Guadalajara Travel

 Posted by at 8:39 am  Jalisco, Mexico  Add comments
Sep 142010
 
Guadalajara Mexico

What to see and do in Guadalajara:

Good to know: museums are closed on Mondays

El Centro is made for walking with numerous pedestrian only streets, parks and plazas. El Centro at night is lively, fun and great for people watching with many street performers, artists, and families going for an evening stroll.

Guadalajara Cathedral. Completed in 1618, it is a mix of gothic and neoclassical architecture. Four plazas radiate from the Cathedral, forming a giant cross, with the Cathedral at the center.

Mercado Libertad has lots of shoes, jeans, t-shirts, leather and souvenirs. The bottom floor has crafts and the middle floor has food stalls. With hundreds of vendors, it’s apparently the largest in Latinamerica. Near the Mercado is a huge jewelry store, covering 4 floors, with dozens of different booths.

Palacio de Gobierno (Governor’s Office). Home of the government of the State of Jalisco and open to the public. There are several excellent murals painted by José Clemente Orozco, including a huge portrait of Miguel Hidalgo in the vault of the old chambers of the state council. There are usually guides available to give you a tour and a bit of a history lesson.

Watch a free concert: There are free concerts given in the Plaza de Armas most evenings.

Minerva / Chapultapec area: At Los Arcos you can walk up to an outdoors viewing platform at the top of the arch and see down the street towards el Centro. In the other direction is the Minerva fountain.

Plaza de los Mariachis is a small plaza near the Mercado where, at certain times of the day, Mariachis will serenade you while you eat at one of the small cafes or restaurants surrounding the plaza.

Instituto Cultutal Cabañas is a cultural and art center where you can view numerous paintings and spectacular murals by Jose Clemente Orozco. The building itself is worth the cost of admission. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.

Parque Agua Azul. Lovely shady park with an excellent aviary, butterfly pavilion & orchid house. Just outside the gates is an artesans’ shop.

University area – look through the magnificent church with beautiful stain glass. The University itself has an Orozco mural.

Watch a show at Theatre Degollado. The cost is about 120 to 160 pesos.

Zoo 10am – 6pm, http://www.zooguadalajara.com.mx

Double decker bus http://www.tapatiotour.com. The double-decker, hop-on, hop-off bus leaves daily from the cathedral and is run by the Tourism Office. There are three routes: Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque and Zapopan. If you stayed on the bus, the Guadalajara loop would take about two-hours. Information is available in English through headsets. You’re free to get off and explore at any of the stops. Look for a 50% off coupon in the Tequila book.

Where to Eat in Guadalajara:

  • La Gorda
  • Terra Madre in Tapatia Plaza, near the Mercado. Great for a stop in the shade after the hot Mercado. The enchiladas verde were very good.
  • 9 Esquinas. This cute little community has several birria restaurants surrounding a plaza with a fountain. The best restaurant is Las 9 Esquinas. It has an open tiled kitchen like you might find in a Mexican family’s home. The carne asada & guacamole are excellent as is the birria de chivo.
  • Santo Coyote. This is a restaurant and an experience. American Indian meets South Pacific theme with water falls, palapas, and totem poles surrounded by lush green vegetation. The waiter makes salsa at your table — spiced to order – in a molcajete. The first time, I had excellent chicken tamarindo (sweet sauce) with mashed potato & vegetables. The next time, I ordered the surf & turf – mouth watering crab stuffed shrimp wrapped in bacon covered in a cream sauce & beef medallion wrapped in bacon covered in a red sauce served with mashed potato & vegetables. I’d go back to Guadalajara just for that meal. There is also live Mariachi in the evenings. The restaurant is located in the middle of nowhere, but it’s worth the effort.
  • Casa Bariachi. Restaurant with mariachi shows at 3:30pm and 5:30pm. The arrachera was excellent. Located on Av. Vallarta 2221, Zona Minerva.
  • Tequilas
  • La Chata. Excellent arrachera for 110 pesos.

Where to stay in Guadalajara:

Hotel Morales

Address: Av. Corona 243, Corner of Prisciliano Sánchez, Centro Histórico, Around Town

Web site www.hotelmorales.com.mx

Hotel Morales is a historical hotel that’s attractive, comfortable, and in an excellent location. Rooms have A/C, TV, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron, safe. They say that there is high-speed Internet access, but it is weak in the rooms and good in the lobby. There are discounts for long term stays (more than 7 nights) and if you pay in cash.

Side Trips:

Tonola: Sunday and Thursday are market days. Everything is available but it’s very crowded. There are also many stores that are open all week. To reach Tonala, take Green TUR bus from Revolucion. It’s air conditioned and only costs 0.95 pesos. Or, take a taxi, which costs 100 pesos. The restaurant, El Boquinete serves a nice lunch, including tasty chicken fajitas and guacamole.

Tlaquepaque is an upscale, quaint town with many nice shops, pedestrian only streets, a main plaza, church, and market. You can get to it on a local bus for 10 pesos or by taxi for 70 pesos. Lunch at La El Patio on the main street or at La Palapa (down a side street).

Tequila & Zapopan. The Cuervo distillery offers an excellent seven hour tour from Guadalajara to Tequila with a stop at Zapopan. The fee is only 300 pesos per person, and includes the transportation, guide and the Cuervo distillery’s fee. Along the way you stop in Zapopan at the church with the Virgin of Guadalupe. You’ll drive through blue agave fields and rolling hills on the way to the town of Tequila. In Tequila, you tour the Cuervo distillery and enjoy free tasters, including free excellent margaritas at the end. You’re on your own for lunch. Across from the distillery is the restaurant Cholula where you can sample another free margarita.

Lake Chapala & Ajijic. These cute little towns are well-worth a day trip when you’re in Guadalajara. Enjoy the cooling breezes from the lake and wander through artisan shops. You can get to Chapala by bus or taxi. A taxi will cost about 350 pesos and the bus only 30 pesos per person. You can take a 30 minute boat ride from Chapala to Ajijic. In Ajijic, I recommend eating lunch at the Garden.

Getting to Guadalajara:

Fly with VivaAerobus (in 2009, my flight cost 1,111 pesos all in, and in 2010, it cost $133 USD).

Parking at Hermosillo airport: Parking at the airport costs 240 pesos the first day, then 120 pesos per day.

Arriving at Guadalajara airport: there is a well marked taxi stand inside the airport. Pay here based on the zone that you are travelling to. The cost to go to the centro is 220 pesos. You will be given a receipt that you take outside to the taxi driver. You then only pay the driver a tip.

Taxis: agree on the price before you get in the cab. Within the city the price should be about 40 to 70 pesos. Cabs cost more at night.

Online resources:

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