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Patzcuaro
Compared to the thousands who live in the more famous expatriate mountain communities of Lake Chapala and San Miguel de Allende, only 50-60 North Americans have chosen Patzcuaro as their Mexican settlement of choice . The dearth of foreign residents in Patzcuaro is, at first glance, strange because all three towns have similar attractions for expatriates. However, a few factors - justified or not - manage to put Patzcuaro in the negative column.
Situated at over 7,000 feet above sea level, it is more than 2,000 feet higher than Lake Chapala and 1,000 feet above San Miguel. This does affect Patzcuaro's ambient temperature sufficiently that it has a reputation for being "too cold" in the winter - a phrase unlikely to attract many North Americans, for whom living in Mexico is analogous with a sunny, hot climate. While it is colder than Lake Chapala it hardly differs from San Miguel's cool winter climate. So temperature alone is not enough. Patzcuaro does, however, tend to be wetter than either Lake Chapala or San Miguel and this combined "adverse weather factor" has contributed to it being largely ignored by gringos as a place to put down roots. Yet, the similarity between it and its more popular cousins is striking.
Patzcuaro is situated in the state of Michoacan just one hour's drive west of Morelia, the State capital, and has a population of about 75,000. Located high in the Western Highlands of the Sierra Madre, it is 4 - 5 hours drive from either Lake Chapala or San Miguel and has many characteristics in common with these towns.
Patzcuaro's most obvious similarity with Lake Chapala is it's location on a major lake, Lake Patzcuaro. In addition, it is close to all the services offered by a major city: Lake Chapala is an hour¹s drive away from Guadalajara just as Patzcuaro is an hour from Morelia - both via four lane highways. These major cities provide all the services necessary for expatriates to survive living in Mexico (Wal-Marts and MacDonalds) and the other essentials (excellent hospitals and international airports). The other point of commonality it shares with Lake Chapala is its quick and easy access to the Pacific coast. Just as Lakeside residents can reach Manzanillo in 4 hours so Patzcuarans can now drive to Ixtapa-
Zihuatanejo in a similar time span via the new toll highway.
With regard to San Miguel de Allende the similarities are fewer but even more striking. They are close in elevation - and therefore in climate - and both are historic colonial cities resplendent with magnificent examples of colonial architecture. It is the differences between Patzcuaro and the other two communities that mark it as a very popular place in the hearts of Mexican tourists and a rare tourist destination for gringos. Although it is but a few hours drive from both, it is a thousand miles apart in its attraction for most foreigners.
Patzcuaro is essentially an Indian town. Situated in the midst of Purepecha Indian (Tarascan) territory its streets teem with native indians rather than the mestizos that dominate larger towns across Mexico. Interestingly Patzcuaro is not as far off the beaten track as San Miguel de Allende and yet has remained somewhat of a backwater as far as development is concerned. This is somewhat ironical when one considers it was developed as a commercial centre by the Spanish under the direction of Vasco de Quiroga, Bishop of Michoacan, in an attempt to redress the brutal excesses wrought upon the Purepecha by the notorious conquistador, Nuno de Guzman.
Vasco de Quiroga reorganized local communities into craft villages, each one specializing in a different craft. Patzcuaro became a pottery centre where table settings are produced to this day. Surrounding villages can specialize in any one of many crafts, from fine copper, wood furniture and lacquerware to perhaps the best guitars and violins still being made in Mexico. Patzcuaro is more than a commercial centre, it is still a spiritual centre for the Purepecha.
Patzcuaro¹s drawback must be its climate because it has everything else that the Lake Chapala communities and San Miguel have - except for a large gringo population. Herein may lie the other reason for its continued small expatriate population. Not too many foreigners settle in Patzcuaro because there are not enough fellow expatriates to feel "safe" and expatriate social life is a lot more limited than in a larger community. Also, there is little chance that the locals (except for the educated middle class and some professional people) will be conversant in English, so an initial smattering of Spanish would be even more advantageous here than say in San Miguel. Most foreigners today prefer to settle in a community already well established as a "foreign enclave" where not only can you meet and greet other foreigners daily for a coffee or a beer, but English is the lingua franca of daily life (even shopping). Social events - organized by a plethora of expatriate clubs and societies - are available for those who wish to participate. They even have their own locally produced weekly English language newspapers. Patzcuaro has none of these "advantages" so it is very much a place for the more independently minded gringo. Fewer foreigners sometimes means lower rental and property prices and Patzcuaro is still reasonable compared to Lake Chapala or San Miguel de Allende. Patzcuaro does not have a sophisticated real estate market that can give accurate figures. The one realtor I found in Patzcuaro was for a Century 21 franchise. Its website is in Spanish only but it does feature a new residential development, Corazan de Durazno. This section was in English so somebody out there is actively pursuing the Anglo market. The little information showed a modern house on an otherwise grassy hill (apparently with a view of Lake Patzcuaro) with a short blurb announcing prices started at $96,000 US. Further enquiries on re-sales elicited price guestimates of $25,000+ US for a real "fixer-upper" near downtown, while a "habitable" home could fetch anywhere from $100,000 - $200,000 US. These prices are on the rise reflecting growing demand and a generally strong housing market across the country. Rentals too are rising but are still affordable - good news for those considering living here because the best advice to any potential buyer is to rent first to make sure this really is the place for you.
If Patzcuaro wants to be a retirement destination they really need to promote themselves better. True they cannot make the mean temperature rise or stop the rain, but they can publicize the many advantages the town has. On the other hand maybe the locals and the few gringo residents prefer it the way it is - a beautiful Purepecha, colonial town where tourists come but do not stay long enough to upset the rhythm of life. Perhaps a cool, wet climate is a blessing after all.
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