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32-466: Ajijic ( Spanish pronunciation: [axiˈxik] ) is a town about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) west from the town of Chapala , part of the municipality (also named Chapala), in the State of Jalisco , Mexico . It is situated on the north shore of Lake Chapala , surrounded by mountains. Ajijic enjoys a moderate climate year-round. The population of Ajijic was 11,439 as of the 2020 census. Ajijic

64-586: A UNESCO World Heritage Site; the other two were subsequently brought into compliance and reinstated as Pueblos Mágicos. Some governments have tried to eliminate the program for political reasons but because this model is a citizen-based program focusing on empowering communities, these efforts have been unsuccessful. According to statistics from INEGI, the Pueblo Mágico program has provided great economic value, and created jobs for its participating communities. The program has been recognised by several countries around

96-552: A good source of water. It is one of the oldest villages in Western Mexico. By 1833 it is said to have had a population of no more than 2,000. Ajijic has attracted foreign artists and writers since the 1890s. Englishmen Nigel Millet and Peter Lilley settled in Ajijic before World War II and under the pen name of Dane Chandos wrote Village in the Sun (1945, G.P. Putnam's Sons), about building

128-416: A house on the edge of the lake in nearby San Antonio Tlayacapan. Using the same pen name, Peter Lilley later teamed up with Anthony Stansfeld (an English academic) to write House in the Sun (1949), which concerns the operation of a small inn in Ajijic (now known as the “Old Posada”). These books were written when the main road from Chapala was unpaved, ice was delivered by bus from Guadalajara, and electricity

160-527: A time frame of at least three years. A long-term plan should be for 3 years to make sure the declaration is maintained, and that the town is working to improve conditions for tourists. The program should be updated every three years. VI. Rules and local regulations should be updated to have a touristic focus during the current administration of the Municipality. This is to support and protect visitors and people dedicated to tourism activities. VII. Evidence of

192-584: A total of 83 towns and villages in all 31 states have been awarded the title or nomination of Pueblo Mágico . The program created pride, recognition for its local citizens, and a diversification strategy to promote culture and Mexican traditions. In late 2018, it was reported that the program would be canceled and would not continue for 2019 due to the lack of support of the president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). However, in February 2019, Humberto Hernández, Under-secretary of Development and Tourist Regulation in

224-472: Is 28 miles (45 km) south-southeast of Guadalajara , on Mexican Federal Highway 44 . It is located at 20°20' North, 103°10' West. Although there are several theories as to the origin of the city's name, the most likely is that it comes from Chapalac, the name of the last chief of the Nahuatl -speaking indigenous people of the region. Chapala became an official municipality on September 10, 1864, by decree of

256-626: Is 793 millimetres (31.2 in). Even during the rainy season, precipitation generally occurs during the evening or at night. December and January are the coolest months, with nighttime lows just above 4 °C (39 °F). May is the hottest month, just before the beginning of the rainy season. Overall, there is very little temperature variation year round: daytime highs in January are around 24 °C (75 °F); while daytime highs in May range from 27 °C (81 °F) to 32 °C (90 °F). Up until

288-426: Is a very successful and prestigious program that provides benefits to local residents who benefit from the resulting economic activity bringing prosperity and various tangible and intangible benefits to their communities. Below is the list of sites that were enrolled in the program, but had their titles revoked for failure to meet standards during the re-evaluation or audit. One of them received enhanced recognition as

320-505: Is an initiative led by Mexico's Secretariat of Tourism , with support from other federal agencies, to promote a series of towns around the country that offer visitors "cultural richness, historical relevance, cuisine, art crafts, and great hospitality". It is intended to increase tourism to more localities, especially smaller towns in rural areas. The program promotes visiting small, rural towns, where visitors may see indigenous crafts, landscapes and other attractions. The Government created

352-509: Is good swimming." Since the 1960s, Chapala has been frequented by both Mexican and international tourists. Among the area's cultural attractions is mariachi music, which originated in the state of Jalisco. While many fine mariachi bands have been based in Chapala, the most famous groups are based in larger cities nearby. The most famous mariachi in Mexico is Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán , founded in

