Retire in Mexico
Though Baja California is particularly popular among vacationers, the area has a lot to offer to retirees, as well. The peninsula stretches for almost 1000 miles, and as it unfolds, it greets visitors with numerous beaches, missions, mountains, and other fascinating attractions, all set in a desert or subtropical scenery.
Beauty alone is not enough for an area to become appropriate for retirement. Fortunately, Baja California comes with other advantages. The first advantage of Baja California over other retirement areas in Mexico is the geographical location. This is especially critical for those who want to visit their relatives who still live in the US.
Another advantage of Baja California is that prices and the costs of living are considerably lower than the ones in US. Of course, one should not forget that the Mexican mainland comes with even lower prices, but Baja California still remains the favorite destination in the whole Mexico. The low prices are particularly welcome when it comes to medical services. The immediate consequence of the rising costs of health care in US has been an increase in medical tourism. Retirees in Baja will benefit from cheap but qualitative medical care all year around.
Weather is a decisive factor that determines many people to move to Baja. Even though some cities go through periods of rather extreme temperatures, others enjoy exceptional weather, for example, La Paz. What is clear is that all residents of the Peninsulas can enjoy the sun almost every day of the year.
The Baja California map includes both slow-paced, small villages and large cities with mega resorts and exclusive residential areas. Here is a short description of the preferred destinations for retirees in Baja California.
Rosarito Beach
The city can be reached in about 30 minutes of driving from San Diego. This is a fairly large city with a population of around 80,000 individuals, out of whom at least 5,000 are North American, this number can be as high as 14,000 depending on the resource. The number of American residents has increased in recent years due to the liberalization of property ownership and flexible FM-3 residency.
The best place to live in Rosarito Beach, or Rosarito as more commonly referred, is along the coastline because the weather in this part of town is moderate. The Mediterranean climate is kept pleasant by the ocean. However, a few miles inland, temperatures tend to become more extreme.
The Rosarito Landscape is dominated by ranch-style buildings that form suburban neighborhoods. Down south, there are many stylish communities riddled along the ocean cliffs which are populated predominantly by foreigners.
Ensenada
Located a bit more than an hour away from Tijuana, Ensenada benefits from the same weather, residency, and ownership conditions as Rosarito. The city has a generous offer of shopping malls, restaurants, hospitals, language schools and other facilities essential for a comfortable lifestyle.
The accommodation options vary between elegant residential areas and rundown fishing camps. While it seems virtually impossible to estimate the number of North Americans in Ensenada, it is a fact that most of them live near the northern and southern beaches. Prices can get quite low in working-class neighborhoods, but those who prefer to live in an American community should expect to have considerably higher living costs.
San Felipe
The city can easily be reached on a 120 mile long paved road which connects it to the border. The main attractions that turned San Felipe into a popular destination are the beautiful beaches and the great fishing. The stream of visitors, especially RVers, who come here on a regular basis, has changed San Felipe dramatically. In parallel, many retirees settle here to benefit from the beautiful weather 10 months of the year, with only a couple of months of extreme heat for some. However for many, this is the time of the year to visit family and travel.
Today, San Felipe is a retirement community with residences that are numerous and come in various styles. In addition, there are several banks, supermarkets, and many shops, restaurants, and other businesses to keep tourists busy.
Charitable activities are extremely popular, and those interested can become a member of the various local charitable clubs.
Loreto
The weather in Loreto tends to be exceedingly hot during the summer, with slightly lower temperatures near the coast. Once winter comes, the snowbirds and part-time residents arrive making it a buslting community during the season. The temperatures can drop, and sometimes it can be chilly and windy. In spite of this, Loreto remains an excellent retirement destination, especially among those who prefer to settle in a small town.
Loreto has an abundance of history, culture and beauty; from two operating missions built by the Spanish 300 years ago, to cobblestone shopping district, and national marine park with protected islands and amazing fishing year round.
As in most cases, depending on the level of comfort, accommodation can be cheap or it can get exceedingly expensive. Staying in Loreto will never get boring with so many outdoor activities available to those who prefer to lead an active lifestyle.
La Paz
This “Pearl of the Baja” counts 250,000 people, out of whom 35,000 are full-time North American residents, according to some reports. The weather is brilliant due to the breezes coming from Bay of La Paz, and it becomes particularly pleasant during the winter months. Overall, the city is clean, modern, prosperous, safe, and extremely generous in terms of shops and restaurants.
In La Paz, retirees seem to be tremendously eager to mix with the Mexican community. Most retirees live on the southern side of La Paz together with Mexican families, so this offers the opportunity to get familiarized with the local culture and language. Living costs range from reasonable to outrageous.
Retirees frequently become involved in the community through charitable actions, and these initiatives contribute considerably to the harmonious coexistence between the locals and North Americans.
Los Cabos
The Los Cabos area is made up of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. These towns used to be significantly different in the past, but today they are becoming more and more similar.
Not so long before, San Jose del Cabo was largely ignored by vacationers and retirees. Today, the town is nothing of what it used to be, and it constitutes a fearsome rival to Cabo San Lucas. The most notable change undergone by San Jose Del Cabo is that it tripled its size, mainly due to high-paced development and international airport.
Los Cabos area is attractive mostly for the balmy climate, abundant fish, desert scenery, accessible international airport, and first-class golf courses. Los Cabos is a bustling place, so it will probably not meet the expectations of those looking for small, quiet communities.
Todos Santos
The quiet alternative to Los Cabos in Baja California Sur is Todos Santos. Up until 1986, the little village was totally separated from the surrounding cities. The paved highway built in the 80s took Todos Santos out of its isolation and put it on the tourist map. The highway allowed an increasing number of people to come here, and business men soon understood that the village presents a potential for development.
Right now, Todos Santos continues to be a quiet place, but momentous changes are in sight. Other reasons that contribute a great deal to its popularity are the mild climate and the endless supply of water coming from a nearby mountainous range.
Todos Santos once produced sugarcane, but these days you are more likely to find art, artists and coffeeshops.