Which Mexican City Should We Move to?
Date: 09/10/2008 Author: Glynna Prentice
Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008
Read more about Mexico in International Living Postcards—your daily escape
Dear Glynna,
My husband Tor (from Oslo, Norway) and I, Kathryn (from New Orleans, La.) wish to thank you for all of your tremendous research efforts with the best places to hang your hat.
We need you desperately as our sounding board for our next major move. This would be beloved Mexico. Many friends, archeological interests, Old World charm, and the like entice us to a handful of desirable places in Mexico.
Authorities as you are, please problem-solve for us. Our criteria seem to drastically differ but your expertise can offer us invaluable advice…
Our criteria:
Tor likes a dry climate, a timberline for hiking and running, outdoor restaurants, music, arts, culture, etc.
The most important things for me are proximity to the States, a warm climate year-round, historic value, ocean atmosphere, art, culture, educated neighbors, outdoor music, and a tremendous love for arts and cultural activities. A place our children want to visit often.
Please compare the cities of Queretaro and Merida, because Tor is inclined to one and I the other.
We have to make some kind of compromise…
Thank you so very much,
Kathryn and Tor
Hi Kathryn,
Queretaro and Merida are so radically different that it’s tough to compare. Have you and Tor visited either one, so that you have an emotional feel for them?
Here’s what I can tell you:
Queretaro is a beautiful colonial city with a mild mountain climate and lots of outdoor activities. Other colonial cities are in the general area, so you have plenty of historic places to visit. Queretaro has good shops, hospitals, and airport. There’s not a big expat community. But many Mexico City residents are fleeing here, so the city is growing very fast—faster than the infrastructure. Queretaro is about a 10-hour drive from the U.S. border in Texas.
Merida, on the other hand, has a hot, dry climate in winter and even hotter humid climate in summer. It has some decent museums, it’s a fabulous city for music in the streets, it has numerous good restaurants, and a great night-time ambience. Plus, there is a good-sized expat community—perhaps several thousand.
It’s as little as half an hour from the Gulf Coast and two-and-a-half to three days to the U.S. border (driving). Some natural parks are within a few hours of Merida, but honestly it’s usually too hot for much hiking.
I have some other options to throw out to you, just in case you aren’t set on these two.
Have you considered Xalapa or Colima?
Xalapa is the capital of Veracruz State, and is known for being a very cultured city—great café scene, best symphony in Mexico, best anthropology museum outside Mexico City, and it has three universities. The population is very sophisticated and the city has a real intellectual energy.
Xalapa is in the mountains—in fact, it’s surrounded by mountains—so it has a year-round mild climate. This area is a center for eco-tourism, and also white-water rafting. It’s just 40 minutes from the Veracruz coast, and about an hour from the Port of Veracruz itself, which is like the New Orleans of Mexico…wonderful ambience. Xalapa also has very reasonably-priced real estate. There’s a small expat community in Xalapa, but it’s not really organized. Veracruz expats are mostly corporate types. The Xalapa/Veracruz area is about a 15-hour drive from the Texas border.
Colima is the capital of Colima State, on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Again, Colima is up in the mountains with a year-round mild climate. Again, it has several universities and there’s a nice feel to the city. Last year, Mexicans voted it the city with the best quality of life in the country. Colima also has a fair amount of music and other cultural amenities. Real estate is reasonable. There’s no expat community to speak of, though.
Colima is an hour by highway from the port city of Manzanillo (also in Colima State). Manzanillo feels like California in the early 1960s, the good parts version: laidback, cheerful, with two five-mile beaches.
Manzanillo has a fairly large snowbird population, a lot of them Canadians. There’s an international airport here, with some direct U.S. flights. Driving, I’d say Manzanillo is about 15 hours from the U.S. border—though it would be on the Pacific side. One down side: Colima/Manzanillo is an earthquake zone, and Colima also has an active volcano right outside town….
Either of these combos could make a good compromise choice for you and Tor. For instance, live in Xalapa for the culture, the climate, the cheap real estate and the mountain sports—then hop in the car and drive for an hour to Veracruz for calypso music, great food, and the beach. You can do something similar with Colima/Manzanillo.
Hope this is helpful!
Regards,
Glynna Prentice
Your Mexico Insider, International Living
P.S. If you subscribe to Mexico Insider you can read about all these destinations. We covered Colima and Manzanillo in issues in late 2007. We covered Veracruz in July 2008 and Xalapa in August.
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- Mexico: The World's Best Retirement Haven
- Yes, a Couple Can Live on $1,500 a Month in Mexico
- The 4 Cs
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