How to Spend One Day at Lake Chapala in Jalisco

In this blog post, you can read about how to spend one day at Lake Chapala, Mexico’s largest freshwater lake. Lake Chapala is an excellent day trip if you’re visiting Guadalajara, the capital city of the state of Jalisco.

For reference, we spent 3 weeks in Guadalajara, so we had the chance to take many incredible day trips like this one to Lake Chapala. During this time we learnt a lot about the area and its historical significance, witnessed a few traditions, tasted some tequila and tried a ton of Mexican food. All in all, we fell in love with this area of the country. So, I hope this blog post will help you to plan your itinerary, see what to expect or convince you that you have to take a trip to Jalisco.

Introducing Lake Chapala

Located approximately 45km southeast of Guadalajara at the border of the states of Jalisco and Michoacán is Mexico’s largest freshwater lake. Situated at 1,524m above sea level, Lake Chapala covers an area of about 1,100 sq km. The 80km long and 12.5km wide lake is actually pretty shallow with a maximum depth of 10.5m.

The lake is fed by the rivers of Lerma, Zula, Huaracha and Duero and drained by the Rio Grande de Santiago. 

Did you know? – The water should then flow into the Pacific Ocean, however due to a massive fall in water supply from the River Lerma, no water has actually flowed out of the lake in over 30 years.

The lake has three small islands, namely: Isla de los Alacranes, Isla Mezcala and La Isla Menor. Apparently the second one has an old Spanish fort on it as well as an old Mexican prison.

The beautiful lake has a backdrop of many mountains and sierras creating a picture perfect location for its visitors. 

Fun Fact – From the late 20th century, the scenic location of Lake Chapala started to attract retired U.S and Canadian citizens. So, don’t be surprised if you hear more English speakers when visiting Lake Chapala than anywhere else in Jalisco.

Unfortunately, the beautiful lake is prone to erosion and pollution due to deforestation and industrial, agricultural and municipal waste. The mixture of these factors has led to the spread of an invasive species of water hyacinth in the lake.

How to Get to Lake Chapala

There are multiple ways to get to Lake Chapala as follows:

By car: Probably the easiest and most convenient way to visit Lake Chapala is by private car. I recommend renting a car if you’re planning on doing a few day trips from Guadalajara, as it will give you much more freedom to move around in your own time. Since we stayed with my friend who had a car, we didn’t rent a car during our stay in Jalisco. I saw many great and detailed articles about renting a car in Mexico, so I suggest you do thorough research before picking a company. Discover Cars has been recommended on multiple websites where you can find the best rates as it compares local, national and international companies.

Lake Chapala is only about an hour’s drive to the south from Guadalajara. You can find on street parking spaces and dedicated car parks too in Chapala, Ajijic and Jocotepec.

By bus: You can always opt to take the bus to Lake Chapala. ‘Chapala Plus’ operates regular bus services between Guadalajara and the towns of Chapala. You can plan your itinerary on their website where you can find more information about their services. In addition, I also recommend using Rome2Rio website when planning any trips via public transport. 

By tour: If you want to skip all the planning, then you can always opt for an organised tour to visit Lake Chapala. Make sure to shop around and find the best company based on your budget and interests.

How to Spend One Day at Lake Chapala

Obviously there’s a lot more to do and see around Lake Chapala, but the below itinerary is probably the best if you only have one day in the area. You can obviously reverse the order of your trip, but I personally think that watching the sunset in Jocotepec is the best way to finish your one day in Lake Chapala itinerary. 

1. Watch the Dance of the Flyers in Chapala

The best place to start your one day itinerary is in the town of Chapala. The town is the oldest and most populated of the villages along the shore known as Lakeside. These villages from east to west are: Chapala, San Antonio Tlayacapan, Ajijic, San Juan Cosala and Jocopetec.

The town was founded in 1538 and its name is likely coming from Chapalac, who was one of its earliest Indian chiefs.

Chapala’s altitude is 1,530 m (5,020 ft). It has an average temperature of around 20 degrees C which makes it an ideal all-year-round location to visit. 

Things to do in Chapala

1. Relax at Plaza de Chapala. Walk around or sit on a bench at the main square in Chapala. Make sure not to confuse this with its malecon by the lake.
2. Visit the Parroquia de San Francisco church. The beautiful church is located just to the south of the main square.
3. Take a photo of the giant ‘Chapala’ sign. Located across from the Parroquia de San Francisco is the unmissable ‘Chapala’ sign you just have to take a photo of.
4. Walk through the Rinconcito de Amor all the way to Faro de Chapala. From the giant sign walk out to the lighthouse and enjoy the view of Lake Chapala.
5. Stroll along the Malecón de Chapala. Malecóns are pathways that follow the edge of the sea or, in this case, lakes in Mexico. 
6. Watch the Dance of the Flyers. If you didn’t know the Dance of the Flyers or Danza de los Voladores is an ancient Mesoamerican tradition to connect with the gods. During the ritual five dancers dance around then climb a 30m tall pole. At the end four of the five participants launch themselves off the platform, tied with ropes around one leg and descend to the ground headfirst. The fifth stays on top of the pole, dancing and playing a flute and drum. 

