Mismaloya

Other than climate, big difference between Yelapa and Mismaloya or Tomatlan, especially in access and services.

Hi Kiko. While I don't have any first hand experience living in Mismaloya, I did once live in a palapa in Yelapa for 3 months some time ago and more recently for a year in Sayulita, if you can get past the weather DO IT. I was sure I could but in the end, I couldn't, too much time indoors under fans or AC. Living at the beach is hella much more fun than living here. Go for it, you can always come back.

I just watched this thoroughly enjoyable documentary on Netflix, which included an ending part in Mexico. "Expedition Happiness". It's a young couple's journey through Canada, the U.S. and Mexico in a converted school bus. Spectacular scenery; many adventures along the way including being invited to a narco's retreat, complete with tigers.

No advice in the world will deter you from a dream.
On a more practical note, it's a bitch going for groceries from that location.

Trailrunner wrote:Hi Kiko. While I don't have any first hand experience living in Mismaloya, I did once live in a palapa in Yelapa for 3 months some time ago and more recently for a year in Sayulita, if you can get past the weather DO IT. I was sure I could but in the end, I couldn't, too much time indoors under fans or AC. Living at the beach is hella much more fun than living here. Go for it, you can always come back.

We keep talking about moving to the beach too. We would be there for sure if it wasn't for the humidity. Definitely more fun in places like PV however I get quite bored in the smaller towns. Just spent a month in Barra and there isn't really much to do there. For now just getting to the beach a few times a year seems to fill the fix........

Yeah, I agree about Barra and even Melaque. I found that most of the long time full time expats that live there spend most of their time drinking in bars on the beach and telling each other the same lies over and over. Now THAT is boring!

I do miss the beach - body surfing, long walks, and just sitting. Plus, with climate change, it gets hotter and stays hot longer at the coast now.

I agree, the best of both is to live here and visit when you can.

Trailrunner wrote:Yeah, I agree about Barra and even Melaque. I found that most of the long time full time expats that live there spend most of their time drinking in bars on the beach and telling each other the same lies over and over. Now THAT is boring!

I do miss the beach - body surfing, long walks, and just sitting. Plus, with climate change, it gets hotter and stays hot longer at the coast now.

I agree, the best of both is to live here and visit when you can.

 


Totally agree.

If money wasn't a concern I would spend Sept. to Nov. in Ajijic, Dec. to Mar. in PV, April to June back in Ajijic and July to Aug. in Vancouver.

CanuckBob wrote:If money wasn't a concern I would spend Sept. to Nov. in Ajijic, Dec. to Mar. in PV, April to June back in Ajijic and July to Aug. in Vancouver.

If money wasn't a concern...............oh my! How about Lake Como instead of Lake Chapala? Or BOTH?

Lake Como?? Never heard of it.

CanuckBob wrote:Lake Como?? Never heard of it.

Mussolini wished he hadn't.........

That's where they hung him by his heels.

We were just in Barra, Melaque and La Manzanilla and spent about 10 days in PV and Bucerias late last year, having been frequent visitors to all of these places over the years.

Old Town/Zona Romantica in PV is a frenzy of condo construction, with close to 40 (I lost count) new projects underway when we were there in late November. The dust and noise puts Chapala centro's endless street work in perspective. Only Old Town is affected, but for those of us that always preferred that part of the city much of the charm is gone. The place is just as over-run with newbies as Lakeside. Still very possible to find real places in PV up the hill as always but the tourist crush is so overwhelming it feels halfway in between PV of old and the real disaster beach towns (Cancun, Cabo).

Alejandro of Pizzeria Toscana fame has a much better place in Barra called Loco Loco but that and a few passable seafood places and taquerias are about the extent of the dining options. The beach there is steeply sloped and not good for swimming. Not much going on in town but it is less scruffy and more appealing overall IMHO than Melaque, which has a better beach but nothing much else.

La Manzanilla has the best beach, ideal size and a nice selection of restaurants but it's really hard to find rentals under $75 U.S. a night as the place seems to be over-run by the San Miguel de Allende jetsetting crowd who consider lodging under $100 or meals under $50 to be bargains. Nice place for a week but other than walking the beach nothing to do and you can hit all the good restaurants twice in 5 days.

I like the idea of the beach part of the year and highlands the rest but think the smart move now would be to choose places that have some level of barriers to entry/protection from the ongoing newbie invasion. Maybe Puerto Escondido or Puerto Angel in Oaxaca for 4-5 months in winter and Oaxaca City or Pátzcuaro the rest of the year. We also have friends who divide their time between Patz. and Troncones. In all of the above cases airport access and need to speak Spanish keeps some of the riff-raff out - for now.

Excellent! Thanks CoffeeGuy. 

I think you're right, the 'need to speak Spanish' makes for the right village in my view too. I will put that at the top of my priorities.

Puerto Escondido is on our list of places to check out.

CanuckBob wrote:Puerto Escondido is on our list of places to check out.

I've been there and to Puerto Angel and Huatulco many times over many years - mostly because they are good home bases for heading up into the mountains near Pluma where the best coffee in Oaxaca grows and that was my career.

Escondido attracts surfers and some snowbird. P. Angel is a bit more hippy-dippy/New Age. Both have really great beaches and the locals have been fierce about controlling development - which I really admire. As far as I know there aren't any direct flights from the U.S. so that helps a lot with keeping the crowds at bay.

IMHO for pure beach experience the best thing to do is drive the Michoacán Coast either north from Lazaro Cardenas or south from Cuyutlan. Caleta de Campos is a personal favorite - half-moon shaped bay, perfect beach, great swimming but only one halfway decent motel, a few fondas and taquerias for food and the only folks spending serious coin are the narcos who run the entire coast. Now THAT's the way to keep the newbies at bay!

Check the whole Oaxaca Coast, ach place is different. I would not live full time in any of them but it is fun to visit. Many places are mostly for surfers --Puerto Escondido has a European flavor to me, but I find it too crowded in season. I like Troncones in Guerrero but again not a place I would spend a whole lot of time either. I am not a beach fan and get bored after 3 days . O rather spend time exploring areas than being at a beach .. for that reason I would not recommend any of the beach places..If you do not want to see many foreigners go to Playa Ventura, Guerrero on the costa Chica. pigs and xoloitzcuintli run free in that town and it is right on the sea..

That newbie invasion is unstoppable when you consider the number of baby boomers reaching retirement age and the un-affordability of living in any desirable place there. Let's don't pretend, and don't believe it if they say it, that they're coming here for the wonderful culture. They're in survival mode. A number of them will adjust and a number will leave, but for now, they're headed here.
I'm just going to hunker in my bunker and drive around as little as possible for the next few months.