Campeche Retirement Profile

Campeche: A visually stunning town with friendly inhabitants and excellent access to untouristy beaches and fabulous Maya ruins, including Calakmul, Edzna, and others. Located just 1.5 hours south of Merida, Campeche. A small but growing expat community where you can still find deals on real estate.

Swimming
About 10 km/6 mi away, Playa Bonita or if you belong to the Campeche Country Club there is a 500 metre private beach that is groomed and maintained daily.

Bike Riding
Flat, wide streets easy to negotiagte

Fishing
Fishing trips out of Champoton

Golfing
12 kms/8mi away from the city centre is the Campeche Golf and Country Club

Tennis
a Tennis city

Walking
An excellent walking city; walk, jog or blade along the lovely cement ‘boardwalk.’

Good Food
Unusual Maya-inspired dishes. Specialty in crab dish’s and coconut shrimp.

Supermarket
several chain supermarkets including Sam’s, Walmart and Home Depot

Museums
Small museums in pirate-proof bastions of yore

Ruins
Remnants of defensive walls and bastions ring the inner city; extensive Maya ruins throughout the state, including nearby Edzna

Sightseeing
Most attractions reveal Maya archaeology and colonial history

Spanish School
Aprende espanol!

Shopping
A brand new mall now hosts many of the usual stores you find throughout Mexico

Movies
English-language movies

Jungle
Surrounded by jungle

Colonial
a UNESCO World Heritage Site inside the remains of a defensive wall is fab-u-loso!

Ocean
Great for walks, not for swimming but the Campeche Country Club does have a private 500 meter beach which is one of the most beautiful in the Yucatan with calm waters and no seaweed

Town
It’s a city that feels like a town

Humid
Hot and humid, but sea breezes cool

International Airport
in Merida, 1.5 hours away

Border
Only if you mean the Guatemalan border

Remote
Very untouristy and far from the madding crowd

 

Bacalar Retirement Profile

A beatuiful lagoon perfect for boating, nearby sinkholes, and the some of the best snorkeling in the world in nearby Belize. A growing expat community. Located 4.5 hours from Cancun

Swimming
Perfect for those who like a bath-like environment and clear water. Swim in the Lazoon of Seven Colors or in huge Cenote Azul or other nearby limestone ponds..

Bike Riding
The town is great for bike riding: nice and flat and with little traffic. Several storefronts rent bikes.

Fishing
Fishing in the lagoon is limited but there are other possibilities relatively close, including the Caribbean sea and river.

Golfing
2 hours away

Walking
Walk through town or along the lagoon.

Kayaking
Great for kayaking in the lagoon or Cenote Azul. Some of the beachfront hotels rent or loan kayaks.

Boating
A great place for boating.

Reading
Perfect place to lose yourself in a good book.

Museums
There’s a small museum in the old fort.

Ruins
Ruins within a few hours.

Jungle
Not super jungly, but in the jungle part of Mexico.

Colonial
With strong pre-Hispanic roots, this was also a colonial town.

Ocean
On the Bacalar Lagoon, and not too far from the Caribbean.

Lake
Swim in lovely Cenote Azul at the south end of town; the lagoon itself is fed by several other cenotes.

Town
Fewer than 10,000 inhabitants.

International Airport
In Cancun 4.5 hours away

Charm
If you like small, unassuming Mexican towns on the water, this is the place for you.

 

Merida Retirement Profile

Capital of Yucatan State, Merida was an important Maya city called T’ho that resisted Spanish domination for several decades. Hot and sultry, Merida today is a busy metropolis that attracts many tourists, both foreign and domestic. In addition to being a good base for touring the region, this friendly city offers loads of cultural activities and has an active ex-pat population.

 

Swimming
hotel swimming pools; cenotes (sinkholes) in surrounding countryside for the adventurous. The Gulf of Mexican and the Progresso beaches are 43kms/26 mi away

Bike Riding
Busy city streets make riding dicey

Fishing
In Progreso, or with fishermen along the north coast

Golf
2 Private courses

Walking
Lots of neighborhoods and city walking, but noisy traffic, smelly buses

Good Food
Cochinita pibil (pit-cooked pork in banana leaves); sopa de lima (fresh lime-sparked chicken soup); panuchos (puréed black bean-stuffed corn tortillas); hot chile habanero

Art
Art museum

Reading
Has an excellent English-language lending library

Supermarket
Several large supermarkets, Costco, Sam’s, Walmart, Home Depot

Museums
Many Museums

Ruins
An excellent base for visiting nearby ruins as daytrips or overnight excursions

Sightseeing
Excellent day trips to see ruined Franciscan monasteries, small towns, or the north coast

Spanish School
several major Spanish schools

Tennis
a Tennis City

Handicrafts
Wonderful hammocks, huipiles and guayaberas, some “Panama” hats, but fewer crafts than one might expect

Shopping
Plenty of shops, some nice silver jewelry

Movies
Several movie theaters with English-language films

Sporting Events
major birding festival, Baseball team

Jungle
A major city, but surrounded by scrubby low jungle

Colonial
A colonial city

Ocean
Progreso, Gulf of Mexico, 40 minutes away; Caribbean 4 hours away

Lake
No lakes, but area full of fascinating sinkholes (cenotes) for bathing

Country
Aging haciendas turned B&B, some for sale

Town
Merida is a busy city, but old neighborhoods invite exploration

City
A friendly, bustling city perfumed by bus fumes

Humid
Exceptionally hot and humid

 

Valladolid Retirement Profile

Halfway between Cancun and Merida, this town of 35,000 is a good base for exploration. A growing town that is compact and still undiscovered

Swimming
Several cenotes, one right in town

Bike Riding
nice and flat, but best riding early morning or late afternoon because of heat

Golf
About 2 hours away in Playa del Carmen or Cancun

Good Food
some unusual Yucatecan dishes

Reading
why not? good way to avoid the midday heat

Museums
small San Roque musuem near main plaza

Ruins
excellent ruins, including Chichen Itza, Ek Balam, Coba and more 35 km or less

Sightseeing
not too much in town, but plenty to see in the vicinity

Handicrafts
hammocks, huipiles and other Yucatecan crafts

Birdwatching
great birdwatching at Rio Lagartos, several hours away by car

Colonial
Settled in the 16th century by the Spanish

Ocean
Cancun is 150 km away, northern beaches a little less

Town
With 35,000 inhabitants, this small city feels like a town

City
With 35,000 inhabitants, this small city feels like a town

Humid
Doesn’t get much more humid than this!

Nature
cenotes for swimming, birdwatching at north coast; Isla Holbox has whale sharks

Simple
Simple pleasures, basic hotels and a low-key lifestyle

Remote
Yes, it’s remote!