We’ve been to Ajijic, Jalisco in Mexico twice now to visit our friends Jake, Michelle, Henley and Jagger from Retired Toddlers. Each time we’ve had a blast exploring this adorable little Pueblo Magico, and here are our top recommendations:
Where to Drink:
La Casa del Cacao – This place serves amazing homemade cacao drinks! They also have great food options, but we went for the cacao. This is a great way to enjoy a delicious dessert in beverage form!
El Gato Feo Cafe – This is an American owned company with a beautiful location, great wifi, and even better coffee. We recommend going upstairs for a work session to enjoy your beverage!
Dharma Ajijic – This place serves an unreal mezcal cocktail! If you’re looking for somewhere unique to go get a drink, we highly recommend checking this out.
Where to Eat:
Vegan Town – This place serves up a DELICIOUS gluten-free & vegan pizza. It’s family run and super small, but totally worth a visit, especially if you are craving good pizza, like we were.
Ol-lin – This is a vegan restaurant with tons of great options! We went for all you can eat brunch on Sunday and we were able to both healthy options and vegan twists on some of our favorite Mexican dishes. They also do amazing desserts, and we highly recommend leaving room for dessert regardless of what time of day you go. It’s located in a beautiful space with a pool and plants!
Casa Domenech – On Saturdays, they do all you can eat enchiladas and these are easily the best enchiladas we’ve ever had! We’ll be dreaming about the salsa verde until the next time we go back!
We also recommend trying a molcajete while you’re in this area! You can find them at most restaurants and they come piping hot in a stone bowl with your choice of meat, vegetables, and cheese. This is one of our favorite local dishes that we tried while in Ajijic!
What to Do:
Walk on the Malecon & take a photo with the Ajijic sign – Walking on the Malecon is awesome because it takes you from one end of Ajijic to the other all on the lakeshore. The views of the surrounding mountains and lake are stunning.
Shop for local goods – When you walk through the cobblestoned streets of Ajijic, you’ll see a ton of small stores selling local goods. It’s fun to pop into the store to see what jewelry, clothing, or artisanal goods are being offered.
Explore the Centro – There is always something happening in Ajijic’s main plaza, including music, food vendors, and local markets. We recommend checking out the plaza and the main cathedral close to that and getting lost in the adorable streets with their stunning colors and quaint vibe. You will know right away why this is one of Jalisco’s most popular Pueblo Magicos when you walk around the Centro.
Visit a Thermal Spa – There are a few to choose from in Ajijic, but we went to the one at the Hotel Balneario San Juan Costala. We skipped the pool and went straight to the thermal spa, where we bathed in multiple concoctions (oatmeal, coffee, mud, etc), and we left feeling amazing!
Visit Chapala – Chapala neighbors Ajijic and has a beautiful main plaza, a nice Malecon, and a ton of great restaurants! They are very close to one another so if you’re in Ajijic for the weekend, we definitely recommend a trip to Chapala.
Overall, we really love Ajijic and we hope this helps you enjoy it too! We are already dreaming of our next visit.
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