Chapala is a city in the central Mexican state of Jalisco, located on the north shore of Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest freshwater lake. According to the 1990 census, its population is 15,664.
Chapala is 28 miles (45 km) south-southeast MEXICO of Guadalajara, on Mexico Highway 44. It is located at 20°20' North, 103°10' West.

Chapala, along with its namesake lake, is well established as a weekend getaway destination primarily for inhabitants of the city of Guadalajara. Most of the area's expatriate population (originating primarily from the United States and Canada) reside not in the city proper but in and around Ajijic, a village of approximately 5,000 inhabitants located approximately 5 miles west of Chapala. Many of these residents, a large proportion of whom are retirees, spend only the winter in the Chapala area, returning north for the warmer months.