Guadalajara: Places to Explore

Ajijic has narrow cobblestone streets, vibrantly colored buildings, and a gentle pace—with the exception of the considerably trafficky main highway through the town's southern end. The foreign influence... Read more

Mexico's largest natural lake is a one-hour drive southeast of Guadalajara. Surrounded by jagged hills and serene towns, Lake Chapala is a favorite Tapatío getaway and a haven for thousands of North... Read more

The downtown core is a mishmash of modern and old buildings connected by a series of large plazas, four of which were designed to form a cross when viewed from the sky, with the cathedral in the middle... Read more

Chapala was a placid weekend getaway for aristocrats in the late 19th century, but when then-president Porfirio Díaz got in on the action in 1904, other wealthy Mexicans followed suit. More and... Read more

San Juan Cosalá is known for its thermal-water spas along Lago de Chapala.... Read more

As you leave the bustle of Guadalajara to head west, the entire landscape changes; suddenly, the land is peppered with the distinctive blue-green color of agave. As you near Tequila, families are selling... Read more

Teuchitlán itself isn't much to see: a small Mexican town like many others, with a few small eateries surrounding a central plaza. But its main draw, the mysterious Guachimontones Ruins, are growing... Read more

Local arts and handicrafts fill the showrooms and stores in this touristy town where you'll find carved wood furniture, colorful ceramics, and hand-stitched clothing, among other goods. Pedestrian malls... Read more

Among the region's oldest pueblos is bustling Tonalá, a unique place filled with artisan workshops small and large. Although it's been swallowed by ever-expanding Guadalajara, Tonalá remains... Read more

Mexico's former corn-producing capital is now a municipality of wealthy enclaves, modern hotels, and malls surrounded by hills of poor communities (as is much of metropolitan Guadalajara). Farther out... Read more

Also known as Zona Rosa (Pink Zone), this district west of the Centro Histórico is arguably the pulse of the city. At night a seemingly endless strip of the region's trendiest restaurants and watering... Read more