New members of the Mexico forum, introduce yourselves here - 2026

Hello everyone,

My name is John, and I’m writing from North Carolina. I’m approaching retirement and am seriously considering San Miguel de Allende as my next home.

I’ve joined this forum to learn from those who already live in SMA or have experience relocating there. I’m especially interested in insights about neighborhoods, housing, daily life, and what it’s like for retirees settling into the community. Any tips or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

I look forward to connecting with you all and learning more as I explore the possibility of making SMA my new home.

Thank you,

John

@joreyes61018

Warm welcome, John ! Thank you for taking the time to introduce yourself.

We have a dedicated forum for SMA : San Miguel de Allende forum

Feel free to read the different messages and post your own questions so that members can guide you.

All the very best

Bhavna

Hi everyone — I’m Marsha, based in Playa del Carmen (Riviera Maya) for 9+ years. I’ve built my life across 4 countries and 8 cities, and I’m multilingual (EN/FR/IT/ES) — multicultural by default. I know the Riviera Maya is beautiful, but it can also be surprisingly tricky to navigate when you’re new (housing, services, admin, “how things work”). I’m here to connect, contribute, and share practical tips — and I’m also happy to learn from all of you. Have an awesome day

@Julien

Hello all! I'm from Pacific NW in the U.S. looking forward to a long term visit to Merida. America is a lot right now and I'm definitely willing to explore, just been too broke to ya know?!

I'll be checking this often to read about how your experiences have been and how comfortable you are. Nice to meet you! Oh and I'm Rae.

Hi ,

My name is Mariana Boatwright , newbie on the page. I am a free -lance expert / certified Translator and Interpreter. I relocated from the US 15 years ago and would like to network with the community of expats. I'm fluent in Spanish, French and Italian and would be more that happy to help the members of this community by sharing cultural and practical tips.  Looking forward to engage with all of you.

Hi All,

I am Jeff, a retiree of an American manufacturing company, soon to leave Cleveland Ohio for the home we have in Cuernavaca, where my wife Graciela is from.  December this year I hope to have my permanent residency card, all my wife's family (except our daughter who will remain in Ohio) live in Cuernavaca near us.  Mi español es un "work in progress", pero yo entiendo cuando yo se el tema.  Looking forward to the next chapter of our lives and sharing our experiences! 

@jeff2026

Hi Jeff,

Welcome to the Mexico forum and congratulations on this exciting new chapter ahead.

Don’t hesitate to start a new thread if you have questions about residency, daily life, healthcare, culture, or anything else related to settling in Mexico.

All the best for this new adventure!

Regards

Bhavna

¡Gracias Bhavna, aprecio mucho!

Hello everyone, my name is Brian. I’m a dual Mexican-American citizen currently living in the United States and preparing to move to Mexico with my wife and children.

My wife and I have owned a construction and remodeling company for more than seven years, working with property owners, restoration companies and real-estate professionals. We’re beginning this new chapter to build stronger connections in Mexico, explore communities that would be a good fit for our family and learn more about the local construction and real-estate environment.

I look forward to meeting people here and learning from those who have already made the move.

My retired wife and I as well as my retired sister nurse would like to educate ourselves regarding a comfortable Mexican vacation site. We are comfortably retired. Not wealthy but comfortable and could afford a place for the 3 of us to live respectably well. No city life, good food, good medicals, good people, we will have to learn Spanish. Where should we start to look for a month stay in a comfortable casita.

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@dpc4

Welcome! I live on the north side of Banderas Bay, between Bucerías and Nuevo Vallarta on the Riviera Nayarit, so I'm biased, but your list fits this area well. Bucerías, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and San Pancho are small beach towns with great food and very little "city," and Puerto Vallarta's private hospitals and specialists are usually 20–45 minutes away depending on the town.

For a first month: pick November–April for the nicest weather (July–October is hot, humid and rainy). Book early for winter, because monthly rentals fill up and cost more in high season. Ask for a casita with AC, good Wi-Fi, and a written agreement that spells out utilities. And visit a couple of towns on the same trip; one month is plenty to compare.

Americans get up to 180 days as visitors, so a month needs no visa. Happy to answer questions as you narrow it down.