Visit Guadalajara: the Perfect Mexico Starting Point

Most people visiting Mexico head straight for Mexico City or the beaches of the Yucatán Peninsula. And while the Caribbean waters and Mayan ruins are quite the attractions, it would be a pity to miss out on some of Mexico’s other gems. Guadalajara is the perfect starting point for a trip around the country. It’s not as big and overwhelming as Mexico City, but has just as many beautiful churches, plazas and attractions worth seeing. Below you’ll find some of the reasons why you should visit Guadalajara at the start of your Mexican journey.

I arrived into Mexico from San Diego, after spending a few days in San Francisco with family. It was a long, arduous journey that I made far more difficult than it needed to be by insisting on walking across the US-Mexico border instead of simply flying to Guadalajara. I walked across the bridge into Tijuana Airport, spent a very uncomfortable and sleepless night in the airport, then took a flight to Guadalajara. I had crossed the US-Canada border by land a week before, and for some reason I really wanted to do the same at the southern border. I’m weird sometimes.

But back to the topic at hand.

Disclaimer: this website contains affiliate links. If you click on these links and make a purchase or booking, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue this blog and help wildlife around the world!

Visit Guadalajara’s Plazas

Plaza de Armas

Plaza de Armas is the main square in Guadalajara’s historic centre. It’s a wide-open space south of the cathedral with a beautiful old bandstand in the middle. Come to the plaza on Thursdays or Sundays at 6.30pm to hear the state band perform.

Plaza de la Liberación

East of the cathedral is the long Plaza de la Liberación, where you’ll find the Gudalajara sign and two lovely fountains. With the cathedral at one end and the Teatro Degollado at the other, you’ll be surrounded by beautiful architecture.

Plaza de la Rotunda

The third of four plazas surrounding Guadalajara’s cathedral, Plaza de la Rotunda is smaller and easily overlooked, but once you walk near you can’t miss the large stone monument amongst the trees. The circular monument dates to the 1950s and honours men (and one woman) from the state of Jalisco who distinguished themselves in science, politics, humans rights and humanities.

Plaza Guadalajara

Found to the west of the cathedral, Plaza Guadalajara’s original name was changed to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the founding of the city. This plaza has the main entrance to the cathedral, the entrance to the Municipal Palace and yet another lovely fountain.

Palacio de Gobierno

On the eastern side of the Plaza de Armas, the Government Palace is a stocky stone building. The outside is fairly bland, but the interior courtyard is really pretty. In 1810, the palace saw the passing of a law abolishing slavery in Mexico, so it’s a very historic place too.

I had heard about the famous mural inside the Palacio de Gobierno, but I wasn’t prepared for it. Turning up into the staircase to the upper floor, a massive grey-haired man stared down at me from the wall and ceiling above. Holding a flaming brand and surrounded by Nazis, communist symbols and priests in vivid colours. It was really striking and I spent a few minutes craning my neck to take it all in. The artist was José Clemente Orozco, a famous muralist from the early 20th century.

The palace is free to enter and is in such a handy location, so there’s no reason not to pop in for a quick visit.

Guadalajara Cathedral

If you ever want to see a real mummy up close and personal, and don’t want to go all the way to Egypt, then Guadalajara Cathedral is the place to go. No, seriously.

Within the walls of this Renaissance-style cathedral, with its Neo-Gothic yellow towers, lie the chillingly-small mummified remains of Santa Innocencia, a young girl said to have been killed by her father for converting to Catholicism. Dressed in white and lying on a bed of silk within her glass box, this little saint is quite the creepy sight.

The cathedral has been damaged multiple times by earthquakes, and is still in danger today. The dome has structural damage and one of the towers is tilting slightly to one side. So if you’re in Guadalajara and there’s an earthquake, don’t go anywhere near the cathedral! But any other time, it’s definitely worth seeing this beautiful church.

Hospicio Cabañas

Founded in 1791, the Hospicio Cabañas is one of the largest and oldest hospital complexes in the Americas. It’s not a hospital anymore, but a museum, spread out over the many long rooms and courtyards that make up the Hospicio.

The Hospicio Cabañas was one of the reasons I wanted to visit Guadalajara, and while I expected to find beautiful architecture and interesting history, I did not expect to find a whole heap of fascinating modern art. One of the exhibits on display when I wass there was called #VivenMujeres – Long Live -Women, with paintings, sculptures, poetry and photography all by women on the subject of feminism.

One of the main reasons the Hospicio was granted UNESCO World Heritage status is the central chapel. Here in the tall, domed building in the middle of the complex, the ceiling is covered in murals by painter José Clemente Orozco (the same painter who did the mural in the Palacio de Gobierno), including his early-20th century masterpiece ‘Man of Fire’ in the dome. For a church, these murals were all quite violent in nature, with soldiers, flames, swords and battle all depicted. I lay down on one of the wooden benches to get a better look. Some people stared at me, which I tried to ignore, but then I saw them doing the same thing, so… #trendsetter.

Teatro Degollado

The Teatro Degollado may look like an ancient temple (and it really reminds me of the Pantheon in Rome), but it’s actually only 160 years old. Between 10am and 2pm Tuesday-Sunday you can see inside the theatre for free (unless there is a concert on, and these hours seem to be flexible, so you might have to ask at the box office), and if a ticket to a performance is outside your budget (like me), then I highly recommend popping inside for a few minutes.

