Planning a Trip

Getting There & Departing

By Plane -- Guadalajara's airport (GDL) is a half-hour ride from the city. Taxi tickets, priced by zone, are for sale in front of the airport ($19/£9.50 to downtown).

Major Airlines -- Numbers in Guadalajara are: AeroMar (tel. 33/3615-8509), AeroMéxico (tel. 01-800/021-4010), American (tel. 01-800/904-6000), Click (tel. 01-800/1225425), Continental (tel. 01-800/900-5000), Delta (tel. 33/3630-3530), Mexicana (tel. 01-800/502-2000), and United (tel. 33/3616-9489).

Of the smaller airlines, Aviacsa (tel. 33/3123-1751) connects to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston, and Chicago. Azteca (tel. 33/3630-4615) offers service to and from Mexico City, and from there to several cities in Mexico. Allegro (tel. 33/3647-7799) operates flights to and from Oakland and Las Vegas via Tijuana. Alaska Airlines (tel. 01-800/426-0333) flies to Los Angeles and Reno.

By Car -- Guadalajara is at the hub of several four-lane toll roads (called cuotas or autopistas), which cut travel time considerably but are expensive. From Nogales on the U.S. border, follow Highway 15 south (21 hr.). From Tepic, a quicker route is toll road 15D (5 hr.; $31/£16). From Puerto Vallarta, go north on Highway 200 to Compostela; toll road 68D heads east to join the Tepic toll road. Total time is 5 1/2 hours, and the tolls add up to $29 (£15). From Barra de Navidad, on the coast southeast of Puerto Vallarta, take Highway 80 northeast (4 1/2 hr.). From Manzanillo, you might also take this road, but toll road 54D through Colima to Guadalajara (3 1/2 hr.; $26/£13) is faster. From Mexico City, take toll road 15D (7 hr.; $55/£28).

By Bus -- Two bus stations serve Guadalajara. The old one, south of downtown, is for buses to Tequila and other nearby towns; the new one, 10km (6 1/4 miles) southeast of downtown, is for longer trips.

The Old Bus Station -- For destinations within 100km (62 miles) of town, including the Lake Chapala area, go to the old bus terminal, on Niños Héroes off Calzada Independencia Sur. For Lake Chapala, take Transportes Guadalajara-Chapala, which runs frequent buses and combis (minivans).

The New Bus Station -- The Central Camionera is 15 to 30 minutes from downtown. The station has seven terminals connected by a covered walkway. Each terminal houses bus lines, offering first- and second-class service for different destinations. Buy bus tickets ahead of time from a travel agency in Guadalajara. Ask at your hotel for the closest to you. There are several major bus lines. The best service (big seats and lots of room) is provided by ETN.

Visitor Information

The State of Jalisco Tourist Information Office is at Calle Morelos 102 (tel. 33/3668-1600 or -1601; http://visita.jalisco.gob.mx) in the Plaza Tapatía, at Paseo Degollado and Paraje del Rincón del Diablo. It's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 8pm, and Saturday, Sunday, and festival days 10am to 2pm. You can get maps, a monthly calendar of cultural events, and good information. Of the city tourist information booths, one is in Plaza Liberación (directly behind the cathedral), another in Plaza Guadalajara (directly in front of the cathedral). These are open daily from 9am to 1pm and 3 to 7pm. Ask at either of these about free weekend walking tours.

City Layout

The Centro Histórico (city center), with all its plazas, churches, and museums, will obviously be of interest to the visitor. The west side is Guadalajara's modern, cosmopolitan district. In the northwest corner is Zapopan, home of Guadalajara's patron saint. On the opposite side of the city from Zapopan, in the southeast corner, are the craft centers of Tlaquepaque and Tonalá.

