Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico

Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico

One of the many wonderful reasons to live in Ajiic, Lake Chapala is the many quaint day or overnight trips one can take to explore further the magic that is Mexico.

One of our favorites is Tapalpa which is about 2 hours from Ajijic on the road to Manzanillo.

It is high up in the mountains and has many good things to commend it. First, and most important to some, is a golf course.

There is a wonderful place to stay called Casa de la Mati which is a renovated original hacienda. The rooms have stone floors, and fireplaces and wood is delivered to your door. There are very comfortable king sized beds with fluffy duvets and are very quaintly appointed. If you think it would not be cold enough for an open fire you would be wrong. As the altitude is higher it is cooler, especially at night, and there are very aromatic pine trees everywhere reminding some of their northern roots.. When we were there Casa de la Mati had a very good dining room with a floor to ceiling fireplace and also a billiard room.

Tapalpa has a Stonehenge like structure which is a must see.

There is a very old church on the plaza. Upstairs from this plaza is a great place for breakfast serving excellent scrambled eggs and chorizo and delicious hot chocolate not from a package.

Around the corner from the hotel is a store called Girasoles (Sunflowers). It reminded me of my visit to Sundance in Utah with all kinds of interesting things to buy from clothes to home accessories. Girasoles is also a nice place to have lunch. It is very old again with stone floors, white-washed walls and heavily ornate carved doors very reminiscent of old Mexico.

Other possible places to visit are San Miguel de Allende, Queretero (in Queretero one would want to stay at the Casa de la Marquese) Guanauato, Morelia and, of course, Mexico City which is a fantastic historic adventure.

We have visited all of these places and thoroughly enjoyed each and another one on our to visit list is Oaxaca, an old colonial town, of which we have heard many great things.