Beautiful Guadalajara
Guadalajara is capital of the Jalisco state, and is a very friendly and appealing metropolis. With gorgeous skyscrapers and modern architecture in its new residential areas, Guadalajara´s historic centre is full of character and elegant old structures. Here you will find a series of plazas, horse-drawn carriages, pedestrianised streets and pleasant green areas.
Locals from Guadalajara are referred to as “tapatíos” and this is probably, the most “mexican” city of all Mexico, because this region is responsible for the arrival of tequila, traditional mariachi music and of course, the biggest Mexican icon: the sombrero.
Fundamental to national identity, Guadalajara is the cradle of a wonderful tradition, the Charrería and is also birth place of many musicians, artists, writers, and world-renowned athletes.
Among the most important cultural and artistic activities offered by this beautiful city are the International Book Fair and the Mexican Film Festival, which annually puts Guadalajara in the spotlight of the international scene.
Tourist Destinations:
Tlaquepaque
Tlaquepaque is a major center for decorative arts and crafts, offering plenty of shopping opportunities to visitors. Its elevation gives Tlaquepaque a spring-like weather all year long.
The historic center full with colonial churches and old mansions is absolutely beautiful. Other points of interest include two museums with impressive displays of ceramics, as well as other examples of beautiful architecture.
Special mention deserves the cultural centre par excellence: the Centro Cultural El Refugio, a former hospital which today results in events and exhibitions.
Chapala
Chapala is a city located in the state of Jalisco, right beside the biggest lake of America: Lake Chapala. The lake is one of the most famous attractions of Jalisco.
Originally Chapala was a prehistoric settlement whose age goes back to sometime in the twelfth century, when Nahuatl tribes arrived to the area migrating from the northwest and found the northern shore of the Lake highly populated.
Tourism in the lake goes back to the early nineteenth century, but really was not until the 50’s when tourism was fully developed in the area, especially with the birth of American cities in places like Ajijic, who have participated in the development of the reservoir and river communities.
Besides its wonderful all year weather, Chapala has a wide range of tourist facilities including more sports facilities than any other lakeside town. Chapala also offers numerous restaurants, open-air cafes and ice-cream parlors.
On the pier, boatmen will try to convince you to visit Scorpion Island and its restaurants. A longer, but more interesting boat trip is to Mezcala Island, and the remains of a fortress dating from Independence times.
Tequila
The word “tequila” has a Nahuatl origin and it means “place of tribute”. The first dwellers of Tequila in the current State of Jalisco were Chichimec and Otomi, this settlement was called Techinchán, which means “place where ropes and traps abound”.
This city is located at 60 kilometers from Guadalajara and its history is closely related to the namesake drink, recognized worldwide as the Mexican drink by excellence.
This fermented agave drink was already being used by the locals in the early XVI Century but without distillation. It wasn’t until the year 1600 when the first agave distillery was founded by Pedro Sánchez de Tagle; who became the first tequila producer.
In July 2006, Tequila was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO; especially the vast blue agave landscape. Tourists can visit the dozens of distilleries to observe the tequila production process.
Puerto Vallarta
Located on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, where Jalisco and Nayarit meet, Puerto Vallarta lays in the heart of Banderas Bay and offers the best of two worlds: tradition and vanguard, making Vallarta a window to the world.
Puerto Vallarta has received many global accolades that are a testament to the uniqueness and warmth of the city. The destination has been voted the friendliest city in the world by Condé Nast Magazine (2003), the best place to retire globally by the American Association of Retiered Persons (2010) and the best Mexican Vacation Destination by USNews.com (2010) beating out Cancún and Los Cabos for the top prize.
Puerto Vallarta is a natural refuge where you can practice water sports, enjoy wild landscapes and rock formations of great height, as in the Marietta Islands. You can also visit sites to observe the behavior of dolphins and stingrays. Among its marvelous beaches are: Beaches Twin Playa de los Muertos, Conchas Chinas, Shrimp Beach, the bay of Boca de Tomatlán, Boca Tomato and Garza Blanca Beach.
