Lake Chapala, Mexico

Several boats float on the calm waters of a large lake. Tree-covered hillsides rise from the shores of the lake. Lake Chapala sits thirty miles south of the city of Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. It is a popular tourist destination because of its year-round temperate climates, and increasingly it is becoming a popular location for North American retirees. Guadalajara was founded soon after the conquest of Mexico in the sixteenth century and has grown to be one of Mexico's primary cities. It is the second largest city in Mexico, behind Mexico City, and is the industrial capital of the country. The city is famous for its manufacture of hardware and software for Mexico's technology industry. It is also a popular tourist destination for its blend of colonial sites and modern conveniences.