Tag Archives: lakes

Bariloche, Argentina

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    There are many reasons to visit Bariloche located on the shores of Lake Nahuel Haupi in the Patagonia region of Argentina.This alpine village offers visitors a wide range of outdoor activities on a year around basis. In the … Continue reading →

Lake Chapala Promenade, Jalisco, MX

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At sunset, a boat returns to the pier with its passengers.

 

Lake Chapalpa is the largest freshwater lake in Mexico and the village of Chapala has been a  popular weekend and holiday destination for both Guadalajara residents  and international tourist since the 1920’s. The lakefront promenade or malecon has 2 scenic piers, boat rides, restaurants, hotels, playgrounds, skateboard park, mariachi’s, retail vendors and yacht club. One of  the malecon’s landmarks, seen below,  is the old Victorian style mansion built in 1906. It is now a restaurant called Cazadores but was  formerly  owned by the Braniff family of airline fame and fortune, In addition to tourist, ,many local people come to the malecon on a regular basis for picnic’s, see the sunsets or watch the birds who migrate here in the fall.

 

Cazadores Restaurant, formerly the Braniff family home
Birds start migrating to the shores of Lake Chapala in the falll
The main pier and lighthouse
An old boat is used as a planter in the garden on the malcon.
The Lake Chapala Inn on the malecon
There is a skateboard park on the malecon
On Sunday’s many families bring the kids to the playground on the malecon
Here’s a few of the restaurants at the east end of the malecon along with some strolling musicians
another pier is found at the east end of the malecon
Here’s the ever present Mariachi’s entertaining some visitors
The malecon is also the location for annual events such as Day of the Dead and Carnival

Ajijic, Lake Chapala, Mexico

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An historic Chapel across form the Ajijic plaza

An historic Chapel across from the Ajijic plaza

Ajijic is located on the north shore of Lake Chapala, Mexico’s largest freshwater lake,  less than an hour’s drive away from Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco. It’s a small village with a population of approximately 10,000  and over half of these people are either retired Americans or Canadians who relocate here for a variety of reasons including attractive scenery, tempered climate, lower cost of living, english is spoken,  and a variety of recreational activities tailor made for the cultural background of North Americans to name a few. So relocating to this part of Mexico also means less cultural shock then would be experienced in many other parts of Mexico or Central America and  this is why Ajijic and Lake Chapala has  been the top choice for most expatriates seeking retirement outside of the states since the 1940’s.  The photo gallery below focuses on the plaza in the heart of Ajijic.

there is a unique sculpture at each corner of the plaza and this is probably the most unusual of the four
an abstract sculpture at another one of the 4 corners in the plaza
a stone sculpture at another corner of the plaza
This sculpture is a wood carving at one of the 4 corners of the plaza
here’s the gazebo in the center of the plaza with a metal sculpture of a deer in the foreground
the cultural center of Ajijic and a good restaurant next door are also in the plaza
Black and Whites cafe in the plaza is a popular place to meet friends
a mural on the front wall of the city hall across from the plaza

The Botanical Garden of Lake Atitlan

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Botanical garden flora

Botanical garden flora

The Gardens of Lake Atitlan are about a 3 hour drive from the border of Mexico by shuttle bus. Altogether, there are said to be over 500 species representing some 250 plant families found in the separate and distinct gardens that surround the upscale Hotel Atitlan. The antique, modern and David Austin rose gardens, for example, have over 200 varieties of roses on display. In other theme gardens there are over 50 varieties of hibiscus, arbors of vine, 25 or more colors of bougainvillas and azaleas, along with a variety of orchids to be seen. Other theme gardens include the wedding gardens, the coffee gardens, the helicona gardens, and english style knot gardens.  The small sample of images in the gallery below is representative of what you can expect to see if you visit the Atitlan gardens.