The lobby and staircase leading to the second floor rooms.

La Nueva Posada Ajijic: a modern boutique hotel with the romance of colonial Mexico

Down a quiet village lane in Ajijic, a high blue wall hosts climbing vines sought by songbirds. A wrought iron gate opens to a spacious colonial style mansion. Designed and run by owners Michael and Maria Elena Eager, La Nueva Posada is a modern boutique hotel with the romance of colonial Mexico. A grand staircase carved from quarry […]

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Ajijic, Chapala, Jocotepec – Mexico’s Lake Chapala region: resource page

The Lake Chapala region (numerous villages stretching from Jocotepec on the northwest corner of the lake to Ajijic and Chapala further east) continues to grow in popularity among American and Canadian retirees looking for winter warmth and plenty of activities. The area has many attractions and comforts, and yet, not everyone can live happily here […]

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Flocks of migrant white pelicans, some from Ontario, Canada, spend their winters on the warm waters of Lake Chapala. Photo by John Mitchell, Earth Images Foundation

Lake Chapala: Can Mexico’s largest lake be saved?

Lake Chapala, Mexico’s largest natural lake, is dying. The lake right now plays a vital role in a gigantic ecosystem, the River Lerma-Lake Chapala drainage basin, which includes more than 8 million people, 3,500 diverse industries, 750,000 hectares of irrigated farmland and 14 cities with populations in excess of 100,000. At the western extremity of […]

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Angel Ortiz, who created this Mata Ortiz ceramic pot, is trying to bring back folk art techniques from the early 1900s. Mata Ortiz in the state of Chihuahua is renowned for its pottery. This piece was exhibited in Chapala's annual Feria Maestros del Arte. © Marianne Carlson, 2008

Chapala’s Feria Maestros del Arte: guardians of the folk art tradition

In today’s world, where massive factories churn out goods at breakneck speed, it is hard for many people to imagine that there are still devoted artisans tucked away in remote villages of Mexico who dedicate days, weeks and even months to creating one exquisitely crafted piece. These artisans, toiling away in their secluded studios, are […]

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