The earliest human inhabitants of the Lake
Chapala area were probably nomadic tribes of Indians who had settled
on the shores and islands of the lake, catching fish, extracting
salt, and trying to herd wild game towards the water's edge so that
it would get bogged down in the mud.
By the time the Spanish arrived, one
particular tribe, the Cocas, had settled the northern lakeshore, in
the vicinity of San Juan Cosala, today a popular thermal-water
spa-town.
There are almost as many
possible explanations for the name "Chapala" as there are historians
who have tried to explain it. It may derive from "Chapatla" which in
turn came from "Chapatlán" or "Chachapatlán", meaning "place of many
pots". It may, on the other hand, be named for an Indian chief Chapa
who lived in the area when the Franciscans arrived. Other
possibilities are from "Chapalac", marshy or wet place or from
"Chapalal", supposed to represent the sound made by waves splashing
onto a beach. Whatever its derivation, the word Chapala came to be
used for both the lake and the most important tourist town on its
shores.
CHAPALA - A TOURIST CENTER
Besides the attractions of its
climate, scenery and the ever-changing light on the lake, Chapala
today has a wide range of tourist facilities including more sports
facilities than any other lakeside town.
But you don't have to be an active or
sports-minded person to enjoy Chapala. There are numerous
restaurants, open air cafes and ice cream parlors in which to while
away the siesta time. A walk around the town should include the
parish church, San Francisco, which while not particularly old, has
a literary distinction, having been immortalized by D. H. Lawrence
in the last pages of his novel, "The Plumed Serpent", written during
Lawrence's brief stay in Chapala at number 307 on Zaragoza street.
Across from the church, it is worth stepping inside the dining room
of the Nido Hotel to look at a collection of old photographs of
Chapala. These include some thought-provoking pictures of when the
lake threatened to overwhelm the town, for several weeks people
preferred canoes to bicycles!
Here is a
gripping short video
documenting the drastic changes in water levels encountered.
The origins of tourism in Chapala go back to
the mid nineteenth century when only a simple guest-house existed in
the town. Later, Mexican National Railways began to offer daily
trips by train to Ocotlan, with connecting lake steamer service to
Chapala. In the early years of this century, President Porfirio Diaz
stayed with friends in Chapala. With the presidential seal of
approval, the popularity of Chapala grew. One very distinctive,
European-style building became the home of Alberto Braniff, a member
of the famous airline family. Today, his house is a restaurant, the
Cazadores.
On the pier, boatmen, competing fiercely
with each other, will try to convince you to visit Scorpion Island
and its restaurants. A longer, but more interesting boat trip is to Mezcala Island, and the remains of a fortress dating from
Independence times. East of the pier, past the well-kept lakeshore
gardens and a small children's park the Chapala Yacht Club is an
attractive building, often used for art exhibitions and cocktail
parties.
A row of small fish restaurants is next to
the Yacht Club. On weekends, this area, like the lakefront Beergarden restaurant, near the pier, is a cacophony of mariachi
sound. Just across from the Yacht Club is the Chapala handicrafts
market, an excellent place to shop for inexpensive gifts - ranging
from leather jackets, wooden furniture, and hand-embroidered dresses
to decorated glassware, ceramics and trinkets.
Almost next to the handicrafts market is the
Christianía park, with outstanding public sporting installations. A
modest entrance fee allows access to a well-equipped children's
playground, snack-bar and huge expanse of grass. The park, which
also has tennis courts and a monster swimming pool, represents one
of the great bargains in Mexico.
A few steps further east is
one of Chapala's most historic buildings - the former Railway
Station. Locals hope that this lovely building will eventually be
turned into a museum of local history. Ten minutes drive beyond the
station is the subdivision of Vista del Lago (View of the Lake) and
the Chapala Country Club with its excellent nine-hole golf course,
open to non-members on payment of a green fee.
