Things To Do in Guadalajara

Downtown Guadalajara

The most easily recognized building in the city is the cathedral, around which four open plazas form the shape of a Latin cross. Extending eastwards from the plaza behind the cathedral is a long stretch of open area leading all the way to the Instituto Cultural Cabañas. This extension of open space is called Plaza Tapatía.

Construction on the cathedral started in 1561 and continued into the 18th century. Over such a long time, it was inevitable that some architectural alteration would be incorporated before the building was ever completed. The result is an unusual facade -- an amalgam of several styles, including baroque, neoclassical, and Gothic. An earthquake destroyed the original towers in 1818; their replacements were built in the 1850s, inspired by designs said to have been on the bishop's dinner china. The colors on the towers, blue and yellow, are Guadalajara's official colors. The interior is cavernous and majestic. Items of interest include a painting in the sacristy ascribed to the 17th-century Spanish artist Bartolomé Estaban Murillo (1617-82).

On the cathedral's south side is the Plaza de Armas, the oldest and loveliest of the plazas. A cast-iron Art Nouveau bandstand is its dominant feature. Made in France, it was a gift to the city from the dictator Porfirio Díaz in the 1890s. The female figures on the bandstand exhibited too little clothing for conservative Guadalajarans, who clothed them. The dictator, recognizing when it's best to let the people have their way, said nothing.

Facing the plaza is the Palacio del Gobierno, a broad, low structure built in 1774. The facade blends Spanish and Moorish elements and holds several eye-catching details. Inside the central courtyard, above the staircase to the right, is a spectacular mural of Hidalgo by the modern Mexican master José Clemente Orozco. The Father of Independence appears high overhead, bearing directly down on the viewer and looking as implacable as a force of nature. On one of the adjacent walls, Orozco painted The Carnival of Ideologies, a dark satire on the prevailing fanaticisms of his day. Another of his murals is inside the second-floor chamber of representatives, depicting Hidalgo again, this time in a more conventional posture, writing the proclamation to end slavery in Mexico. The palacio is open daily from 10am to 8pm.

In the plaza on the opposite side of the cathedral from the Plaza de Armas is the Rotonda de los Hombres Ilustres. Sixteen white columns, each supporting a bronze statue, stand as monuments to Guadalajara's and Jalisco's distinguished sons. Across the street from the plaza, in front of the Museo Regional, you will see a line of horse-drawn buggies. A carriage ride around the Centro Histórico lasts almost an hour and costs 200 pesos for one to four people.

Facing the east side of the rotunda is the Museo Regional de Guadalajara, Liceo 60 (tel. 33/3613-2703). Originally a convent, it was built in 1701 in the baroque style and contains some of the region's important archaeological finds, fossils, historic objects, and art. Among the highlights are a giant reconstructed mammoth's skeleton and a meteorite weighing 772 kilograms (1,702 lb.), discovered in Zacatecas in 1792. On the first floor, there's a fascinating exhibit of pre-Hispanic pottery and some exquisite pottery and clay figures recently unearthed near Tequila during the construction of the toll road. On the second floor is a small ethnography exhibit of the contemporary dress of the state's indigenous peoples, including the Coras, Mexicaneros, Nahuas, and Tepehuanes. It's open Tuesday through Saturday from 9am to 5:30pm and Sunday from 9am to 4pm. Admission is 45 pesos.

Behind the Cathedral is the Plaza Liberación, with the Teatro Degollado (Deh-goh-yah-doh) on the opposite side. This neoclassical 19th-century opera house was named for Santos Degollado, a local patriot who fought with Juárez against Maximilian and the French. Apollo and the nine muses decorate the theater's pediment, and the interior is famous for both the acoustics and the rich decoration. It hosts a variety of performances during the year. It's open Monday through Friday from noon to 2pm and during performances.

To the right of the theater, across the street, is the sweet little church of Santa María de Gracia, built in 1573 as part of a convent for Dominican nuns. On the opposite side of the Teatro Degollado is the church of San Agustín. The former convent is now the University of Guadalajara School of Music.

Keep walking east down Plaza Tapatía, and you will arrive at the Instituto Cabañas. You will first pass between a couple of low, modern office buildings. The Tourism Information Office is in a building on the right side.

Beyond these office buildings, the plaza opens into a large expanse, now framed by department stores and offices, and dominated by the abstract modern Quetzalcóatl Fountain. This fluid steel structure represents the mythical plumed serpent Quetzalcóatl, who figured so prominently in pre-Hispanic religion and culture, and exerts a presence even today.

