Rancho La Salud Village
Multi-generational, Rural
Ajijic,

- Move in year :
- 2014
- Number of units :
- 21-40
- Land size:
- 2-5 acres
- Developed acreage :
- 2-4 acres
Description:
Rancho La Salud Village (RLSV) is Mexico’s first cohousing community, located along the shores of Lake Chapala – Mexico’s largest lake – three miles west of the magical town of Ajijic (Pueblo Mágico) in the state of Jalisco. Ajijic is located one hour south of Guadalajara (Mexico’s 2nd largest city) and 40 minutes from the international airport. The Lake Chapala area for many years has been an expat community welcoming residents from many parts of the world. The local area is a wonderful blending of different cultures while still maintaining a Mexican cultural lifestyle – a perfect place to build a cohousing community.
RLSV was founded in 2014 based on the values of community, sustainability, multiversity (lifelong learning) and longevity (salud means health). We cultivate a style of independent living with the possibility of choosing our own levels of social involvement in our community, without compromising the privacy of the individual. As a multi-generational and multi-national community, we have members from Mexico, United States, England, and Palestine as of 2024. We welcome all who have a desire to join us in our cohousing community.
At Rancho La Salud Village (RLSV) we call our lifestyle “cohousing a la Mexicana”. Our founding member, Jaime Navarro, is the owner of the 3½-acre parcel of land located between the high hills behind us to the north and Lake Chapala to the south. As each new member joins us, they purchase their lot and home. (A percentage of ownership includes the common ground.) Then construction of their home begins. Each home is deeded and can be passed on to beneficiaries. We currently have six completed homes which house 13 residents, plus two completed homes for sale. One additional house has been purchased and is under construction. Another house (the “Villa” model, listed in the classified ads section) is 90% complete and available for purchase now. RLSV has recently begun a practice of constructing a house prior to new-member purchase, as it is providing additional opportunities for growing our community.
Our community homes are inspired by the Mexican hacienda style and the colorful town of Ajijic, using traditional hand-built construction techniques and design features such as bóveda brick ceilings, Talavera tiles, and miradors. We have three levels of housing available: Garden Homes, Villas, and Townhomes (duplexes). Details of these homes are listed on our website– https://www.rancholasaludvillage.com/viviendas?idioma=en
The common area includes a 3,000-square-foot common house with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. It is currently occupied by our founding member who plans to build his home in the next few years. Guest rooms are available. On the extensive common ground adjacent to the house, we have a large, open-air palapa where the community holds all dinners, meetings, and social events. Lake Chapala has one of the best year-round climates in the world and living outdoors is a huge plus, making the palapa perfect for all of our gatherings. In addition we have a 52-foot-long (16 meters) lap pool with salt-water system that is heated year-round to a comfortable 86-90 degrees when using the heat pump. Connected to the pool is a large jacuzzi for year-round use, while adjacent to the pool is a large patio with loungers, umbrellas, and tables for members’ usage. On the common-ground land we have a growing number of fruit trees for year-round production, along with keyhole-style gardening beds to grow vegetables and herbs. In addition to building a pond with rock waterfall at the entrance to our village, we have plans to build a small performance stage and fire pit under our 150-year-old ficus tree, located in the back of the common ground near the palapa and pool. Upon completion of our walkways we will be a walking village with resident parking inside our entrance gate. We are planning for solar-powered golf carts to transport packages and people to our homes.
Rancho La Salud Village is designed as a sustainable community. The original architect, Rick Cowlishaw from Harmony Village in Colorado, worked with Jaime to design a village that incorporates sustainable features into the homes and landscape. Consistent with traditional cohousing designs the kitchens are at the front of each home and look out onto a front porch and common ground walkways. Aging-in-place design is also incorporated through easy access to and within the homes. RLSV is the first cohousing community in Mexico with its own water supply (filtered well water). Each home has a water-filtration system plus a reverse-osmosis system for drinking water. Large cisterns hold the water for each home. They are filled with well water during the dry season, then during the rainy season the rain water flows into the cisterns through the built-in catchment pipes incorporated into each house. Other sustainability features include passive and active solar on each home (homes are all-electric), solar heaters for hot water, and bio-digestors that use enzymes to turn each home’s black water into gray water, which feeds into our gardens. In addition, every home is designed to reduce its environmental impact, including optimizing airflow through natural breezes, as well as taking advantage of natural light through skylights pitched to maximum position to penetrate the interior of the homes in the winter months and to reduce energy consumption. At an altitude of 5,000 feet, our temperate year-round climate of 70-80 degrees means that most homes do not require heating or air conditioning.
According to the official bylaws as a condominium by Jalisco law, there is an annual meeting to approve the budget. However, the rest of the year the RLSV community holds monthly business meetings consistent with cohousing principles such as consensus decision-making and practicing empathetic and active-listening communication. We currently have monthly community dinners in the palapa and plan to have more as the community grows. We also have a monthly sharing circle where we provide a space to talk about matters of personal importance not related to business. Spontaneous gatherings are common, along with constant daily communication through WhatsApp. Our community’s simple mantra is “Somos Communidad” (We are Community).
As Rancho La Salud Village continues to grow, and our founding vision and values continue to manifest, the more we understand the importance of living in a cooperating community and being more intimate with the needs of the planet. Our initial connection with an experienced designer of cohousing communities, along with the right land and location, have allowed us to continue to be committed to our founding principles. A simple explanation that we use to describe our community is: all of our infrastructure – the buildings, entryway, pool, palapa, paths, and gardens of RLSV are the “hardware”. Although this is necessary, it is not sufficient. The main challenge has been the “software” – finding the right people. Our experience meeting potential members has been a rewarding process. Members select us because of our lifestyle, our philosophy, and our emphasis on creating community life. Our social capital approach balances sharing and independence. We select members because of their values and intention to contribute to community lifestyle. We recognize that the ‘hardware’ and the ‘software’ have to be in harmony.
If you are at all interested in what we are creating at Rancho La Salud Village and are curious about what an ex-pat life is like in Mexico, then please contact us. We would love to arrange a talk with you, initially through a video call and subsequently an actual visit, to see for yourself who we are here in our little corner of paradise.
Shared Property
- Guest Rooms
- Community Garden
- Swimming Pool
Accessibility
- Some units accessible
Welcomes Visitors (fee may apply)
- Common Meals
- Guest Rooms
- Scheduled Tours
- Individual Tours
Decision Making
- Modified Consensus
Meals
- 1-3 meals per month
Meal Participation
- Optional participation
Vision
- Other
Contact Information
- Marsha McMurray-Avila OR Janet MacKenzie
- mcavila323@gmail.com; chapalajuanita@gmail.com