A traditional neighborhood known for its shade trees
A gracious neighborhood developed in the 1960s and ’70s, La Floresta is immediately east of Ajijic. Stately ficus trees are its hallmark, and they form a shady canopy over the carretera, the highway from Chapala to Jocotepec.
The carretera divides Upper La Floresta on the hillside from La Floresta on the shore.
Set on the highway in La Floresta, the Lake Chapala Municipal Auditorium serves as a cultural center for Chapala’s north shore. Dance performances, concerts, theater and more take advantage of its excellent acoustics. The stage alone has room for an 80 piece orchestra.
Valued Ajijic real estate
Within La Floresta, wide avenues and big yards are the norm. Weekend homes for the Guadalajara elite grew up around the Camino Real hotel, today the Real de Chapala. Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, who was president of Mexico from 1964 to 1970, owned an estate here.
Operated for decades by the Autonomous University of Guadalajara, the Real de Chapala boasts well-kept lakeside gardens. They entice residents and visitors for extravagant buffet luncheons on Saturday and Sunday, and a splendid breakfast buffet on Sundays. The bar also has a terrace that overlooks the lake. This is one of the largest Chapala hotels.
Next to the hotel on the shore of Chapala Lake is the Club Nautico, a yacht club for members only.
The horses, whose hoofbeats can be heard throughout the town, congregate in the median strip of Calle Camino Real. They can be rented by the hour to explore the village and shore. In fact, this street is also known as the Paseo del Caballo.
Upper La Floresta offers more modern Chapala real estate. Set on the hillside on the northern side of the highway, it is a beautiful gated community. La Floresta is home to an almost equal mix of Mexicans and expats who choose Mexico retirement.
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