Location
El Dorado Private Residence Club boasts one of the best locations on the Chapala lakeshore with thrilling panoramic vistas and radiant sunsets. With riviera towns just minutes away, this setting of pristine beauty includes stylish living spaces and every creature comfort a discerning homeowner could envision.
The setting itself is a privileged one.
Chapala, Mexico’s largest natural lake, lies in the Sierra Madre Occidental at the same latitude as the Hawaiian Islands. Its altitude of 5200 feet results in balmy days and cool nights most of the year. National Geographic has designated it the best climate in the Americas.
Close to Everything
Situated on the Libramiento, or bypass road between Chapala and Ajijic, El Dorado is conveniently close to everything. A number of unique lakeside towns are only minutes away, and Guadalajara’s Miguel Hidalgo International Airport is just a 30 minute drive on a four-lane divided highway.
View Lake Chapala Mexico Location Map in a larger map
And it’s close to all entertainment and shopping.
A five-minute walk takes you to Centro Laguna, Lakeside’s newest shopping mall. There, you’ll find movie theaters, coffee shops, a casino and a variety of restaurants in the food court. Just across the highway is a Wal-Mart Super Center.
For fun in the sun, Tobolandia has swimming pools, water slides and toboggans, a lazy river for drifting in inner tubes, picnic areas and snack bars. It’s a great place to spend a day with your family.
North Shore Villages
Chapala’s north shore has long attracted tourists from Mexico and abroad, and is home to an international community. This has given rise to grand cuisine restaurants, art galleries, boutiques and specialty shops, as well as a wide range of activities and services in a multicultural environment.
Chapala
A Victorian-era resort, Chapala is the municipal seat for most towns along the north shore, and its picturesque train station is now a cultural center. Buses leave the modern bus station every 15 minutes or so to Guadalajara and towns farther afield. Chapala is home to an American Legion Post, the large Soriana supermarket, and also a traditional municipal market. A mercado de artesanías offers handicrafts of all kinds.
The picturesque malecón – waterfront promenade – leads to the pier, lighthouse, yacht club, and a well-kept public park. Long-established seafood restaurants line the shore.
Chapala is renowned for one of the liveliest Mardi Gras celebrations in Mexico.
To read more about Lake Chapala Mexico click here
Chula Vista for Golf
Located between Chapala and San Antonio Tlayacapan, Riberas del Pilar is home to the beautiful Chula Vista golf course. Its nine holes have been described as quite tricky. The five par threes and four par fours total only 1800 meters / 1968 yards.
A small but equipped hospital, the Maskaras clinic is located in Riberas, as is the Animal Shelter, which welcomes volunteers.
San Antonio Tlayacapan
San Antonio Tlayacapan is a traditional Mexican town that centers on the plaza with its bandstand and church dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua. Yet its boundaries include much more, including the English-language Lakeside Little Theatre and Hole in One, a golf school and driving range. The best shopping on the north shore can be found in San Antonio – Centro Laguna, Wal-Mart and wonderful specialty shops along the highway.
Read more about San Antonio Tlayacapan here
Ajijic, Center of the Arts
Once a quiet fishing village, today Ajijic is an eclectic town of cobblestone streets, colorful adobe homes and shops, and a vast variety of dining options. Expats have been drawn to Ajijic for decades, and it is the home of the Lake Chapala Society.
With 3,700 members, the Society, founded in 1955, is a nexus for foreigners and Mexicans. From Spanish classes to an English language library of books and DVDs, LCS is a meeting place for residents. There are many, many opportunities for volunteering, and you can be as active as you wish.
Ajijic offers more dining options than perhaps any other small town in Mexico. Classic Mexican and nouvelle Mexican cuisine celebrate the country’s culinary heritage. But there is so much more. Italian, Argentine, Chinese, German, Greek and Thai restaurants bring variety to every meal. North-of-the-border favorites, from steaks and barbecue to deli fare can be found. Familiar franchises include Subway and Domino’s Pizza.
The Lake Chapala Municipal Auditorium hosts concerts, theater, and dance performances that range from folkloric to classical ballet. Its stage can accommodate an 80 piece orchestra.
Churches of many denominations hold services in English.
See more pictures and information about Ajijic Mexico here
San Juan Cosala: Hot springs, spas and extreme sports
San Juan Cosala grew up around thermal springs, heated by underground volcanoes. A number of balnearios, or swimming resorts have grown up around the hot mineral springs, with swimming pools and restaurants as well as private pools and massage facilities.
Monte Coxala offers a luxury spa experience in a setting inspired by Mexico’s ancient civilizations. Designed to heal the body and the spirit, the full service spa offers a variety of holistic treatments. The restaurant, with a dazzling view of the lake, accepts reservations from local residents and visitors.
Extreme sports in San Juan Cosala rock wall climbing and rappelling, mountain biking and hang gliding. The lake is the setting for sailing and wake boarding.
San Juan Cosala is a 15 minute drive from El Dorado Private Residence Club.
