Guadalajara Places

Zona Minerva

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 (and most touristy) watering holes lights up Avenida Vallarta east of Avenida Enrique Díaz de León. Victorian mansions, art galleries, a striking church, and two emblematic monuments—the Fuente Minerva (Minerva Fountain) and the Monumento Los Arcos—are scattered throughout the tree-lined boulevards.

The best way to get here from the Centro is by cab or on the Par Vial, an electric trolley marked 400 or 500 that runs west on Calle Independencia and Avenida Vallarta, and returns east via Avenida Hidalgo (get off on Hidalgo at either Plaza Guadalajara or Plaza de la Liberación, the plazas in front of and behind the cathedral).

You can cover the relatively small Museo de la Ciudad in an hour. The larger Museo de las Artes, a 10-minute walk west, requires two hours when all its exhibits are open. Budget an hour for the Templo Expiatorio across the street. The Monumento Los Arcos and the Fuente Minerva are quick single-afternoon tours.

Horsing Around

Calandrias (horse-drawn carriages) tour the area from downtown; it's $20 for an hour-long tour. Tapatío Tour, an open-top, double-decker bus, loops Zona Rosa daily 9 am-9 pm. You get one day of unlimited rides for about $11; spend the half-hour intervals between rides exploring sights. The bus departs from the west side of the Plaza de Armas.