NOVEMBER 23, 2017: Pedestrians at a shopping street in Tlaquepaque.

©Luis Alvarado Alvarado/Shutterstock

Guadalajara Region

Beyond Guadalajara’s sprawling suburbs, lonely mountain-top pueblos and lazy lakeshore towns promise an intoxicating picture of old Mexico. Lago de Chapala, just 50km south of Guadalajara, is Mexico’s largest natural lake and offers spectacular scenery, traditional lakeside towns and picturesque pueblos full of retired gringos. Further south and west, Jalisco’s Zona de Montaña is home to a string of mountain retreats where horses wander free through dusty streets, and there’s nothing to do but stroll through the pines and sip rompope (a local eggnog-like alcoholic drink) by the fire.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Instituto Cultural de Cabañas
Guadalajara
Standing proudly at the eastern end of dramatic Plaza Tapatía is one of Guadalajara’s architectural landmarks, and a Unesco World Heritage site since 1997…
Catedral de Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara’s cathedral is the city’s most conspicuous landmark with distinctive neo-Gothic towers built after an earthquake toppled the originals in…
Guachimontones Archaeological Site
Guadalajara
Just 40km west of Guadalajara is the fascinating and distinctive archaeological site known as Guachimontones – one of the only ancient ruins in the world…
Basílica de Zapopan
Guadalajara
One of the city's most important churches, the Basílica de Zapopan, built in 1730, is home to Nuestra Señora de Zapopan, a petite statue of the Virgin…
Cascahuín
Guadalajara Region
If you have time for only one distillery tour while in Tequila country, make it this one. Here you'll see the entire process, from piña harvesting to…
Tonalá Street Market
Guadalajara
On Thursday and Sunday, Tonalá bursts into a huge street market that sprouts on Avenida Tonaltecas and crawls through dozens of streets and alleys and…
Museo Pantaleón Panduro
Guadalajara
This superb collection of over 500 pieces of national folk art is housed in a converted religious mission and includes well-displayed miniature figurines,…
Centro Cultural Juan Beckman Gallardo
Guadalajara Region
Opened in 2018, this gorgeous colonial-style cultural center is home to a modern museum with well-curated exhibits on the history and culture of the…