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384-448: Is held there each fall, mariachis from throughout the world (including Europe and Asia) regularly participate. Tony Burton describes early tourism in his book “Lake Chapala through the ages: an anthology of travellers' tales.” Chapala, along with its namesake lake, is well established as a weekend getaway destination primarily for inhabitants of the city of Guadalajara . Most of the area's immigrant population (originating primarily from

416-526: Is located 1,538 metres (5,046 ft) above sea level in Mexico's Volcanic Axis also known as the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt . The Chapala Lake basin has a year-round average temperature of about 19 °C (66 °F). Due to Ajijic's tropical latitude and relatively high elevation, it is seldom unpleasantly hot or humid. The rainy season begins in June and lasts until October. The average rainfall

448-408: The state congress ; state support is needed to assign resources, mainly for infrastructure. IV. Direct economic contribution towards touristic development in projects, action plans and programs. Each town must try to differentiate from other towns. The plans should relate to the unique features of the town and why it should be considered. V. An updated municipal touristic development program, with

480-495: The 'Pueblos Mágicos' program to recognize places across the country that have certain characteristics and traditions that make them unique, and historically significant, offering "magical" experiences to visitors. A "Magical Village" is a place with symbolism, legends, history, important events, festivals, traditions, great food, and enjoyable shopping, day-to-day life – in other words, "magic" in its social and cultural manifestations, with great opportunities for tourism. The programme

512-663: The Jalisco State Congress. During the First World War, in 1915, Norwegian speculators intended to make Chapala a luxury resort town. A railway was to be built, with race segregated carriages. In addition to the railway, the speculators would also provide two motor vessels to navigate the lake with connections to the other small towns at the lake shore. A first class hotel was to be built, as well as an automobile club with attached casino. An extensive dam, 8 kilometers long to provide dry land with plots for luxury dwellings. What

544-462: The Ministry of Tourism, said that the program would continue "more strongly than ever." Under the new decentralized strategy, while the tourism ministry will continue to handle qualification of prospective Pueblos Mágicos, its promotion, and branding of the program, state governors will handle the allocation of government funds to projects in the towns. A new class of 11 Pueblos Mágicos was inducted into

576-470: The United States and Canada) reside not in the city proper but in and around Ajijic , a village of approximately 11,000 inhabitants located approximately 5 miles west of Chapala. Many of these residents stay for a long time, and some try to make Chapala like "home." Pueblos M%C3%A1gicos The Programa Pueblos Mágicos ( Spanish: [pweβloˈmaxiko] ; "Magical Towns Programme")

608-669: The arrival of the Spanish, the region was occupied by nomadic Indian tribes, probably the Coca people that settled the northern shore. There seem to be many explanations, and meanings for the names Chapala and Ajijic, all of which are Indian place names, probably derived from Nahuatl , the native language of the area. Ajijic, formerly spelled Axixic , means “place of water” or “place where water bubbles up” in Classical Nahuatl . Don Andres Carlos and Fray Martin founded Ajijic in 1531 because it had

640-490: The best runners/climbers. Hundreds are attracted each September to the unmanned Hot Air Balloon event (Regatta de Globos) where local groups enter their homemade tissue paper balloons some as big as 200 cubic feet. The biggest local event of the year is the San Andreas Fiesta dedicated to Ajijic's patron saint. The Fiesta dominates Ajijic's central plaza and surrounding streets for nine days in late November and attracts

672-470: The cooking competition and chili eating, it attracts scores of vendors selling a large variety of items including art, crafts, clothing and novelties. Ajijic's “Chupinaya Carrera de Montana” attracts about 500 males and females from all over Mexico each July for a grueling 13.8 kilometer foot race to the summit of Cerro La Chupinaya (2,400 meters, 7,874 feet) and back to the Ajijic Plaza in about 90 minutes for

