Guadalajara is Mexico’s second city and it does not try to be Mexico City. It has its own identity — tequila country, mariachi birthplace, a colonial core that sprawls across several plazas connected by pedestrian streets. The food scene is excellent, the Tlaquepaque craft district is one of the best shopping experiences in the country, and the climate is mild enough to make walking pleasant year-round.
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The Centro
The historic center clusters around four plazas surrounding the cathedral. The Degollado theater on Plaza de la Liberacion is a neoclassical gem. The Hospicio Cabanas — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — has Jose Clemente Orozco’s massive ceiling murals. These are some of the most powerful murals in Mexico, grimmer and more intense than Rivera’s work in Mexico City.
The pedestrian zone connecting the plazas makes the center walkable and pleasant. Street performers, food vendors and shoe-shine guys work the plazas. The Mercado San Juan de Dios nearby is a huge covered market with everything from electronics to tortas ahogadas.
Tlaquepaque
The suburb of Tlaquepaque was once a separate village and still feels like one — cobblestone streets, galleries, craft workshops. This is where you buy blown glass, talavera pottery, papier-mache figures and handmade furniture. Prices are higher than rural workshops but the concentration of quality is unmatched. The main pedestrian street (Independencia) has restaurants with courtyard seating.
Food
Tortas ahogadas are the iconic Guadalajara dish — a crusty bolillo roll stuffed with pork carnitas and drowned in tomato-chili sauce. Street carts and hole-in-the-wall spots do them best. Birria (goat or beef stew) is the other local specialty. The taco scene rivals Mexico City — taquerias al pastor, de suadero, de cabeza cluster along Avenida Chapultepec.
Getting There
Primera Plus, ETN and Estrella Blanca run from Mexico City (6-7 hours). Guadalajara is the western hub — buses go everywhere from here. The airport has flights from most Mexican cities and some US routes. The main bus terminal (Central Vieja) handles most routes; the new terminal (Central Nueva) handles some long-distance services.