Town 7 km east of Ajijic
The lake's original resort town: a long malecón, a busy pier with boats to the islands, and early-1900s lakeside villas.
Chapala is the town that gave Mexico's largest lake its name, about 7 kilometers east of Ajijic along the north shore. It is bigger and busier than Ajijic, and on weekends families from Guadalajara fill its malecón, its seafood stands and its pier.
Chapala became a getaway in the late 19th century, when foreign and Guadalajara families began building summer houses by the water. Many of those villas, built between the 1870s and the 1920s in European styles, still line the streets east and west of the parish of San Francisco de Asís. A short-lived railway once connected the town with Guadalajara, and its old station is now the González Gallo cultural center. Writers came too: D. H. Lawrence spent part of 1923 here, and Tennessee Williams worked on an early draft of A Streetcar Named Desire in Chapala in the 1940s.
For visitors staying in Ajijic, Chapala is an easy half-day: a walk on the malecón, lunch by the lake, and a boat ride from the pier out to Isla de los Alacranes or farther to Isla de Mezcala.
What to see and do
Walk the malecón from the pier to the lakeside park, best in the late afternoon.
Take a boat from the pier to Isla de los Alacranes; agree on the price and the length of the trip before you set off.
Look at the old lakeside villas along Hidalgo street and around the parish of San Francisco de Asís.
Visit the González Gallo cultural center in the old railway station for exhibitions and events.
Eat charales, the small fried lake fish, or other seafood at the stands near the pier.
Getting there
Chapala is about 15 minutes east of Ajijic by car or taxi on the lakeshore road (Carretera Chapala–Jocotepec). Local buses run along the same road between the lakeside towns and stop in central Chapala, a few blocks from the malecón. Parking near the pier fills up on weekends.
7 km east of Ajijic
Directions from Ajijic on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Chapala
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Chapala.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Weather mild
Chapala shares the climate of Ajijic, 7 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Mar, Apr, Nov.
Make Ajijic your base
Chapala is an easy trip from Ajijic, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Ajijic
-
San Juan Cosalá
· Hot springs · 9 km away
A lakeside village just west of Ajijic known for its natural hot springs, with thermal pools and spas open to day visitors. -
Isla de los Alacranes
· Nature reserve · 11 km away
A small scorpion-shaped island off Chapala, sacred to the Wixárika (Huichol) people, reached by boat from Chapala's pier. -
Cajititlán
· Town · 16 km away
A town on a small lagoon north of the mountains, famous for its Three Kings festival in January; boat rides on the lagoon. -
Jocotepec
· Town · 18 km away
The town at the lake's western end, with a lakeside malecón, a lively plaza, and views back along the whole north shore. -
Isla de Mezcala
· Landmark · 24 km away
A small island where insurgents held out against Spanish forces from 1812 to 1816; a fort and prison ruins remain.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.