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704-466: The equivalent of traveling three hours by land, from a city with a well-resourced market or good connectivity. The town's municipal and state authorities must request incorporation from the Secretariat of Tourism so that assessment visits can be arranged to evaluate the potential of the site. In addition, towns had to meet specific requirements in order to be considered. The criteria included some of

736-414: The following: I. A formally constituted "Pueblo Mágico committee", citizens who represent the pueblo or local community. If the town is accepted into the program, they are responsible for maintaining the designation by working with the local citizens. Their job is to represent the residents of the town and their interests to make sure that the declaration will benefit all and by working together to maximise

768-578: The late 19th century in the southern Jalisco city of Tecalitlán , but now based in Mexico City . Although mariachi music is believed to have originated in the town of Cocula , the greatest concentration of mariachis can be found in the city of Guadalajara , located about 30 miles north of Chapala; it is considered the city that most epitomizes the external concept of Mexico propagated by the international mass media (characterized by charros , tequila , sombreros , and mariachis). A worldwide mariachi festival

800-490: The local population. As the economy becomes more reliant on tourism, many businesses struggled when that population did not arrive in full strength due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ajijic is a very festive village with many holidays, special events and parades about once a month. Mexico's National Chili Cook-Off has been held in Ajijic since 1978 and attracts thousands of Mexican and international visitors each February. In addition to

832-410: The majority of Ajijic residents. On 1 December 2020, the town of Ajijic, located on Lake Chapala, was designated as the ninth Magical Town of Jalisco ( Pueblo Mágico ) by the federal tourism government. [REDACTED] Media related to Ajijic at Wikimedia Commons 20°18′N 103°17′W  /  20.300°N 103.283°W  / 20.300; -103.283 Chapala, Jalisco Chapala

864-435: The opportunities. This group has to be diverse, with no more than 15 people who are willing to contribute their work pro-bono. Group members should rotate periodically. II. A town council accord, which states an agreement to apply for admittance into the program. The local authorities have to support inclusion in the program, as their support is essential for success. This document affirms the formal support. III. Agreement of

896-455: The program on 1 December 2020, bringing the total to 132. This included the reinstatement of Mexcaltitán, one of the original Pueblos Mágicos, after it lost the designation in 2009. As of August 1, 2023, there are 177 Pueblos Mágicos, located in each of the 31 Mexican states . The objectives of this program are: In order to qualify for the program, towns should have a population of at least 5000, and be located no more than 300 km, or

928-638: The shareholders in the company, "Compania di Fromento di Chapala" received, was only photographs of railway carriages and locomotives. See the book; Gullfeber by Kr.Fr.Brøgger, published in Oslo 1932. In the late 1940s the American writer Tennessee Williams settled in Chapala for a while to work on a play called The Poker Night , which later became A Streetcar Named Desire . As Williams explains in his essay " The Catastrophe of Success ," Chapala offered him an ideal place to work, "a remote place among strangers where there

960-549: The symbolic attraction of the aspiring community, or what makes the town unique. VIII. Availability of health and public security services for tourists in case of an emergency. IX. Documentation of private and social investment in touristic development and quality, including hotel rooms, restaurants, tours, museums, activities, etc. X. Other elements that the committee considers relevant for touristic activity. Mexico has more than 2500 municipalities; hundreds apply annually to this program with very few of them being selected. This

992-425: Was just being installed. The Ajijic population of about 11,000 excludes the hundreds of visitors from Guadalajara (55 kilometres (34 mi) north) who spend weekends and vacations there. Many retired Americans and Canadians now live in Ajijic, with an estimate that immigrants make up more than half of the population in the winter. The influx of large numbers of immigrants has been received with mixed feelings by

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1024-433: Was launched in 2001. After 9 years and 32 towns having been selected, it was improved and relaunched in 2010. The government added resources to support local efforts and made it a priority under Secretary Guevara. Every town was assigned a budget to continue improving its infrastructure, image, product offering, and experience, while making sure they were maintaining their traditions and their festivals were promoted. By 2012,

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