At the far end of the plaza is the Hospicio Cabañas, formerly an orphanage and known today as the Instituto Cultural Cabañas, Cabañas 8 (tel. 33/3818-2800, ext. 31009). Admission is 70 pesos. This vast structure is impressive for both its size (more than 23 courtyards) and its grandiose architecture, especially the cupola. Created by the famous Mexican architect Manuel Tolsá, it housed homeless children from 1829 to 1980. Today it's a thriving cultural center offering art shows and classes. The interior walls and ceiling of the main building display murals painted by Orozco in 1937. His Man of Fire, in the dome, is said to represent the spirit of humanity projecting itself toward the infinite. Other rooms hold additional Orozco works, as well as excellent contemporary art and temporary exhibits.

Just south of the Hospicio Cabañas (to the left as you exit) is the Mercado Libertad, Guadalajara's gigantic covered central market, the largest in Latin America. This site has been a market plaza since the 1500s; the present buildings date from the early 1950s.

Other Attractions

At Parque Agua Azul (Blue Water Park), plants, trees, shrubbery, statues, and fountains create an idyllic refuge from the bustling city. Many people come here to exercise early in the morning. The park is open daily from 7am to 6pm. Admission is 10 pesos for adults, 5 pesos for children.

Across Calzada Independencia from the park, cater-cornered from a small flower market, is the Museo de Arqueología del Occidente de México, Calzada Independencia at Avenida del Campesino (no phone). It houses a fine collection of pre-Hispanic pottery from Jalisco, Nayarit, and Colima. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 2pm and 4 to 7pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 2pm. There's a small admission charge.

The state-run Instituto de la Artesanía (tel. 33/3030-9090) is just past the park entrance at Calzada Independencia and González Gallo. It exhibits just about every kind of craft produced in the state. Hours are Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 2pm.

Also near the park is Guadalajara's rodeo arena, Lienzo Charro de Jalisco (tel. 33/3619-0315). Mexican cowboys, known as charros, are famous for their riding and lasso work, and the arena in Guadalajara is considered the big-time. Shows and competitions are every Sunday at noon. The arena is at Av. Dr. R. Michel 577, between González Gallo and Las Palomas.

Many visitors to Guadalajara come specifically for the shopping in Tlaquepaque and Tonalá . If you have little free time, try the government-run Instituto de la Artesanía Jalisciense, González Gallo 20 at Calzada Independencia (tel. 33/3030-9090), in Parque Agua Azul, just south of downtown. This place is perfect for one-stop shopping, with two floors of pottery, silver jewelry, dance masks, glassware, leather goods, and regional clothing from around the state and the country. As you enter, on the right are museum displays showing crafts and regional costumes from the state of Jalisco. The craft store is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 2pm.

Guadalajara is known for its shoe industry; if you're in the market for a pair, try the Galería del Calzado, a shopping center made up exclusively of shoe stores. It's on the west side, about 6 blocks from Minerva Circle, at avenidas México and Yaquis. There is also a section of the street Esteban Alatorre, near Parque Morelos, which has practically nothing but shop after shop of women's dress shoes. It makes for very comfortable shopping.

Women's jewelry is another good that Guadalajara is known for. There are four large buildings filled with jewelry shops on the Plaza Tapatía, by the San Juan de Dios market, also known as Mercado Libertad.

Mariachis and charros come to Guadalajara from all over Mexico to buy highly worked belts and boots, wide-brimmed sombreros, and embroidered shirts. Several tailor shops and stores specialize in these outfits. One is El Charro, which has a store in the Plaza del Sol shopping center, across the street from the Hotel Presidente InterContinental, and one downtown on Juárez.

To view a good slice of what constitutes the material world for most Mexicans, try the mammoth Mercado Libertad downtown. Besides food and produce, you'll see crafts, household goods, clothing, magic potions, and more. Although it opens at 7am, the market isn't in full swing until around 10am. Come prepared to haggle.

Gonvil, a popular bookstore chain, has a branch across from Plaza de los Hombres Ilustres on Avenida Hidalgo, and another a few blocks south at Av. 16 de Septiembre 118 (Alcalde becomes 16 de Septiembre south of the cathedral). It carries few English selections. Sanborn's, at the corner of Juárez and 16 de Septiembre, does a good job of keeping English-language periodicals in stock, but most are specialty magazines. For the widest selection of English-language books, try Sandi Bookstore, Av. Tepeyac 718 (tel. 33/3121-0863), in the Chapalita neighborhood on the west side.

