Are there rivers, lakes and waterfalls in or around Mexico?
Antonio Hernandez
Mexico doesn't have that many lakes and the ones we have tend to be shallow. The biggest lake of Mexico is Lake Chapala. Lake Chapala's maximum depth is around 20 to 25 meters (66 to 82 feet).
In the neighboring state of Michoacán, there are other three important lakes.
Lake Cuitzeo near the city of Morelia is a very shallow lake. The lake looks like a swamp with birds walking on it because it is so shallow. You will not miss this lake when you cross...
Mexico doesn't have that many lakes and the ones we have tend to be shallow. The biggest lake of Mexico is Lake Chapala. Lake Chapala's maximum depth is around 20 to 25 meters (66 to 82 feet).
In the neighboring state of Michoacán, there are other three important lakes.
Lake Cuitzeo near the city of Morelia is a very shallow lake. The lake looks like a swamp with birds walking on it because it is so shallow. You will not miss this lake when you cross to Guadalajara from Mexico City because part of the road passes through the lake.
Lake Pátzcuaro is very picturesque and beautiful because there are a lot of indigenous peoples’ towns in the surrounding areas where they have unique arts and crafts. A lot of foreigners, especially Europeans, go for a vacation in the towns surrounding this lake. The town of Pátzcuaro is a very typical Mexican town and one of the most touristy places in the state of Michoacán. The weather is amazing and temperatures range from 22 to 25 degrees Celsius (71 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit).
Anthropologists and archeologists do a lot studies in the surrounding areas of Lake Pátzcuaro because there are pyramidal structures that have major historical importance. Anthropologists are interested to learn about the different people and cultures of Michoacán. The cuisine of Michoacán is very rich in flavor and variety.
Further south in the state of Michoacán is a nice little lake called Lake Zirahuén, which has a very different landscape from the other lakes because it has pines surrounding it.
The state of Michoacán is famous because since the Spanish colonial times, each small town in this state specialized in a different craft. For example, the whole town of Paracho specializes in building guitars.
Mexico has many rivers. One of the main rivers is in the river basin where Lake Chapala is located and is called Río Lerma. This river is the major water source of Lake Chapala, providing 95% of waters that come into Lake Chapala. The other 5% comes from Río La Pasíon (The River of Passion), which is a 22-kilometer river that comes from the mountains of Michoacán. Río La Pasíon is a very nice river to stroll around because it has one of the best-preserved galleries of a specific tree called the Sabino.
The Sabino is a tree that grows where there is a lot of water. For some strange reason, this tree is very well preserved in an area where there are many cows because people around Río La Pasíon are dairy producers. It is very nice to stroll around the lake in Ajijic, and then continue on to a picturesque river hike along the banks of Río La Pasíon.
Río Bravo is the border river between the US and Mexico. In the south, there is Río Suchiate, which is the border river between Mexico and Guatemala.
It is very important to know that, paradoxically, 80% of Mexico's waters are located in the southern part where only 20% of the population lives. So, 80% of Mexico's population lives in the center to the northern parts of Mexico where there is only 20% of the water available for the country.
The southern part of Mexico is composed of the states of Veracruz, Chiapas, part of Oaxaca, Tamaulipas, and Tabasco. Veracruz and Chiapas are mountainous areas with rainforests, but Tabasco is relatively flat. Some parts of Tamaulipas are very dry.
The Yucatán Peninsula is a different area that is flat, with not a lot of mountains, and no rivers. The water in the Yucatán area is underground water.
The water supply issue is something that the government of Mexico is working hard to solve because most of Mexico's production, economic source, and NAFTA effects are from the northern part of Mexico where we don't have that much water. There are a lot of water diversions occurring from one river basin to the other to bring water to areas where there are less water sources.
How bad are the mosquitoes and other bugs and insects in Ambergris Caye?
Kate Corrigan - Caye International Bank
The bugs and mosquitoes in Ambergris Caye can be very dreadful. If you are someone who is prone to being bitten by bugs, you have to make sure that you are dressed properly and make sure that you wear a bug repellant.
When we first got here, my daughter used to get bitten badly and because she was young, she used to itch those bites and literally, her legs and arms looked like a dot-to-dot. Now, five years later, we do not get bitten. We didn’t know the...
The bugs and mosquitoes in Ambergris Caye can be very dreadful. If you are someone who is prone to being bitten by bugs, you have to make sure that you are dressed properly and make sure that you wear a bug repellant.
When we first got here, my daughter used to get bitten badly and because she was young, she used to itch those bites and literally, her legs and arms looked like a dot-to-dot. Now, five years later, we do not get bitten. We didn’t know the tricks of the trade back then, either. Now, we use fresh coconut oil that we buy here on the island, which costs US $7 a liter and it lasts for months. I use it for my skin, but it is also a natural antiseptic to sooth any bites. It deters the mosquitoes from biting you because of the oily consistency doesn’t allow them to get on you.
We have several rains towards the end of October, so with the heat and the rain, the bugs come in. We also sometimes use coils and bug spray and there are some natural bug repellant that you can use. I just use Off (insect repellant lotion). If you are consistent in applying repellant and wearing light, long clothes, you can avoid being bitten. It is not something that is a deal breaker. You just have to be conscious of it and look after yourself.
I have lived in Nicaragua since 1998 and have driven to many parts of Nicaragua either by myself or with my mother, so it has been two women traveling driving on dirt roads, through small towns, over rivers, etc. We have never had any trouble or felt in danger. We find Nicaragua to be safe to foreigners and the locals to be overall helpful and friendly.
