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Thanks Steve I appreciate your insight! Yes it gets very dark, gray skies and chilly fall, winter and spring up here in Washington...so we Washingtonians have to find those nice winter spots to getaway to.
Another vote for Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa. That's where Andy Dufresne goes at the end of Shawshank Redemption. It is a beautiful place and you are a short flight away from Mexico City and Guadalajara.
The other place I would consider is Merida. Yes, it is farther away from central Mexico, but it is a beautiful city and you'd be close to Cancun and many smaller beach towns and resorts, many cool Mayan ruins and plenty of options for echotourism - swim in cenotes, paddle in jungle lagoons, etc..
I hear alot of good things from retirees about San Miguel de Allende....Always wanted to go but they all tell me that if you drive there, you have to have a security escort from where I would embark..{Laredo}.......that's what turns me off...
I hear alot of good things from retirees about San Miguel de Allende....Always wanted to go but they all tell me that if you drive there, you have to have a security escort from where I would embark..{Laredo}.......that's what turns me off...
I was going to suggest San Miguel de Allende! I have been there and it is beautiful--very low key and relatively safe but it might not suit those looking for an "authentic" experience, as a lot of U.S. tourists winter there. Laredo is terrifying, I would never [again] embark from there to go anywhere in Mexico.
Another suggestion that is very much off the beaten path is Tamiahua, which is a very small town about an hour north of Tuxpan. It is very rustic and rural with dirt roads and chanchos wandering the streets. The locals are very friendly and hospitable and there is access to the beach (although it is the Gulf). I would sooo go back there if I were wintering in Mexico...
We like PV and it can be reasonable if you stay in the Mexican area rather than the Gringo one. The Playa del Muerto works fine and has a better beach than elsewhere in PV.
But better yet when you come out of the PV airport head north. Just above the Nayarit line find Bucerias. A small Mexican coastal city with an exquisite beach. On the Bahia de Banderas as is PV...but a much nicer beach. And you can live there and and walk everywhere and be fine for months. This is thanksgiving to Easter territory. I would not want to live there the rest of the year.
There are by the way a number of places north of Bucerias. Smaller but nice. La cruz de Huanxpl or San Francisco and others.
I would check out the internet services if I needed to work. They will be uneven, The local English speaking Real Estate people know.
You can easily fly anywhere in Mexico from PV. You can also drive to Guadalajara. And around there you can find the Gringo colonies. These tend to be permanent residences but some seasonal rentals. Up high and not the heat of the coast.
San Miguel is a beautiful town. There are many foreigners living there part or full time
That is not necessarily a bad thing. You can still get an authentic Mexican experience at the markets or main plaza.
However, I much prefer Guanajuato to SM. They are close enough that you can go on a day trip to the other one, but Guanajuato is larger, cheaper, and is just as lovely. Guanajuato is full of quaint small streets, plazas and theatres. It is also home to a good size university and a major annual festival, the Cervantino.
Thank you so much for the suggestions everyone, and some lesser known ones too which is great. I have read all the posts closely and I'm doing research! Keep them coming!
I personally love San Miguel de Allende. It's a lovely town in the state of Guanajuato (near Leon, Guanajuato and relatively near Mexico City). Another colonial city that's nice is Zacatecas, Merida, or San Cristobal de las Casas.
But if you want the beach then Puerto Vallarta/Los Cabos would be more suitable. I would recommend Puerto Vallarta instead of Cabos because you didn't like the Playa del Carmen/Tulum area.
Please visit the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas, they're awesome.
Anyway it's pretty easy to get around with bus and flight. Buses are generally reliable (I travelled by bus from Riviera Maya all the way to Mexico City, on a 3 week long trip) and there are great deals on budget airlines Vivaaerobus/Volaris too.
Last edited by daffydaphne; 07-27-2015 at 12:46 AM..
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