The thing that all these places have in common is culture and a diversity of things to do. If you’re just trying to recreate a suburban American life in Mexico, you’ll be happier in a place like Lake Chapala or San Miguel de Allende, but for me, I like the energy of a thriving town, and these are my favorites.
Mexico City
Mexico City has parks, museums, and thousands of restaurants. You’ll spend the rest of your life getting to know this place, and it’s just a 1.5 hour flight to beaches on either coast.
Puebla
Puebla offers a more relaxed pace than Mexico city, but with many of the modern conveniences. It is also a short bus ride to many places.
Guadalajara
Guadalajara is a city geared more to its inhabitants than tourists, so you’ll enjoy restaurants, shopping, nature and easy weekend getaways to small towns surrounding it.
Guanajuato
Guanajuato is a colorful college town filled with arts and culture tucked into a canyon just a few hours from Guadaljara. It also has an airport in Lyon with direct flights to the US
Queretaro
Queretaro, like Guanajuato, is a chill college town. The difference is that it is flat and has all the modern shopping amenities, like Puebla.
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is a beach paradise surrounded by steep mountains. Because of its multicultural inhabitants, it has the greatest variety of international cuisine in Mexico.
Map of my favorite extended stay locations in Mexico
