(CNN Spanish) - Known as the pearl of the West, Guadalajara was recently named by Travel + Leisure magazine as one of the best Mexican cities to visit, according to the results of its annual World's Best survey.
According to information from the publication, “in the category of Best Cities in Mexico, Perla Tapatia stood out as the metropolis that offers the perfect balance between modernity and tradition, since the most representative symbols of Mexican culture converge in it, such as the tequila and mariachi ».
On this occasion, the Popero Tour runs through this city and lists the 10 places you should visit, with the help of Gustavo Staufert, director of the Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Guadalajara is a paradoxical city in itself. We like to say that it is traditionally modern. On the one hand, we are an iconic city where tequila and mariachi are born and, on the other hand, we are this city where the Silicon Valley of Latin America is active, where all the technology industries converge ”, said Staufert.
What did Travel + Leisure take into consideration? According to Staufert, it was the diversity that the city has. «The nuances that this cosmopolitan city of five million inhabitants has with places like Tlaquepaque, where you go back in time 300 years. Visit the financial and commercial area of Andares and eat in one of the many restaurants with a great variety of dishes. Enjoy the 'video mapping' of the Basilica of Zapopan. The contrasts that are experienced such as the Santa Tere Market, the bars in Chapultepec and, of course, the warmth of the people. We like to party and we are surrounded by other states that also like to party.
10 - Zapopan
The Basilica of Zapopan and the Convent of Our Lady of Expectation of Zapopan are located in the heart of this municipality. (Photo courtesy Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau).
The obligatory stop of this municipality is the Basilica of Our Lady of Zapopan. Here it is said that the Virgin is miraculous and that she makes the requests that visitors make of her come true. «We know her as« la generala ». How can you call a virgin general? It has to do with the Cristero War in the country, because she went out to defend her own and the parishioners named her that way. The feast of the Virgin of Zapopan takes place in the month of October and, according to its official website, "the famous pilgrimage of Zapopan, a feast that has been held on October 4 since 1735, and that from 1951 It is celebrated on the 12th. The 1998 pilgrimage brought together more than two million faithful, coming from different parts of the State and the country.
9 - La Minerva
La Minerva, as all the people of Guadalajara know it, is a sculpture that was made by the artists Joaquín Arias Méndez and Pedro Medina Guzmán (Photo courtesy of the Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau).
The roundabout with the "La Minerva" fountain is one of the most representative places in this city. It was built in 1957, as a symbol to protect the city. Located on Vallarta Avenue and continuing on it, you will reach «Los Arcos», another emblematic point, which at the time was considered the entrance to the city. "La Minerva", as it is known colloquially, is the meeting point for all Guadalajara residents when the national team or "Las Chivas", the local soccer team, win a game. It is eight meters high and at the foot of the sculpture reads “Justice, Wisdom and Strength.
8 - Hospicio Cabañas
Hospicio Cabañas is located on Calle Cabañas 8, a few blocks from the Guadalajara Cathedral and is a mandatory stop when visiting the city center. (Photo courtesy Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau).
The Cabañas Cultural Institute is one of the most important arts centers in western Mexico. It conserves the collection of 57 frescoes by the Jalisco muralist José Clemente Orozco made from 1938 to 1939. It served as headquarters during the War of Independence and the Mexican Revolution. It has hosted various humanitarian work and received its official name "Hospicio Cabañas" in honor of its founder, Juan Cruz Ruiz Cabañas y Crespo, bishop of Guadalajara. According to its official website, "the Cabañas Cultural Institute presents exhibitions of great importance nationally and internationally."
7 - Chapultepec
Made up of neighborhoods such as Americana, Moderna and Lafayette, the Chapultepec area is a great cultural and gastronomic center (Photo courtesy of the Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau).
«The Chapultepec cultural corridor, at night, is to discover all the nightclubs there are. From having a beer to going to dance at a disco, "says Staufert. Located on Chapultepec Avenue, the offer is very wide. According to its website, there are more than 84 restaurants, more than 63 coffee shops and places to taste desserts, and more than 41 galleries and cultural centers, among other places such as boutiques, parks and hotels.
6 - Santa Tere neighborhood
The name of this neighborhood comes from Santa Teresita del Niño Jesús when the parish of Santa Tere was founded in 1933 and since then, this is how this neighborhood is known (Photo courtesy of the Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau).
