Expatriates are able to find just about everything they had back home at one or another of several supermarkets in the Ajijic, Lake Chapala area.
Groceries, Etc.
Superlake in San Antonio Tlayacapan is probably the most popular with Expats, but many also use El Torito in Ajijic and Soriana’s in Chapala.
Pancho (who formerly managed Super Lake) has opened his own new “Pancho’s Deli Market,” a specialty grocery which also has Beer/Wine/Spirits and a comfortable restaurant.
You’ll find a fantastic selection of both local and imported products, including homemade bread and sandwiches.
Pancho specializes in “Gringo” favorites, and if he doesn’t have something you need, he’ll order it!
Located on the Carretera east of Mom’s Deli, and just east of the Upscale Resale Consignment Shop, and Open from 8am to 9pm-ish, Pancho’s offers free delivery of all items on the menu to San Nicolas, Santa Cruz, Chapala, San Antonio Tlay. & Ajijic!
Click on the photo of Pancho to see a PDF of his four-page menu.
Soriana is the Mexican version of Walmart. Located just off the main street in Chapala, it offers plenty of parking, as well as excellent quality produce, fresh baked goods, and just about everything one can find at Walmart, often with better prices than some of the other markets.
Tianguis (Outdoor Markets)
There are numerous specialty markets … butcher shops, fruits and vegetables, poultry, fish and flowers. Tianguis are colorful, have a wide range of products, and can offer good prices.
The word tianguis comes from the Nahuatl (the language of the Aztecs) “tianquiztli” which means marketplace. It differs from a “mercado” in that the mercado has its own building and functions every day whereas a tianguis is set up in the street or a park for one day of the week.
There are weekly tianguis in Chapala (Mondays), Ajijic (Wednesdays), and Jocotepec (Thursdays). Market days go back to pre-Hispanic times, and are a fun place to take visitors, who might want to shop for souvenirs, in addition to food items.
Pharmacy
Most prescription drugs are available over-the-counter here in Mexico (no prescription necessary), with the exception of narcotics.
There are several discount pharmacies in the area, which offer substantial savings as compared to prices in other parts of the world.