Discover Mexico's Premier Retirement Destinations

Safety, great lifestyle, wonderful weather, and close to home, were the things I was looking for when I decided to retire. I soon found out that Mexico was a place where you can find all those things and much more. Of course it is a big country with a lot of beautiful cities and Magical Towns, but not all of them had the things I was looking for. So, I want to share with you my top spots to retire in Mexico.

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Why should I retire in Mexico?

The first time I visited Mexico, I stopped by the southeast coast, the Mexican Caribbean. I suddenly felt the need to stay longer than planned. Talking with some neighbors I realized I was not the only one. Many people come to this beautiful country and then decide they never want to leave. It’s no surprise, Mexico is a very diverse country with mountains, coasts and picturesque colonial cities. It has archeological sites, lakes, lagoons, rivers and even cenotes (natural fresh swimming pools) and it is also very rich in culture and traditions.

Being so close to USA and Canada is one of the biggest plus for those retirees coming from there. It is the perfect place if you want to start a great adventure, but don’t want to be so far from your hometown. Besides, English is widely spoken in the most popular Mexican destinations.

In short, Mexico is a wonderful place with great climate, friendly people, and fresh opportunities to live, play, and enjoy! It s no coincidence that more than a million expats are estimated to live in Mexico full- or part-time. They are scattered all over the country!

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Benefits

It is not a trendy thing to retire in Mexico. It has been a famous spot to retire abroad for more than 30 years now. Of course, as I said before, it is attractive to North Americans and Canadians due to its proximity, but more and more Europeans are now joining the expat life in Mexico, and here are some of the benefits of doing so:

• The cultural and gastronomic diversity in Mexico is huge. In a matter of minutes you can change landscapes, types of cuisine, weather, kind of people, just by moving from one city to the other.

• Residency applications are really easy to get. Actually, the Mexican immigration laws just recently simplified the whole process.

• It has several well-communicated airports so you can easily connect to any part of the world.

• The cost of living is lower than in USA, Canada and Europe. Food, shopping, partying, keeping fit, home bills, you name it! Everything is way cheaper than back at home.

• You feel safe in Mexico. I know, I know you might have heard something different in some media outlets broadcast, but Mexico is actually a safe place to live. And you will experience it as soon as you come down here. In fact, many expats have reported feeling safer in Mexico than they did in their home nation.

• The medical facilities are great and the doctor costs are way lower than in many other places.

• Buying a property is easy and you can find deals and presales at a very convenient and affordable price!

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The most difficult part about retiring in Mexico is choosing where to move in!

However, when I decided to retire in Mexico was because I experienced all these things first hand. So, In my experience, here are my favorite five cities to retire. Why? Because they stand out from the crowd and cover my entire musts: safety, lifestyle, climate and proximity.

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Beach living

I am passionate about the beach lifestyle. This is why here you will find most of my favs. But think about it. If someone is talking about turquoise water and white-sand beaches the first thing that pops into your mind is the Caribbean, isn’t it? Well, if you are looking to retire enjoying a beach lifestyle, then The Riviera Maya is for you.

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The Riviera Maya

All of its beach towns scattered along the coast are gorgeous, fancy and very safe.

Although Playa del Carmen is not a little town anymore, it has the laidback beach vibe of one. It is one of the fastest-growing destinations in Mexico, but somehow, you can still get the feeling of being in a small town.

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Playa del Carmen

The famous Quinta Avenida, Playa del Carmen main street, offers upper-end shopping, restaurants, hotels, condos and bars, making it one of the best nightlife spots in the city. It is a pedestrian walkway that runs parallel to the shore. Walking along its streets you will sense the cosmopolitan feel it has, since there is a great number of worldwide expats living there.

If you are looking for 300 days of sun, a lot of entertaining options to spend the day, but at the same time a quiet and safe place to live, Playa del Carmen is perfect for you.

Here, the living options are so wide that you can choose from a spacious studio next to the beach, to a huge residence next to the golf course.

If you keep moving south, just 15 minutes away from Playa you will find an exclusive gated community called Puerto Aventuras. If you are looking to retire in style, this is definitely the place to do so.

