a place still untouched by the increasingly fast-paced and crazy world we live in. A place to reconnect with oneself and nature. We found ourselves drifting into a state of relaxation that neither one of us was entirely comfortable with yet, given our busy MND life, so we decided to head north to Puerto Vallarta.
Puerto Vallarta is another place that, increasingly, is becoming a happy place for many people, for a myriad of reasons. The setting of PV is beautiful: It has an incredible sweeping bay with great beaches and stunning mountains. The weather is great for much of the year, albeit damn hot and sticky for a few rainy season summer months. What many people find irresistible about PV is its charm. There aren’t many bigger cities on the Pacific Ocean in Mexico (Acapulco being an obvious exception) and Puerto Vallarta has managed to grow significantly while still finding a balance of a connection with nature and a strong Mexican flavor.
Puerto Vallarta has charming neighborhoods with great restaurants, shopping and nightlife, all just a few steps away from the beach. The airport continues to grow and now has direct flights to most major cities in North America. Both to the north and south of the city, within a short car ride, are beach towns with totally different vibes. Tolerant, multicultural, scenic and lively — Puerto Vallarta seems to tick the right boxes for an increasing amount of people year after year.
And that, perhaps, was one of my biggest learnings (and validations) from the road trip. More and more people from around the world are finding their “happy place” in Mexico. It can be in a landlocked, dry mountain town like San Miguel de Allende; a small town on a lake like Ajijic; a tiny, quiet fishing village like La Manzanilla; or a bustling, vibrant city on the beach like Puerto Vallarta.
Of course people can and do find their “happy places” all over the world, but there is something about Mexico that increasingly lands it on the list of so many people. If you are finding yourself feeling like you are not in your “happy place” or looking for an additional one, why not come to Mexico and explore the many diverse options throughout the country? If you take time to look, I bet you will find it here!
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.
