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Mexico: 23 Destinations to Spend the Winter Months
No. 1 of 23 (this is not a ranking)
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Tequisquiapan - What a Great Start  (Part 2 of 2)

Location: two hours north-west of Mexico City
State: Queretaro
Population: 60,000
Altitude: 1860 meters (6,102 feet)
Winter Temperatures: 0 - 24 centigrade (32 - 75 degrees Fahrenheit)
Website:
http://www.tequisquiapan.com.mx/catalogo.php?id=113&cat=14%E2%8A%82=0


If the Posada surpassed our expectations, the magic continued in our exploration of this town. In every respect, it was beautiful and charming.

From its lovely central plaza - Miguel Hidalgo Plaza - to the large calm mercado, where not a soul was inciting us to buy, to its luxury hotels and charming narrow streets, there wasn't a thing that seemed to be out of place. It is one of those places that is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face as you wander about exploring the charms of the city .

During our search for real estate opportunities, we met two families. One was from New Jersey and one from the Vancouver area. They had bought homes just outside the "centro historico" and were very positive in their evaluation of Tequisquiapan. We also met a teacher from Manchester, England who was teaching at the international school in Tequisquiapan. She also raved about the town but noted that for cultural activities, she had to go to Queretaro, about an hour away by bus. Her status as a teacher gave her a 50% discount on public transportation.

For real estate prices, check the website of Gaby Ochoa at

www.gabyohomesbienesraices.com.mx

and her e-mail address is gabyohomes@prodigy.net.mx.

For the English website go to:

http://www.gabyohomesbienesraices.com/index.asp?lang=ing

For conversion to Canadian dollars of prices just remove the last number. For U.S. dollars divide the price by 13.

In every one of the destinations we visited, an attempt was made to contact a real estate agent to get a feel for real estate and rental prices . Other than providing the information, I have no connection to any of the real estate agents nor can I vouch for what they do.

If you go to Tequisquiapan, stop in at the "Tierra Mojado" (wet earth) Coffee Shop at the corner of Morelos and S. Michaus a few steps behind the big church in the central plaza. The owner Manuel, who speaks English, just recently started his coffee shop serving a blend of 12 different coffees as well as an extraordinarily large selection of teas. Future plans call for the addition of a book store beside the coffee shop. It looks like it would make for a comfortable gathering place for the small community of ex-pats which live in Tequisquiapan.

Tequisquiapan

Advantages:

-    temperate climate
-    pleasant day time temperatures and mostly sunny
-    beautiful, clean and relatively large "centro historico"
-    huge orderly "Mercado" where you can shop in peace
-    good selection of restaurants
-    close proximity to Mexico City (two hours)
-    24 hour hospital
-    beautiful flora (in bloom even in December)
-    presence of international school
-    no need for a car if you live in "centro historico"
-    there are new housing developments outside of centro historico
-    the town is a favorite destination for the upper classes of Mexico City and Queretaro
-    Queretaro International Airport is only 20 minutes away
-    it is a spa town
-    we always felt safe and secure while walking around the "centro historico" in day and night time

Disadvantages:

-    very few ex-pats (some may see this as an advantage)
-    lack of cultural activities
-    relatively small town
-    no major shopping facilities (city of Queretaro is 1 hour away)
-    shortage of short term rental facilities in "centro historico"
-    relatively cool night time temperatures at this time of the year
    (i .e. 5 degrees centigrade)
 - we were glad to have brought our sleeping bags since there is no heat in the hotels


Conclusion:

In our opinion "this is the little town that could". This could very well be a place for you if you are looking for a smaller town with a minimal ex-pat population and a maximum exposure to a very refined Mexican experience. This is pretty near the perfect little town in a beautiful setting if you are ok with the lower night time temperatures.

Coming Soon: San Miguel de Allende