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Puerto Aventuras

It is the only marina you will find between Cancun and Belize that offers the services of a top nautical destination. If you are looking forward to a retirement full with afternoons sailing the Carribean Sea during sunset, you should know that it holds boats up to 150 ft. including catamarans and sailboats.

Inside Puerto Aventuras you will find beautiful white sand beaches, two big marinas, a golf course & tennis courts, aquatic activities, cenotes, a great variety of restaurants, bars, and hotels, It also has Mayan ruins, playgrounds, services such as ATMs, a veterinary’s office, a bilingual school, and a lot more! There is security 24/7 so you can even walk back home from the bar through the cobblestone streets.

Outside Puerto Aventuras you have everything just a few minutes away: archeological sites, gastronomic and entertainment experiences, nightlife and the best of what the Riviera Maya has to offer.

15 more minutes to the south you will find Akumal, the hidden treasure of the Riviera Maya.

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Akumal

If you are looking to retire in a small-town (but upscale) beach life on this coast, head to Akumal. Although it is very small, it offers some large residential communities with beach clubs and golf courses.

Its name means land of the turtles in Mayan, so you can imagine why it is famous for: its spectacular pristine waters filled with sea turtles. Akumal used to be a day-trip spot or even just a morning stop before heading to Tulum. Today, it has become a growing tourist attraction and thus, a relevant investment opportunity.

Just think about starting your day off serenaded by cheerful birds and surrounded by the lush tropical jungle of the Caribbean. Here you can choose to have a retirement as quiet as you want, or to give a boost to your social life sharing with tourists and the other local residents. Since it’s so quiet, safety is guaranteed.

If you keep going south 20 more minutes, you will reach Tulum, a Magical Town.

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Tulum

Life in Tulum is laidback and easygoing, though, it is one of the most trendy and chic destinations of the moment. It is a magnet for fashionistas and other trendsetters who come to get away from it all. And it is obvious why. Rocky coastlines intermix with white sand beaches, spectacular cenotes, tropical jungles and remnants of Mayan temples. The perfect spot for bragging on social media!

The atmosphere all around is rustic and boho-chic. You will find palm-thatched palapas alongside gourmet restaurants, and unspoiled, quiet beaches that are considered one of the world’s most beautiful.

A healthy lifestyle is widely promoted. Yoga classes, juice bars and vegetarian restaurants are more in favor than nightclubs and bars. Although dining and going out for a drink or two are the favorite socializing activities for expats and retirees.

Although it has grown considerably in the past few years, it has remained a safe destination.

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Colonial Living

Of course not everyone is passionate about the beach as I am, but Mexico has a place for each taste. One of the most popular things about Mexico is its picturesque cities, and San Miguel de Allende is the best of them all.

San Miguel de Allende

It is a beautifully preserved Spanish-colonial town. Its colorful architecture, its narrow cobblestoned streets and its large population of artists made it come first for two years in a row as “The Best Place to Live” according Travel + Leisure. Also, its colonial downtown is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Its warm weather, friendly expat community, welcoming locals, amazing cultural traditions, and a focus on the arts are some of the many benefits it has to offer.

So if you have an artistic soul and consider yourself an art lover, San Miguel is definitely for you. It has a thriving arts scene with live theater, lectures, book clubs, live music performances, foreign and independent films theaters, and much more.

Thanks to the tourism and the large population of foreign residents, there is a great variety of dining options. You can find everything from street tacos and simple meals in local restaurants, to world-class cuisine from around the world, including Italian, sushi, vegetarian, as well as gourmet options.

It is not only safe to walk through its narrow beautiful streets. It is also safe to travel from the nearby airports (Leon, Queretaro, Mexico City) to San Miguel either by car, shuttle, or bus. And it is also safe to take day trips throughout the state of Guanajuato.

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As I mentioned above, I experienced these cities on my own, and I highly recommend you to do the same. TAO Mexico offers a tour called Discovery Weekend in which you can get to know the city from a local perspective. They will show you their fascinating developments in a relaxing and low-pressure environment. Plus, the all- inclusive experience will give you a highlight of what these cities have to offer.

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