By: Suzan Haskins and Dan Prescher

International living / Mexico

The Allure of Mexico - Why Do So Many Foreigners Yearn to Live Here?

After living and working in Ecuador in 2002, we didn't think life could get much better. But we must admit...we've fallen in love with Mexico. Just the name Mexico inspires a host of alluring images...moon-lit fiestas, strolling mariachis, relaxing white-sand beaches, ancient colonial towns set in the rugged Sierras, even more ancient Mayan pyramids rising from the misty Yucatán jungle.

Yes, Mexico has it all...rich culture, perfect climate, affordable living...not to mention mountains, beaches, deserts and just about every kind of landscape in between. For all these reasons and more, Mexico is one of the world's top destinations for those dreaming of a relaxed and romantic new life abroad....................

PHOTO: With a few pesos, you can fill your shopping tote to the brim

Fortunately, no matter what your budget...or your perfect dream location...Mexico offers you options. More than you can imagine. In the past 20 months, we have been exploring Mexico as part of our jobs to report on opportunities and lifestyles here. We’ve found property price tags in the millions of dollars, of course, but we’ve also found what we think are some real bargains – and in some surprising locations.

But this is not the Mexico of the past… where you can live on $5...or even $25 per day. Instead, the allure of Mexico is a better lifestyle. It’s the reason so many baby boomers north of the border are flocking here. AARP Magazine recently featured Mexico as a retirement destination, and we couldn’t agree more, even though an increasing number of those who live here are not retired, but continue to work via cyber or actual commuting.

Mexico, we think, appeals to romantics – those who have daydreamed about being able to abandon bad weather, high prices, dull surroundings and a hectic lifestyle. It also appeals to those with a practical outlook, because you actually can live here less expensively than you can in most other places. Let us tell you about the Mexico we’ve discovered…

PHOTO: Time stands still in little beach towns like Sayulita, on Mexico’s Pacific Coast.

The Pacific Coast. You can still find fishing villages where boats land in the morning with the giant snapper you'll have for lunch, sautéed with garlic or simmered in a diablo sauce that will make you call out for another ice-cold cerveza. Or you can buy the whole fish right off the boat for a few dollars and cook it yourself. Puerto Escondido, Las Manzanillas, Sayulita and San Francisco are places to look. Even resort towns like Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta are still affordable.

PHOTO: Mexico's Caribbean coast is the equal of any tropical destination in the world...and you can still find deals!

The Caribbean Coast. It’s the equal of any tropical destination in the world. Charming little Isla Mujeres is just a short ferry ride from the shopping and entertainment Mecca of Cancun, but it feels a world apart. Cozumel, long a drawing card for scuba divers, is a place where you can still find great property bargains. On the mainland, the Riviera Maya is still magically alluring (Playa del Carmen is one of our favorite places in the world!), and the Costa Maya is a place with perfect white sand beaches, tropical palms that rustle in the breeze, cerulean skies and shimmering turquoise waters – a place yet to be discovered by tourists.

Merida and the Gulf Coast. In between the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico lies the ‘White City’ of Merida. This regal European-like town is the 10th oldest in Mexico and was once the cosmopolitan center of the Mayan World. The splendor of its colonial and 19th century French architecture will impress you – and so will the bargain prices. If you’re more interested in beach living, check out the area around Progreso, just 30 minutes from Merida on the Gulf Coast. It doesn’t have the diving and snorkelling of the Caribbean side, but it has similar white sand beaches and properties at much lower prices.

Baja California Norte. Baja Norte, especially Rosarito Beach and San Felipe, are booming right now. “The border is moving south,” a friend there tells us. Twenty-thousand homes are being built in anticipation of a retiree exodus from southern California, where prices and taxes are out of control. In Baja Norte, a similar-sized home, with an ocean view, can be had for one-third the cost.

Baja California Sur. The thousand-mile tail of land that hangs down from the bottom of Southern California is largely unexplored. Here you can discover wild mountain trails on a dune buggy…hike over endless desert canyons and hills…watch the whales swim by in February and the dolphins in summer…and perhaps settle in Loreto, Los Barilles or La Paz, the seaside town that Money Magazine recently named ‘One of the 10 Best Places to Retire’. If you’ve ever wondered where all the flower children have gone, some of them have ended up in Todos Santos, a chic little bohemian oasis located smack dab on the Tropic of Cancer on the Pacific side of Baja Sur. In the past 20 years artists, painters and writers have come here to escape the stress of their former lives.

Northern Mexico. Desert towns surrounded by endless stretches of saguaro cactus under the bluest skies imaginable, where the local delicacy is birria – goat stewed in a rich broth or roasted whole on large skewers set around circular fire pits. On the Sea of Cortez, Puerto Aventuras, Puerto Penasco and San Carlos are easily accessible, less than a day’s drive from the U.S.

Southern Mexico. Oaxaca is a city that maintains its colonial charm and hasn’t given up its distinctive local character. Reasonably priced real estate is available, especially in the surrounding villages of Etla and San Felipe. San Cristóbal de las Casas, high in the forested mountains of Chiapas, is another place that impresses us, although unstable politics make it a ‘wait and see’ kind of place. With its indigenous population, it almost feels more like Guatemala than Mexico.

The Colonial Highlands. Here, you find little silver mining towns where winding streets seem to run straight up into the clouds and a few pesos can fill your shopping tote to the brim with fresh fruits and vegetables from the weekly market. San Miguel de Allende (where we live), Guadalajara and the Lake Chapala area continue to attract foreign retirees, as do Guanajuato, Queretaro and tiny Pozos de Mineral. Patzcuaro, in Michoacan, is one of our favorite places with still-reasonable real estate prices.

Certainly, there are places I’ve left out. Crowed, bustling Mexico City is vibrant and sophisticated, a draw for some and a drawback for others. Other places frequently mentioned by foreigners seeking to relocate to Mexico are Veracruz and Jalapa on the Gulf of Mexico, Acapulco, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo and Manzanillo on the Pacific side. Inland, they name Morelia, Puebla, Aguascaliente…the list goes on.

For us, the magnetism of Mexico is ethereal. Outside the major cities, life moves at a pace little changed in the last 500 years. People are relaxed, friendly, and take time to chat with each other when they meet on the cobblestone streets of the village. Neighbors actually know and watch out for each other. Their concerns are real concerns: family, friends, the latest crop, the day's catch. The weighty and often abstract cares of modern life that we're used to seem far, far away. That’s the essence of La Vida Mexico, and the reason that most of us are here.

Suzan Haskins and Dan Prescher write about living in Mexico – with a focus on real estate and investment opportunities – for International Living magazine and for their subscription-based web site, www.MexicoInsider.com. For more information about how to buy property in Mexico, or for Suzan and Dan’s recommended local real estate and other resources, email them at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

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