The main artery for traffic from downtown to the west side is Avenida Vallarta. It starts downtown as Juárez. The main arteries for returning to downtown are México and Hidalgo, both north of Vallarta. Vallarta heads due west, where it intersects another major artery, Avenida Adolfo López Mateos, at Fuente Minerva (or simply La Minerva, or Minerva Circle). Minerva Circle, a 15-minute drive from downtown, is the central point of reference for the west side. To go to Zapopan from downtown, take Avenida Avila Camacho, which you can pick up on Alcalde; it takes 20 minutes by car. To Tlaquepaque and Tonalá, take Calzada Revolución. Tlaquepaque is 8km (5 miles) from downtown and takes 15 to 20 minutes by car; Tonalá is 5 minutes farther. Another major viaduct, Calzada Lázaro Cárdenas, connects the west side to Tlaquepaque and Tonalá, bypassing downtown.

The Neighborhoods in Brief

Centro Histórico -- The heart of the city encompasses many plazas, the cathedral, and several historic buildings and museums. Here, too, are the striking murals of José Clemente Orozco, one of the great Mexican muralists. Theaters, restaurants, shops, and clubs dot the area, and an enormous market rounds out the attractions. All of this is in a space roughly 12 blocks by 12 blocks -- an easy area to explore on foot, with several plazas and pedestrian-only areas. To the south is a large green space called Parque Agua Azul.

West Side -- This is the swanky part of town, with the fine restaurants, luxury hotels, boutiques, and galleries, as well as the American, British, and Canadian consulates. It's a large area best navigated by taxi.

Zapopan -- Founded in 1542, Zapopan is a suburb of Guadalajara. In its center is the 18th-century basilica, the home of Guadalajara's patron saint, the Virgin of Zapopan. The most interesting part of Zapopan is clustered around the temple and can be explored on foot. It has a growing arts and nightlife scene.

Tlaquepaque -- This was a village of artisans (especially potters) that grew into a market center. In the last 30 years, it has attracted designers from all over Mexico. Every major form of art and craft is for sale here: furniture, pottery, glass, jewelry, woodcarvings, leather goods, sculptures, and paintings. The shops are sophisticated, yet Tlaquepaque's center retains a small-town feel that makes door-to-door browsing enjoyable and relaxing.

Tonalá -- This has remained a town of artisans. Plenty of stores sell mostly local products from the town's more than 400 workshops. You'll see wrought iron, ceramics, blown glass, and papier-mâché. A busy street market operates each Thursday and Sunday.

Getting Around

By Taxi -- Taxis are the easiest way to get around town. Most have meters, and, though some drivers are reluctant to use them, you can insist that they do. There are three rates: for day, night, and suburbia. On my last visit, typical fares were: downtown to the west side, $6 to $8 (£3-£4); downtown or west side to Tlaquepaque, $7 to $9 (£3.50-£4.50); to the new bus station, $8 (£4); to the airport, $16 to $20 (£8-£10).

By Car -- Familiarize yourself with the main traffic arteries before you get behind the wheel. Several important freeway-style thoroughfares crisscross the city. Dr. R. Michel leads south from the town center towards Tlaquepaque. Use González Gallo for the return direction. Avenida Vallarta starts out downtown as Juárez and heads west past La Minerva and eventually feeds onto Highway 15, bound for Tequila and Puerto Vallarta.

By Bus -- For the visitor, the handiest route is the TUR 706, which runs from the Centro Histórico southeast to Tlaquepaque ($1/50p), the Central Camionera (the new bus station), and Tonalá. You can catch this bus on Avenida 16 de Septiembre. The same bus runs in the reverse direction back to the downtown area.

The electric bus is handy for travel between downtown and the Minerva area (50¢/25p). It bears the sign PAR VIAL and runs east along Hidalgo and west along the next street to the north, Calle Independencia (not Calzada Independencia). Hidalgo passes along the north side of the cathedral. The Par Vial goes as far east as Mercado Libertad and as far west as Minerva Circle. The city also has a light rail system, Tren Ligero, but it doesn't serve areas that are of interest to visitors.