Lake Chapala is Mexico's largest natural lake, roughly 80 kilometers long and 18 kilometers wide, and the source of the spectacular views that have made the northern lakeshore such a magnet for retiring expats and artists. The combination of mountain backdrop, flat water surface, and extraordinary light — especially in the early morning and at sunset — is what photographers and painters have been coming here for since the early 20th century, when D.H. Lawrence spent time in the area and wrote about it in his novel The Plumed Serpent.
The lake has had environmental problems — water levels have fluctuated, and pollution from Guadalajara has been a persistent concern — but it remains a living ecosystem with pelicans, herons, and the endemic Chapala catfish (Chirostoma chapae). Boat trips from the malecon in Ajijic or Chapala can be arranged, and the small island of Mezcala in the eastern part of the lake has a ruined Spanish fort worth visiting.