You'll notice that places like Puerto Vallarta and Cancun don't make the list of our top three!
The rural town of Valle de Juarez, Jalisco
Valle de Juarez is a town of about 5,000 people located in the mountains south of Lake Chapala in the state of Jalisco near the Michoacan border. The surrounding area is agricultural and farming It is located close to the town of Mazamitla which is popular with people looking for a weekend getaway from the big city of Guadalajara.
There are two small RV parks located just outside of town so it's a convenient spot to visit with an RV. Here's us enjoying some beautiful weather at Valle de Juarez...
Christmas Day, 2011.
What do we like about the area? There's a lot of hiking opportunities. The people are very friendly. There are very few other tourists. We get a lot of practice with Spanish. The prices are real (no inflated tourist prices). The weather is perfect for our liking. Wintertime highs of around 22C (71F) with lots of sunshine. No bugs. Did I mention no bugs? There are no bugs! Maybe the occasional house fly... :-)
Valle de Bravo. Mexico State.
Valle de Bravo (pop 61,000) is interesting to us because not many out of country tourists go there. It's an upscale town because it's located on a lake west of Mexico City and a lot of wealthy people from Mexico City have expensive summer homes on the lake. There are several marinas on the north side of the lake that also offer RV parking, although with fairly basic services. There are quite a few Mexican plated RVs that take up space on a seasonal basis.
Valle de Bravo is also popular with paragliding (hang gliding) enthusiasts. The winds are perfect for that activity and there is a hill behind the city that is perfect for launching. So while the area doesn't attract typical tourists from Canada or the U.S., it is regularly visited by the hang gliding crowd.
View of Valle de Bravo and Lago Avanadro.
What do we like about the area? Cheap and plentiful local transportation. Lots of inexpensive food choices. Lots to see in the area. Beautiful scenery. Perfect weather in our opinion.
Barra de Colotepec, Oaxaca
We made a wrong turn to this sleepy little village on the banks of the river Colotpec, located about 8 kms (5 miles) SE of the popular surfing town of Puerto Escondido. We became friends with a local family in the village, and are still in touch today. Unfortunately, Puerto Escondido is growing, and is quickly losing it's charm. But we still like the area, and even though we are not beach people, the friendly locals in the village, and our extended Mexican family there continue to draw us back.
The downside for us is that it's simply too hot and humid. Wintertime temperatures are a constant 32C (89F) and humid. And, the beach areas typically have their fair share of mosquitoes and sand fleas. We're good for about two weeks maximum!
This is how we spend a lot of our time in Barra de Colotepec!
We are so looking forward to our upcoming RV trip to Mexico this winter. Unfortunately, our route doesn't take us to any of our three favorite places!
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Added to our list!
ReplyDeleteI think all three are going to be south of your intended route although Valle de Juarez may not be too much of a detour if you are headed towards Guadalajara. There is always another winter. There is just way too much to see in Mexico for one winter alone. We know, after at least 8 winters we are still finding neat places. :-)
DeleteWe have followed your postings to all those places and sound like the kind of spots we would enjoy also. But maybe not depends on the boss here.
ReplyDeleteI am sure you would like these places George but I don't think Suzie would so much because they are quite a be further down than Mazatlan and more rustic.
DeleteValle de Juarez rocks. I could do another summer there.
ReplyDeleteWhat's stopping you from going again? One day we will spend a summer there. :-)
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