The interior is a beautiful red and gold affair, and the curved ceiling is painted with scenes from Dante’s Divine Comedy. It’s a lovely place to get a break from the scorching sun and to rest the aching feet. I nearly missed seeing inside the theatre during my visit to Guadalajara because at first it was closed (I couldn’t figure out why because of the language barrier), then on my way back a few hours later I noticed the gates were open and I managed to get inside for the last fifteen minutes of opening time.

Guadalajara Day Trip: Tequila

Why would someone who doesn’t drink alcohol want to visit a town which is all about a drink? When I came to visit Guadalajara, I knew I couldn’t miss seeing this colourful little town, even if I wasn’t going to be tasting its most famous export.

Like champagne or bourbon, real tequila can only come from a small number of regions in Mexico, and this town was the birthplace of it all. But while Tequila may be bursting at the seams with distilleries, bars and vehicles shaped like barrels, there’s plenty to see without tasting a drop of tequila itself.

The town itself is absolutely gorgeous, colourful and vibrant. It’s popular and busy, but the atmosphere is a happy, contented one. Visit the National Museum of Tequila to learn about the history of tequila and Tequila, wander the beautiful streets (easy enough when the town is so small) and pop into a distillery to see the process of making tequila (and taste it too if you want). Even if you don’t get a chance to go to the blue agave fields – the plant tequila is distilled from – you’ll see plenty on the drive to and from the town.

Getting to Tequila from Guadalajara

Many people when they visit Guadalajara take a tour to Tequila. This is definitely the simplest option, as you are brought door-to-door, and lunch is sometimes included. But it’s hardly the cheapest way to see the town, and if you’re not interested in a full distillery tour (or a subpar lunch), I highly recommend making your own way there.

If you have a car, it’s a fairly short drive of around 50km, but be warned – the Guadalajara traffic can be insane. Taking the public bus is by far the cheapest option, and takes all the stress out of the journey. Make your way to the Old Bus Station (Sucursal Guadalajara – Centra Vieja), where you’ll find all the buses with Tequila painted on the sides. You can check schedules and rates on the Tequila Plus website. Buses run frequently and tickets are usually around MX$115 each way, but it depends on which bus you take.

If you really want to splash out and make a special day of it, you can take the José Cuervo Express Train, as part of a full day tour. It sounds like a really fun day, but it comes with a hefty price tag.

Where to stay when you visit Guadalajara

Casa Nowhere

Just a fifteen minute walk from the main historic centre, this cute hostel is a really great place to stay during your visit to Guadalajara. I felt so welcome from the moment I stepped through the door and there are many activities organised by the staff, including communal barbeque dinners and Lucha Libre show trips. They have dorm rooms with lockers as well as private double rooms. I definitely recommend staying here!

They also have the sweetest dog living there. She’s a rescue, so is quite nervous and wary at first, but with a little gentle patience she soon warms up to guests.

Check out other hostel options in Guadalajara here.

Practical Information

• The language of Mexico is Spanish, and while in places like Guadalajara a lot of people speak English, it’s always a good idea to learn a few basic phrases before arriving. It will definitely help if you plan to take public transport. The currency is the Mexican Peso. €1 = 24MXN. US$1 = 22MXN. £1 = 27MXN (as of June 2020).
• As Mexico’s second-largest city, the Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Guadalajara International Airport is large and busy, with flights coming in from all over the world. It is located 16km south of the city centre and while there is public transport available, due to the crazy traffic and the cheap cost of Uber in Mexico, I would recommend getting one of those instead, or else organising a taxi at the counters in Arrivals for a fixed price (though Uber is usually cheaper). If you want to try to get a bus instead, you can check out the information on the Airport website.
• Public transport: There is a metro system, and a very crowded public bus system in Guadalajara, but as almost all the top sights are within an easy walking distance to each other and a lot of accommodation, you might never need to use it. If you do, Lonely Planet has a basic guide to Guadalajara buses.
• Travelling onwards from Guadalajara by bus? There are two large bus stations in the city, so make sure you go to the right one. Most of the longer-distance buses go from the New Station (Nueva Central Camionera), while Tequila and other nearby places can be reached from the Old Station (Central Vieja).

Admission fees (as of March 2020):

• Hospicio Cabañas: 80MXN, free on Tuesdays
• Guadalajara Cathedral: free
• Teatro Degollado: free to enter, tickets to shows vary
• Palacio de Gobierno: free
• National Museum of Tequila: 15MXN
• Tequila distillery tours: varies between distilleries. José Cuervo is most well-known and therefore most expensive, but the lesser-known companies are more budget-friendly.

Have you ever been to Mexico? Where would you most like to go? If you ever visit Guadalajara, I’d love to know what you think of the city!

Other This Wild Life Of Mine city guides:

Is Guanajuato the Prettiest City in Mexico?

The Best Places to Visit in San Francisco

All My Favourite Places in Lisbon

Québec – Why You Need To Visit Canada’s European City

Like this post? Pin it for later!

• 

• 

•