Here is the new 2011 result from International Living’s research. We continue to report these articles to emphasize how popular Mexico is for retirement.

 2011 Global Retirement Second Place Winner:  MEXICO

White sand beaches and turquoise-blue seas, with hammocks swaying nearby…centuries-old Spanish-colonial cities with winding, cobblestone streets and fountain-filled plazas…towering Mexico is rich in romance, as the one million-plus U.S. and Canadian expats who live there will tell you.

But expats don’t live by romance alone. Fortunately, Mexico also provides solid, modern-day comforts and conveniences. That secluded, away-from-it-all beach on the deserted, packed-sand road? You can get within a few miles of it on a modern highway—one of the many that criss-crosses Mexico. Those centuries-old cities with their colonial homes? Today their walls conceal telephone and high-speed Internet cables and their roofs sport satellite dishes and solar water heaters.

Likewise, health care is very much 21st century, with first-rate hospitals, clinics, and medical staff. (Don’t speak Spanish? Many doctors, especially in private clinics, speak English.) And the bill will likely run you half or less of what you’d pay at home.

In fact, life in Mexico can cost you up to 40% less than what you’d pay in the U.S. for a similar lifestyle. It’s also lived at a slower, more gracious pace. And that is what, finally, many expats seek. As expat Jill Jackson, who lives in Loreto, Baja California Sur, explains: “It lets me be the person I have always wanted to be.”

August 22, 2011       International Living Magazine

On August 8th, three blocks of the Puerto Vallarta Malecón were opened under the supervision of Mayor Salvador González Reséndiz, who toured the area to ensure that everything was in order and on schedule. Among the many improvements, structurally and artistically, are the number of palm trees in the downtown area which will be increased from the 28 trees that previously ran the length of the Malecón to more than 200 palms, which will add life and shade to this attractive tourist spot in the city.

Those responsible for the project told the Mayor that most of the structural part of the work has been completed and now the space can be opened up for workers to begin landscaping, installing light fixtures, and finishing the sidewalk, which is being laid by hand in the traditional and artisanal manner with small stones that form a series of figures that will run the length of the Malecón and together tell a story. This work is being done in Huichol art, which will be explained in detail as part of a display that will be in the new museum scheduled to open soon in the current city hall on the plaza.

The Malecón project is scheduled to be completed and unveiled by October in time for the thousands expected for the Pan American Games.

Excerpted from:   Banderas News

Confirmed by Tourism Secretary, Fernando Olivera Rocha, who said that the bid was won due to the quality of hotels and the facilities the Banderas Bay region offers, air connectivity to Vallarta, and of course the new Puerto Vallarta Convention Center, where the event will be held.

This convention is Mexico’s largest tourism expo, and for years has been held in Acapulco.  Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit are two of Mexico´s leading beach destinations which have begun collaborating to promote the destinations as an excellent convention destination to event organizers across the US.

The proposal was submitted to the judges as “Two Destinations, One Paradise,” offering 29 thousand hotel rooms, and the recently built 15,000 square meter Puerto Vallarta International Convention Center, which can host events with up to 7,000 participants.

The first open call to host the national event involved 18 destinations, among them Boca del Rio, Veracruz; Mazatlan, Sinaloa; Acapulco, Guerrero; Guadalajara, Jalisco and Mexico City.

The Ministry of Tourism stated that it would leverage the event’s size and prestige across various destinations in Mexico, using the event to promote tourism throughout the country.

Excerpted from Bandera News

China is angry over US debt and says that America has to re-establish what it calls the “common-sense principle that one should live within one’s means.”  Good advice for anyone facing economic stress today with the decline of the US dollar. 

China has expressed strong concern at the downgrading of America’s triple A credit rating by Standard and Poor.  As the largest single creditor to the US, China has every right to demand that the US address its structural debt problems to ensure the safety of Chinese dollar assets.

With this increasing economic uncertainty, many in the US are considering relocation overseas and Mexico is a favorite choice with its simpler lifestyle, lower cost of living, and easy access to family back home.  We at Learn Vallarta can help you explore your options.

Some excerpts from Euronews/August 6, 2011

Are you considering moving to Puerto Vallarta part or fulltime?  Learn Vallarta can help answer many important questions.

What are the best neighborhoods?  Take one of our free Banderas Bay tours.

How do I choose a Mexican bank?  Check out our banking recommendations.    

What are my healthcare options?  Visit with our medical consultant.

How do I arrange for utilities, internet, cable, and phone systems?  Our personal assistant can help you.

What are my choices for renting or purchasing real estate?  Compare our listings of rental and real estate properties.

Read more….

In truth, no one knows exactly how many Baby Boomer American or Canadian retirees, entrepreneurs, and families are now traveling or making plans to relocate to Mexico. One thing’s for sure, it’s not a few, it’s not slowing down, and there seems to be no end in sight. There are now over 18,000 major American companies currently investing and operating in Mexico and it is estimated that over 1 million Americans are buying, building and or retiring here.  Always attracted by the tropical weather, beaches, warm turquoise water, and beckoning beach lifestyle, this time they are descending on magical Mexico for a compelling new impetus altogether:  the healthy Mexican economy!  Read full article here.

There’s been a lot of news coverage about violence in Mexico, very little of it bothering to note that Mexico is a huge country with thirty-some states and that a) almost all of that violence is narco-related and b) you can count the number of tourists affected on one hand.  Meanwhile, according to the FBI, an estimated 15,241 persons were murdered nationwide in 2009 in the United States of America.  (Read More)

The following article comes from Learn Vallarta’s June Newsletter.  Go here to sign up for their free monthly issues by electronic delivery.

President Felipe Calderón told the audience Thursday on the final day of the Global Travel & Tourism Summit at Aria (Las Vegas), “I know this country (US) has severe financial problems related to Medicare…so it is possible to reduce the expenditure of Medicare if the (US) government will allow the American people to receive medical services in Mexico. It’s a win-win situation. Very good service, quality service and it would be cheaper for people and cheaper for the (US) government.”

He also said that in the first four years of his term, which ends in November 2012, his government had constructed about 1,000 new clinics and hospitals and renovated 2,000 others. Sometime next year, he added, all Mexican citizens would be covered by some form of government health plan. This is good news for Americans willing to go south for lower-cost care, a practice often called medical tourism.  (Read more…..)

Acknowledging that Mexico needs a better image, President Felipe Calderón has proclaimed 2011 to be the Year of Tourism in Mexico. With the Pan American games coming to Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta in October of 2011, Mexico’s President and recently appointed Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara know that it is important to show the world that the vast majority of Mexico is safe for visitors to explore.

Although painted with a very broad paint brush of fear and violence, Puerto Vallarta, in fact, remains very safe and is an ideal tourist destination.  President Calderón, Gloria Guevara and Peter Greenberg were here recently to portray to the world that Puerto Vallarta is just that; safe, beautiful, diverse and idyllic. With camera crew in hand, the President along with Peter Greenberg spent an afternoon exploring the Malecón in downtown Puerto Vallarta.  Stopping at each statue, chatting with passers-by and working their way along the beautiful boardwalk, their mission; to show television viewers the flip side of Mexico that the news is not reporting.

Brenda Retzlaff de Rivera for Banderas News

For complete article:     Learn Vallarta Articles