SAN ANTONIO - A TRADITIONAL
VILLAGE
South of the highway, between
Chapala and Ajijic, is the village of San Antonio which still holds
traditional "posadas", dramatizing Joseph and Mary's search for
lodgings, on each of the nine nights before Christmas. Mary, seated
on a donkey, is led through the streets. A children's choir
accompanies her and formally requests lodgings at pre-arranged
houses in the village, requests just as formally denied. The growing
procession ends up at the church where a mass is held followed by a
party with piñatas for the children. San Antonio is a typical
Mexican village and has relatively few foreign residents.
On the other side of the
highway to San Antonio and extending up the hillside is the Chula
Vista subdivision, very popular with American and Canadian retirees,
partly because here is the Chapala area's second golf course, the
Chula Vista Country Club. This short course is very tricky,
meandering up a valley, and surrounded by beautifully landscaped
private homes. From many holes a panoramic view extends over Ajijic
and San Antonio.
AJIJIC - THE VILLAGE PREFERRED
BY RETIREES
Since the 1950's, Ajijic has been
considered the artistic center of the Chapala Riviera. Its artistic
colony is comprised of both Mexicans and non-Mexicans, working in a
variety of media. Almost always there are several current
exhibitions open to the public either in local galleries and stores,
or in the hotels and restaurants. Often, an artist exhibiting is
prepared to undertake a commission on request from a new buyer.
Local newspapers, this website, and bulletin boards are the best sources of
information about current shows and other events in the village.
The Ajijic stores offer a selection of
Mexican handicrafts, household items, fashions and gifts covering
the entire economic range. One of the attractions of shopping in
Ajijic is undoubtedly the personal attention that buyers receive
since many of the "shop assistants" turn out to be the shop owners,
anxious to guarantee the best possible customer satisfaction.
Ajijic is a tourist-oriented oasis; there is
probably no other similarly-sized village anywhere in Mexico with so
many hotels, restaurants, bars and shops. There are places to suit
every budget: one-bedroom, fully equipped suites with kitchenettes,
excellent bed-and-breakfast establishments with truly personal
service, and a range of hotels including the Real de Chapala and the
unashamedly elegant Nueva Posada. From the lakeside garden
restaurants of these two hotels and from the restaurant-bar Posada
Ajijic, you can eat, drink and enjoy the view across the lake, all
at the same time.
In the village are a handful of truly old
buildings including the parish church of San Andres dating from
1749, the chapel to the virgin of Santiago on the north side of the
plaza, which is even older, and a former monastery at Hidalgo and
Cinco de Mayo streets, which has been converted into a luxurious
private dwelling.
The fiesta in honor of San Andres, patron
of the main church, lasts for nine nights at the end of November
(beginning and ending on a weekend) and has all the usual fairground
amusements accompanied by music, folkloric dancing, and plenty of
fireworks. There are daily processions in the streets and solemn
masses for the devout. The Ajijic Easter celebration is gaining fame
as one of the most extravagant in the country. Witnessed by the
entire village, local farmers, fishermen, factory workers and
trades people become actors for three days and re-enact the trial and
crucifixion of Christ. The costuming and open-air sets are
magnificent and this is a real "must be seen to be believed"
occasion.
Many of the best homes in the village are
"behind the walls". The house-and-garden tours which are run weekly
from December to March are an excellent way to see much more than
the casual visitor can normally hope for in a short visit. The
proceeds of these tours, as of so many Ajijic events, benefit local
charities, a fine example of how foreign retirees have made immense
contributions to help repay the Lake Chapala Riviera for its
outstandingly favorable climate and the welcoming warmth of its
inhabitants.
The sports minded visitor can also hike,
play tennis, or ride horseback into the hills. There are any number
of leisure-oriented clubs in Ajijic, most of which welcome visitors
to their regular meetings. So what do you fancy? A hand of bridge? A
Saturday morning walk with the Hash House Harriers? An
English-language theater production? A Tai Chi lesson?
There's always something to
do in Ajijic.
Article courtesy of our friend
Tony Burton and
MexConnect