I have lived in Nicaragua since 1998 and have driven to many parts of Nicaragua either by myself or with my mother, so it has been two women traveling driving on dirt roads, through small towns, over rivers, etc. We have never had any trouble or felt in danger. We find Nicaragua to be safe to foreigners and the locals to be overall helpful and friendly.
How’s the kayaking, rafting, or canoeing in Portugal?
Juan Matias - BLUE Boutique Hostel & SUITES
We have three or four beautiful rivers that cross Portugal. Further south from Lisbon we have the Guadiana River, where I have rafted. Up north we have Mondego River and further north close to Porto we have Douro River, which is where the Porto Wine comes from. And this area Douro; the Douro River and the cliffs surrounding the Douro River, is where they plant the grapes to produce the world famous Porto Wine or “Port Wine” as you call it in America. We do not have the...
We have three or four beautiful rivers that cross Portugal. Further south from Lisbon we have the Guadiana River, where I have rafted. Up north we have Mondego River and further north close to Porto we have Douro River, which is where the Porto Wine comes from. And this area Douro; the Douro River and the cliffs surrounding the Douro River, is where they plant the grapes to produce the world famous Porto Wine or “Port Wine” as you call it in America. We do not have the very extreme classes of river rafting but we do have some mild intermediate class areas. People raft here in Portugal in the winter and spring. You can go in summer but the rivers are very low and it becomes a bit boring for people looking for some excitement.
We have sea kayaking in Portugal. I provide an excursion for my clients that is basically just a beautiful tour around our coastline around Cascais (near Lisbon) in a kayak. There are two levels of sea kayaking. You have the sea kayaking just to wonder around and you have the surf sea kayaking, which is on waves, which is for another level of expertise. You have to have a lot of experience to do that. But for the first timer, you have to do the traditional sea kayak and you’re only allowed to go when the sea is really, really calm. Portugal is close by the Atlantic Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean is quite rough. So 80% throughout the year we have waves in Portugal. The only two months of the year with light waves are July and August. You can go out throughout the year but then you have to go to protected bays, of which there are many throughout the country. The Algarve is the perfect place to do this because the Algarve gets the Mediterranean Sea so it doesn’t get as rough as it gets on the west coast, which faces the Atlantic. The southern coast is much more calmer than it is in the west coast.
(Sea kayaking provided by Blue Hostel and Suites, Cascais, Portugal, pictured.)
How many Americans, Canadians and other expats live in Bastimentos, Panama?
JB Seligman - BUENA VISTA REALTY located in BOCAS DEL TORO, PANAMA
THERE ABOUT 200 AMERICANS AND CANADIANS SCATTERED AROUND THE ISLAND OF BASTIMENTOS. THERE ARE ALSO EUROPEANS AND SOUTH AMERICANS. SOME OF THE EX-PATS RUN HOSTELS, HOTELS, B&B'S, SHOPS,
BARS AND RESTAURANTS.
THERE ABOUT 200 AMERICANS AND CANADIANS SCATTERED AROUND THE ISLAND OF BASTIMENTOS. THERE ARE ALSO EUROPEANS AND SOUTH AMERICANS. SOME OF THE EX-PATS RUN HOSTELS, HOTELS, B&B'S, SHOPS,
An emerging personal finance trend has seen retirees and people in pre-retirement making investments in foreign real estate, especially in emerging markets. The potential benefits are very enticing; these regions are seeing growth and appreciation rates that exceed those in domestic markets, and there’s built-in potential for generating income by renting the property to vacationers. Best of all, you can live there yourself during the cold-weather months and say goodbye to winter for the...
We thank Daryl Ries for giving us the idea to have Jet Metier interview select contributors of Best Places who enliven our pages with their experiences and revelations. The conversation began with Daryl talking about a real estate expo she had attended just prior to their scheduled talk, and then continued with Daryl reviewing her life on four continents. In a chronological sleight of hand, we present the second part of the interview first, where Daryl speaks of her...
I am married to a foreign-born man. My husband is a naturalized citizen of the United States of America. He speaks English, albeit with a bit of a Danish accent, but he does communicate well in English. We both complained about non-English speaking people. A frequent comment from myself and others was "If you are going to live in my country why do you not try to speak English?"
Fast forward to our host country of Panama. Like most of the civilized world, many...
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We have three or four beautiful rivers that cross Portugal. Further south from Lisbon we have the Guadiana River, where I have rafted. Up north we have Mondego River and further north close to Porto we have Douro River, which is where the Porto Wine comes from. And this area Douro; the Douro River and the cliffs surrounding the Douro River, is where they plant the grapes to produce the world famous Porto Wine or “Port Wine” as you call it in America. We do not have the...
An emerging personal finance trend has seen retirees and people in pre-retirement making investments in foreign real estate, especially in emerging markets. The potential benefits are very enticing; these regions are seeing growth and appreciation rates that exceed those in domestic markets, and there’s built-in potential for generating income by renting the property to vacationers. Best of all, you can live there yourself during the cold-weather months and say goodbye to winter for the...
We thank Daryl Ries for giving us the idea to have Jet Metier interview select contributors of Best Places who enliven our pages with their experiences and revelations. The conversation began with Daryl talking about a real estate expo she had attended just prior to their scheduled talk, and then continued with Daryl reviewing her life on four continents. In a chronological sleight of hand, we present the second part of the interview first, where Daryl speaks of her...
I am married to a foreign-born man. My husband is a naturalized citizen of the United States of America. He speaks English, albeit with a bit of a Danish accent, but he does communicate well in English. We both complained about non-English speaking people. A frequent comment from myself and others was "If you are going to live in my country why do you not try to speak English?"