The Regions

DOWNTOWN

The city-center heart of the municipio (township) of Guadalajara (pop. 1.7 million) is the best first stop for getting a good Guadalajara perspective. It’s a bustling downtown, but mostly low-rise and relaxed compared to large North American cities. Nevertheless, buses empty squads of passengers at curbside, subway trains scuttle underground, shoppers peruse department store displays, businesspeople relax for coffee-shop lunches, pigeons scurry and flutter, and families stroll broad, fountain-decorated plazas.

Highlights are the towering cathedral, the Museo Regional, and the classic-facade Teatro Degollado. Nearby, via shop- and restaurant-lined pedestrian walkways, spreads the visionary-scale Plaza Tapatía, graced by its own monuments, markets, and galleries. These include the Hospicio Cabañas, Latin America’s largest colonial building and site of the José Clemente Orozco museum, with a treasury of the art of the renowned muralist. For shoppers, Plaza Tapatía also has the Magno Centro Joyero gold jewelry market and the adjacent Mercado Libertad, with a trove of appealing handicrafts, and, next to that, the Plaza de Mariachis, serenading ground for a platoon of Guadalajara troubadours.

WEST AND NORTH OF DOWNTOWN

Minerva-Chapultepec: Move west of the city center to explore the suburban Minerva-Chapultepec district of tree-shaded residential neighborhoods, stately homes, fine-arts galleries, exclusive shops, fashionable shopping malls, and fine restaurants. Sights include the renowned Orozco murals in the Rectoría de la Universidad de Guadalajara, the adjacent Museo de Arte, and the renowned neo-Gothic Templo Expiatorio. Farther west, you might climb to the top of the monumental Los Arcos arch and linger for a few minutes in the adjacent Casa Orozco studio and museum.

Plaza del Sol–Chapalita: Southwest of Minerva-Chapultepec, find the Plaza del Sol–Chapalita district, anchored by the famously successful Plaza del Sol shopping mall and the world-class Expo Guadalajara exposition center, largest of its kind in Latin America. Near these busy centers is a sprinkling of deluxe hotels and fine restaurants that accommodate the flood of business travelers. And surrounding that, quiet, tree-lined residential neighborhoods, such as Chapalita, are populated by a mix of Mexican business and professional families and North American retirees.

Although it’s a few miles southwest of the Plaza del Sol–Chapalita district, Guadalajara metropolitan zone’s only monumental archaeological site, Iztepete, is certainly worth a visit.

Zapopan: To the northwest of the Minerva-Chapultepec district is Zapopan (pop. 930,000), renowned as the home of the miraculous Virgin of Zapopan, beloved by all Guadalajarans. From the Virgin’s basilica at the town center, Zapopan spreads south, west, and north and includes a rich domain of suburban residential neighborhoods, high-tech industrial parks, a world-class exposition center, upscale shopping malls, and fine hotels and restaurants. Beyond its urban edge, Zapopan’s country hinterland spreads west and north, encompassing graceful old haciendas, lush pine-oak forests, natural mineral spring resorts, and a grand, vine-hung, semitropical canyon, the Barranca del Río Grande de Santiago.

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EAST AND SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN

Tlaquepaque: Tlaquepaque (pop. 460,000) is about five miles southeast of Guadalajara’s city center. Originally a colonial-era potter’s village, Tlaquepaque became a magnet for rich Guadalajara families seeking country tranquility during the mid-1800s. Tlaquepaque still retains its picturesque village character; moreover, its handicrafts tradition has blossomed. Tlaquepaque has several comfortable bed-and-breakfast lodgings and dozens of simply lovely shops offering a galaxy of locally made ceramics, sculpture, glassware, leather, pewter, furniture, jewelry, decorator furnishings, and much more.

Besides handicrafts, Tlaquepaque visitors enjoy El Parián entertainment center, with restaurants, mariachis, and folkloric dance shows. Also worth a visit are the Museo Regional de Cerámica y Arte Popular and the Refugio ex-convent, now an art and cultural center.

Tonalá: About five miles farther east, Tonalá (pop. 315,000) perches at Guad-alajara’s country edge. Tonalá is famous as one of Mexico’s top two or three handicrafts manufacturing towns. Besides continuing to refine their ancient pre-Columbian pottery tradition, Tonalá folks, in hundreds of factories, both humble and grand, also make and sell a trove of leather, furniture, papier-mâché, brass, glassware, and decorative ironwork to a brigade of visiting tourist shoppers and commercial buyers from all over the world.

Primary Tonalá sights include fascinating factory stores, the heroic town-center statue of its indigenous queen, and the community Museo Regional Tonallán.

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LAKE CHAPALA AND OTHER GETAWAYS

Lake Chapala: Half an hour south of the metropolitan zone, grand, cloud-tipped Lake Chapala and its diadem of shoreline villages—Chapala, San Antonio, Ajijic, San Juan Cosala, and more—make up the celebrated Chapala Riviera. Lake Chapala’s colony of permanent North American and well-to-do Mexican residents supports a bounty of amenities. These include comfortable lodgings and restaurants, handicrafts and fine-arts shops, music and dramatic events, social and charitable organizations, and plenty of swimming, tennis, golf, walking, and hiking opportunities.

Boats at Chapala town line up at the pier, ready to take parties to historic Mezcala Island, stopping on the return at Alacranes Island for lunch. Kayaking is possible from most anywhere along the lakeshore. Interesting stops in Chapala town include the colorful lakefront Parque Cristiana. Likewise, in Ajijic, be sure to pause at the shady town plaza and the scenic pier.

Other Getaways: Not too far, averaging only about an hour and a half by road from the Guadalajara city center, lie several inviting getaways, rich in the enjoyments of old Mexico.

Moving counterclockwise from the northeast, first find San Juan de los Lagos and its basilica and precious El Pocito shrine.

For cool, pine-scented mountain air, rustic cabin lodgings, tasty regional delicacies, and plenty of hiking and horseback riding, choose Mazamitla, an hour and a half southeast of Guadalajara. Discover something similarly enjoyable in Tapalpa, likewise a cool, rustic mountain town, but with its own unique character. This includes lots of local delicacies and handicrafts, tennis and golf, a campground, and excursions, notably, to Las Piedrotas giant rock monoliths and the precipitous gorge and towering waterfall of El Salto del Nogal.

Although natural springs abound in the Guadalajara countryside, none is more enjoyable than the Chimulco warm springs resort and RV park, southwest of Guadalajara. For something different but equally lovely, travel to the Bosque de Primavera (Forest of Spring) wilderness reserve, for relaxing warm spring bathing, picnicking, and camping in the deep forest shade. Travel farther into very heart of the Bosque de Primavera and enjoy a stay at the Río Caliente Spa. There, you can rejuvenate with warm-spring baths, therapeutic spa services, and guided wildlife-viewing hikes along pine-shadowed woodland trails.

A bit farther west of Guadalajara, explore the Guachimontones archaeological zone and climb its monumental, restored conical pyramids. Afterward, enjoy a swim in the clear spring-fed pools and a picnic at the nearby Balneario El Rincón. Linger for an overnight at the graceful colonial-era Hacienda El Carmen.

Continue west past the agave fields to the famed town of Tequila and a tour of its José Cuervo tequila liquor distillery. Afterwards, relax for a swim and picnic at lovely canyon-view Balneario La Toma. Continue west a dozen miles to the opal center of Magdalena and a tour of the local opal mines.