Las Ciudades Hermosas de Mexico: Guadalajara
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I spent a week in Mexico in mid-October, visiting Guadalajara, Guanajuato and San Migual de Allende. I had been to Cancun (most recently in May) and Mexico’s border cities, but never been inland – and it was a revelation.
(To skip to my trip report on Guanajuato, click here)
The trip was in conjunction with the annual conference of the Society of American Travel Writers. I paid about $1,500 for the week-long tour ($900 for the conference in Guadalajara and the rest on my four-day post tour). This fee did not cover the complete costs, I’m sure. As I say in my ethics policy, I travel anonymously for my work stories and personal travel; however, for professional reasons, I am allowed to be a member of this group and attend their conferences and trips.
Weather: The forecast had called for rain the entire week, but I lucked out with dry and sunny weather. The temperatures did get up into the high 80s during the day, then cool down into the 60s at night. It was slightly cooler up in the mountains. All in all, October was a beautitful time to visit.
Logistics: I flew DCA to HOU, then HOU into GDL on Continental. The latter leg was taken on one of the smaller express jets. Because it was a conference, we relied on buses for most of our transport. There was quite a bit of traffic in town on a Saturday night. Unfortunately , I wouldn’t recommend the hotel I was at, the Presidente Intercontinental. While it was attractive, it was too far from the tourist center of the city to see the sights.
Highlights:
Guadalajara. So much of our time was spent in activities and meetings that I didn’t have time to see too much of the city. Still, there were a few spots that should be considered must-sees. Guadalajara is the country’s second largest metro area and the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco. The area is best known for its mariachi music and tequila from nearby agave fields.
Orozco murals at Hospicio Cabanas. This UNESCO site was built at the beginning of the 19th century, primarily to house orphans and others who could not take care of themselves (the aged, handicapped and invalid). With a large central courtyard and gorgeous Spanish architecture, the sprawling complex was built on one level to accomodate its infirm inhabitants. The entire building is beautitful, but what you really need to see are the muraled frescos in the chapel, painted by Jose Clemente Orozco.
We joined a guide who explained the allegories behind Orozco’s work. Along with Diego Rivera, Orozco is considered a leader in the artistic movement known as Mexican Muralism. Throughout the chapel, the murals are meant to warn humanity about the dangers of technology, which he considered a path toward Armageddon. Only through art and creativity can Man be redeemed, and his most famous work – Man of Fire – illustrates his ideal. It’s wrapped around the chapel’s cupola.
Catedral de Guadalajara. I was there on Sun. Oct. 11 – the day before Romeria, the festival of Our Lady of Zapopan. The plazas downtown were full of revelers.
Ensconced in the Guadalajara Cathedral before making the trip to Zapopan, the Virgin statue drew so many pilgrims that it was impossible to get inside the Cathedral.
Guadalajara street art and street life. The city’s art isn’t only in its Cathedral and the Hospicio. Several pedestrian-only streets spool out from Plaza Guadalajara and Plaza Liberacion surrounding the Cathdral, interspersed with fountains and smaller plazas.
I played hooky from the conference for an afternoon, just to walk around and eat some tasty street food. Almost everything cost 10 pesos (less than $1)
In front of Hospicio Cabanas, on Plaza Tapatia, sit four bronze sculpture chairs by artist Alejandro Colunga, a Guadalajara native.
We couldn’t resist sitting in them.
Another sculpture to look for: Guadalajara’s 16th century escudo (coat of arms): a pine tree (with leaves, not needles) protected by rearing lions.
Markets. We stopped at Mercado Libertad, a huge covered market packed with food and shopping stalls. While I didn’t buy much, it was fun to see the vendors setting out items for Dia los Muertes – the upcoming Day of the Dead.
Tlaquepaque. About 30 minutes away from downtown Guadalajara, this self-contained suburb is known for its art galleries and restaurants. It’s a cute place, fun for dinner or to do some shopping.
I know that I missed some essential sites in Guadalajara. If I ever go back, I would hit the Palacio de Gobierno, the Jalisco state government office that houses another famous Orozco mural. I’d also go shopping in Tonala, known for its ceramics and visit nearby Lake Chapala.
The trip continues to Guanajuato – click here.
I did take some interesting daytrips from Guadalajara. The links are listed below.
To read about drinking tequila in Tequila, click here.
To read about Romeria, the Festival of Our Lady of Zapopan, click here.
To read about a Mexican sweat lodge experience that others at our conference did, click here.
To read about my May trip to Cancun and Playa del Carmen, click here.
San Miguel de Allende report coming soon!
3 Comments
Hello, Thanks for posting this. I am thinking of visiting Guadalajara & Guanajuato over the Xmas and New Year’s holidays. I plan to spend about 3 weeks. How would you divide your time between the 2 cities?
Also, did you see a lot of tourists? I speak Spanish at a fairly advanced level and want to stay as far away as possible from tourists or people who speak English while there. If these cities are anything like Cancun or what San Miguel Allende, then it’s not what I’m looking for. Thanks in advance.
MissLivvy – I also went to San Miguel de Allende on this trip. Both Guanajuato and Guadalajara had much fewer English-speaking tourists. Guadalajara draws its share of tourists from other areas of Mexico, as it’s the second largest city. It also has a touristy area about 20 minutes away called Tlaquepaque, and of course, Tequila draws international visitors as well. But I doubt you’ll see the place overrun with them.
Personally, I loved Guanajuato. We were there on the first night of the Cervantes festival so there were tourists – again, not necessarily English-speaking. It’s a university town, so there were a lot of students with laptops and iPods running around. But the setting really is charming and gorgeous.
If I had three weeks, I would probably spend a week in Guadalajara, making sure to visit some of the surrounding areas (I never made it to Lake Chapala, but I heard that was very nice). I enjoyed Tequila, even if it was touristy, as well as Tlaquepaque – from Guadalajara, you can visit the latter just for dinner if you wish. You can also visit San Juan de los Lagos if you want to see a pilmgrimage town (I’m sure it will be bustling over the holidays!)
Then I’d either spend the rest of the time in Guanajuato or maybe divert and go south to Morelia for a few days. It all depends on how much time you like to spend hanging out. I did think that Guanajuato would be ideal for that authentic, live-as-the-locals do experience – it was safe, youthfully vibrant and gorgeous.
Hope that helps!
Dear Chris,
Your report was fun. I have made approx 35 trips to Mexican towns over the years. Guanajuato,San Miguel,Morelia and Patzcuaro area, and Oaxaca are my favorites. You see I already live on an island with gorgous beaches so am more interested in FolkArt and Folk Music and the authentic food.
I would go back just to see and hear Doc Severenson and his Mexican Jazz group. For the $20 cover you get a full meal drinks and a Cappuchino for dessert. A great night of music no matter your nationality.
Too bad you missed all those beautiful B&Bs. You were with a group and had no choice, but you will return and when you do you will stay in “el centro”. You accomplished a lot in the amount of time you were there especially in picking up history of the area. Hurry back!