Jocotepec is at the western end of Lake Chapala, and it is the end of the "gringo zone." The highway circles the lake completely, and there are other towns and villages withn little or no gringo population.
Jocotepec is the cheapest of the gringo towns. It is the second-largest, with a large, pleasant plaza surounded by two blocks of other stores. The large number of stores are adequate for your regular shopping.The center of town is far enough from the surrounding mountains (which ring the entire lake) that you can buy a decent home without a steep climb.
When I ordered two beefsteak tacos at a sidewalk cafe in the plaza, a family of Mexicans burst into applause at my Spanish.
One local author wrote that she moved there because she could afford to buy a house with a grass yard. Locals tell me that this is where Ajijic and Chapala were twenty years ago.
Jocotepec's biggest disadvantage is distance--it is 17 kilometers to Ajijic, although the road is well-maintained. Buses usually travel east to San Juan and then turn back, and it took me forty minutes before a bus came by that was headed for Ajijic.
But Jocotepec has a major bus terminal that provides clean, cheap, comfortable transportation to other major cities, various tours, and trips around the lake. These air-conditioned buses require tickets, have a rest room (and often, a movie) and every seat is reserved.
My opinion? If you're tight on money, Jocotepec and Rivera are the best places to settle. I also expect that properties bought there are likely to increase in value the most.
Vince
Jocotepec is the cheapest of the gringo towns. It is the second-largest, with a large, pleasant plaza surounded by two blocks of other stores. The large number of stores are adequate for your regular shopping.The center of town is far enough from the surrounding mountains (which ring the entire lake) that you can buy a decent home without a steep climb.
When I ordered two beefsteak tacos at a sidewalk cafe in the plaza, a family of Mexicans burst into applause at my Spanish.
One local author wrote that she moved there because she could afford to buy a house with a grass yard. Locals tell me that this is where Ajijic and Chapala were twenty years ago.
Jocotepec's biggest disadvantage is distance--it is 17 kilometers to Ajijic, although the road is well-maintained. Buses usually travel east to San Juan and then turn back, and it took me forty minutes before a bus came by that was headed for Ajijic.
But Jocotepec has a major bus terminal that provides clean, cheap, comfortable transportation to other major cities, various tours, and trips around the lake. These air-conditioned buses require tickets, have a rest room (and often, a movie) and every seat is reserved.
My opinion? If you're tight on money, Jocotepec and Rivera are the best places to settle. I also expect that properties bought there are likely to increase in value the most.
Vince
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