Top Tip – Before the flyers jump off the pole, the leader will walk around and collect some tips. Therefore, make sure to have some small change on you that you can give.

2. Admire the Murals in Ajijic

The next stop on your one day in Lake Chapala itinerary should be Ajijic. The colourful town is less than 5km to the west of Chapala. 

At 1,538m (5,046 ft) Ajijic’s altitude is slightly higher than Chapala’s but it has the same inviting average temperature of around 20 degrees C. 

Ajijic is actually the most popular town amongst retirees and I can see why. The town is colourful, lively, has amazing views and tons of festivals and special events every month. Other than a lot of celebrations, Ajijic is also considered a very artistic town filled with art galleries and other vendors selling crafts and clothes. 

Since 2020 Ajijic has also been a Pueblo Magico or Magical Town. Click here to learn more about Pueblo Magicos. 

Things to do in Ajijic

1. Take a walk along the Malecón de Ajijic. Just like in Chapala, you can’t visit Ajijic without walking along its malecón. 
2. Take a photo of the giant ‘Ajijic’ sign. Located along the Malecon de Ajijic you’ll find the giant ‘Ajijic’ sign to snap a photo of.
3. Visit Parroquia de San Andrés Apostol. It’s a beautiful church located at the junction of Parroquia and Marcos Castellanos streets. 
4. Admire the murals and colourful walls. No matter where you’re walking, you’ll find some amazing murals and colourful buildings in Ajijic. However, there are two walls called ‘The Wall of the Dead’ (El Muro De Las Calaveras) and the mural ‘Magia de Ajijic’ that you shouldn’t miss. They are both located across from Parroquia de San Andrés Apostol. ‘The Wall of the Dead’ is actually a primary school’s wall and was created in 2006 in honour of those who’ve died in Ajijic. 
5.  Relax at Plaza Principal de Ajijic. Again, a visit to any Mexican town wouldn’t be complete without sitting on a bench at the main square. 

3. Watch the Sunset in Jocotepec

You should finish your one day in Lake Chapala itinerary in Jocotepec. The town is the most westerly town of the Lakeside towns. Similar to the above towns, Jocotepec also has an average temperature of 22 degrees C. 

The town’s name has changed slightly over the years. Its first settlers gave it the name ‘Xuxutepeque’, which was then changed to ‘Xilotepec’. Finally, in 1529, the town’s name became Jocotepec which means ‘Hill of Guavas’. 

Things to do in Jocotepec

1.  Visit Plaza Jocotepec. I guess you just really can’t skip the town’s main square.
2.  Visit Parroquia del Señor del Monte. Across from the main square is a beautiful church you can visit. 
3. Take a photo of the giant ‘Jocotepec’ sign. You can find the giant ‘Jocotepec’ sign along the malecón.
4. Watch the sunset from Malecón de Jocotepec. A visit to Jocotepec wouldn’t be complete without watching the sunset from the malecón. It was honestly the best way to finish our trip to Lake Chapala. 

Additional Things to Do in Jalisco

The Guadalajara area in Jalisco is definitely a place that offers a great amount of unique activities. Therefore, if you’re in the area for a bit longer, make sure to check out some fun day trips and hikes you can easily do from Guadalajara:

• Explore Guadalajara Historic Centre – A 5km long self guided walk around Guadalajara Historic Centre connecting all attractions that you can’t miss when visiting the city.
• 8 Day Trips from the City of Guadalajara, Jalisco – 8 day trips from Guadalajara that you can’t miss.
• How to Spend One Day in Tequila, Jalisco – The best way to spend one day in Tequila, the birthplace of the famous tequila drink located in the state of Jalisco in Mexico.
• The Ultimate Guide to Hiking the Barranca de Huentitán in Guadalajara, Jalisco – A detailed guide to hiking the iconic Barranca Canyon.

You can also browse my Mexico blog posts for more Mexican adventures.

Final Thoughts On Spending One Day at Lake Chapala

Although we heard more English around Lake Chapala then anywhere else in Jalisco, we really enjoyed visiting its Lakeside towns. We can now totally see what attracts not only Mexicans, but people from all over the world. Despite the high ratio of expats and retirees, you can still very much enjoy Mexican traditions and cuisine. There’s really no shortage to the activities, and we do feel like we could easily return in the future and explore more of the area. 

Have you ever been to Lake Chapala or to Guadalajara before? If so, how much of the area did you manage to explore and what was your favourite spot? If not, would you want to visit any of these places? Let me know in the comments below.