In 1522, the Spanish Olid Expedition reached the eastern shores
of what is today called Lake Chapala. When it arrived, its
leader, Captain Avalos, met with little resistance. A royal
grant from the king of Spain gave joint ownership of the area to
Avalos, who was a cousin of Hernan Cortez. Soon other cousins
arrived, and one of them by the name of Saenz acquired almost
all of the land that is now Ajijic. By 1530, the Saenz property
was one huge hacienda. The principal crop was mescal, which was
used in the making of tequila. The hills were covered with
mescal plants. Coffee and corn were also planted. Later, when a
tequila distillery was built, the beverage was shipped, along
with the coffee, back to Spain. A mill was constructed on top of
the main Saenz residence, which is today the site of the old
Posada Ajijic. The blast of a conch horn at 4 a.m. summoned the
Indians to bring their corn to the mill to be ground. This mill
remained in business until the 1940s. Subsequent events were to
further alter the vil