RATING: ♦♦♦♦♦
Every town in Mexico has a plaza, at least one. The plaza, along with the main Catholic church, is the center of town or the center of a neighborhood. It is the gathering place for social activities like music and dancing, art exhibits, meeting friends for morning coffee or afternoon drinks. It is the one place where you can get a feel for Mexican culture, no matter what town you’re in.
The plaza in Ajijic was a great place for people watching. We discovered this on our very first night in town. We walked the short 3 or 4 blocks from our apartment and found a restaurant patio to settle into at the side of the plaza. There was a large group of kids, all ages, engaged in dance routines lead by a man with a microphone and keyboard. Everyone was laughing and having a great time. That first night in the plaza was a perfect start to our stay in Mexico.
We found ourselves in the plaza nearly every day. It was on the way to the main shopping and restaurant areas and to the malecon. The bank that gave us the best price for pesos was on the corner of the plaza. One of our favorite restaurants, Chile Verde, was there, as was our favorite ice cream shop.
The plaza in Ajijic had some of the most unique wood carvings we’ve ever seen. And there were many pretty flowers and shade trees. It was a great place to go and just hang out. Whoever came up with the idea of having a plaza in the center of town was a genius. (It might have been the King of Spain in 1573.)