Packing It In -- If you need your purchases packed safely so that you can check them as extra baggage, or if you want them shipped, talk to Margaret del Río. She is an American who runs a large packing and shipping company at Juárez 347, Tlaquepaque (tel. 33/3657-5652). Paying the excess baggage fee usually is cheaper than shipping, but it's less convenient.

Shopping in Tlaquepaque & Tonalá

Almost everyone who comes to Guadalajara for the shopping has Tlaquepaque (Tlah-keh-pah-keh) and Tonalá in mind. These two suburbs are traditional handicraft centers that produce and sell a wide variety of artesanía (crafts).

Tlaquepaque -- Located about 20 minutes from downtown, Tlaquepaque has the best shopping for handicrafts and decorative arts in all of Mexico. Over the years, it has become a fashionable place, attracting talented designers in a variety of fields. Even though it's a suburb of a large city, it has a cozy, small-town feel and is a pleasure to stroll through popping into one shop after another. No one hassles you; no one does the hard sell. It's a relaxing, easy-going experience. There are some excellent places to eat, or you can grab some simple fare at El Parián, a building in the middle of town that houses a number of small eateries.

A taxi from downtown Guadalajara costs 100 pesos, or you can take one of the TUR 706 buses that make a fairly quick run from downtown to Tlaquepaque and Tonalá.

The Tlaquepaque Tourism Office (tel. 33/3562-7050, ext. 2320; turismotlaquepaque@yahoo.com.mx) has an information booth in the town's main square by El Parián. It's staffed from 10am to 8pm daily.

If you are interested in pottery and ceramics, make sure to see the Pantaleón Panduro Museum, listed above. Another is the Regional Ceramics Museum, Independencia 237 (tel. 33/3635-5404), which displays several aspects of traditional Jalisco pottery as produced in Tlaquepaque and Tonalá. The examples date back several generations and are grouped according to the technique used to produce them. Note the crosshatch design known as petatillo on some of the pieces; it's one of the region's oldest traditional motifs and is, like so many other motifs, a real pain to produce. Look for the wonderful old kitchen and dining room, complete with pots, utensils, and dishes. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm, Sunday from 10am to 3pm; admission is free.

The following list of Tlaquepaque shops will give you an idea of what to expect. This is just a small fraction of what you'll find; the best approach might be to just wander among the shops. The main shopping is along Independencia, a pedestrian-only street that starts at El Parián. It was recently resurfaced in stone and looks pretty sharp. You can go door-to-door visiting the shops until the street ends, and then work your way back on Calle Juárez, the next street over, south of Independencia.

Tonalá: a Tradition of Pottery Making -- Tonalá is a pleasant town 10 minutes from Tlaquepaque. It is without question the largest concentration of artisans in Mexico and was a center of pottery making since pre-Hispanic times. Half of the more than 400 workshops here produce a wide variety of high- and low-temperature pottery. Other local artists work with forged iron, cantera stone, brass and copper, marble, miniatures, papier-mâché, textiles, blown glass, and gesso. This is a good place to look for custom work in any of these materials; you can locate a large pool of craftspeople by asking around a little.

Market days are Thursday and Sunday, when Tonalá reflects Mexico in all its chaotic glory. Expect large crowds and blocks and blocks of stalls displaying locally made pottery and glassware, cheap manufactured goods, food, and all kinds of bric-a-brac. You'll see herb men selling a rainbow selection of dried plants from wheelbarrows, magicians entertaining crowds, and craftspeople spreading their wares on the plaza's sidewalks. All kinds of crafts are for sale, most of which can be found in various parts of Mexico, but every now and then you'll come across something unique, produced by a local artisan. Visiting Tonalá on nonmarket days is easier. You can walk around more easily and find stores and workshops. Tonalá is the place for buying sets of margarita glasses, the widely seen blue-rimmed hand-blown glassware, finely painted petatillo ware, and the pottery typically associated with Mexico.

The Tonalá Tourism Office (tel. 33/1200-3912) operates an information kiosk on the town square. It's open Monday to Friday from 9am to 2:30pm.

Tonalá is also the home of the Museo Nacional de Cerámica, Constitución 104, between Hidalgo and Morelos (tel. 33/3284-6000, ext. 1523). The museum occupies most of the Casa del Artesano, which promotes local artisans. There is a store to the right just as you enter. You should take time to look through the store and its displays. If there's anything that interests you, ask the staff, who can tell you (in Spanish) about the different methods used to make pottery and other work and show you the difference between original methods and commercial shortcuts. If you like anything in particular they can direct you to the workshop where it was made and tell you of others that make something similar. The museum and store are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 8pm. Admission is free; the fee for using a video or still camera is 85 pesos per camera.