The must-see in this neighborhood is the Santa Tere Market, located on Andrés Terán street. The quintessential dish of this area is meat in its juice. What captivates visitors is the aroma of all the spices that are sold and, of course, the colors of the fruits and vegetables. Walking its corridors is in itself an aromatic experience for all those who are going to "buy the errand." Here it is ideal to go in the morning to eat some tacos de canasta.
5 - Tlaquepaque
Walking through the streets of Tlaquepaque is synonymous with discovering endless colorful places for visitors (Photo courtesy of the Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau).
According to Gustavo Staufert, this is the perfect place to walk and buy handicrafts. «Here is the ideal place to try tejuino, a refreshing drink made from corn sweetened with piloncillo (sugar cane candy). One must walk through the Parián, a large restaurant market and visit all the handicraft stores. You have to meet Paco and Rodo Padilla, artists who make these "gorditos", considered the Botero of Mexico.
4 - Riviera de Chapala
Just 40 minutes from downtown Guadalajara is Chapala, the largest lake in the entire Mexican Republic (Photo courtesy of the Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau).
«In the Riviera de Chapala you should know the town of Chapala where the sangrita was born, the chaser that accompanies tequila and that was created by a widow. Lake Chapala is the largest that exists in the entire Mexican territory. It is located just 30 minutes from the Guadalajara International Airport and getting there is very easy. The second town is Ajijic, due to the weather it is the perfect place for a weekend. The town is picturesque and wandering its streets will take visitors back to 1950, ″ says Staufert.
3 - Tequila
Jalisco is known as the land of mariachi and tequila and what better way than to go to this city to learn about the process of creating the various existing tequilas (Photo courtesy of the Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau).
The Tequila region is equivalent to the Bourdeaux or Champgane regions, where the drinks of the same name are made. The best way to get to this city is on the José Cuervo Express that takes you directly from the train station, aboard an old railroad, to Tequila itself. On the way, you visit the distillery where one of the most popular drinks in the world, tequila, is prepared. You will visit the agave fields and you will be able to taste various types of tequila. "The Tequila Route" passes through the town of Teuchitlán and the archaeological zone of Los Guachimontones.
2 - Birria and Drowned Tortas - Gastronomy
«The drowned cake» is made with a baguette type bread called Birote and with pork carnitas and bathed in a very spicy sauce. (Photo courtesy Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau).
One of the classic places to eat a good birria is the Las 9 esquinas restaurant. This birria serves the typical dishes of the state, among them the birria, whose main base is shredded or chopped lamb meat and is served in consommé with dried chilies and other spices. This restaurant does not seek to be pretentious, it is 100% popular and welcomes all kinds of customers. On the other hand, one cannot leave Guadalajara without having tried a classic drowned cake. A baguette-type bread is made, which was tried to be made in the region when it was intervened by the French under the command of General Birotte. He asked for a baguette to eat and that's why birote was created, a local bread that is stuffed with fried pork carnitas and bathed in a tomato and chili sauce. You must be careful because it is very spicy.
1 - Guadalajara Cathedral
The first stone of the current Cathedral was laid in 1561 and is the emblem of the city thanks to its two towers. It is worth going in and admiring and enjoying the three naves. Its monumental organ, the pillars and the vaults that resemble palm trees as a whole stand out. (Photo courtesy Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau).
And the expected first place of our 10 places that you should know in Guadalajara is the Cathedral located in the historic center of the capital. The first cathedral was built in 1541, but after a fire, King Felipe of Spain ordered the construction of a new cathedral in 1568 and it was completed in 1618. Several earthquakes destroyed it, but in 1852 it took on its current appearance. The architectural style is a fusion of classic baroque lines with its two characteristic neo-Gothic towers. The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Holy Mary, its current name, is the most photographed monument in the city. The main secret and urban legend are the tunnels that were used as secret hiding places during the Cristero War.
A curious data…
Did you know that the word «mariachi» comes from the French «marriage» (marriage)? The story goes that at weddings in the region there was a group that only played at weddings. «In the region of the highlands of Jalisco, located in the northeast part of the state of Jalisco within the Río Verde basin, there was a very strong French intervention in the 19th century, between 1864 and 1867, and the mariachi played in the weddings in rural Jalisco », says Gustavo Staufert.
Without a doubt, Guadalajara is a great city, cosmopolitan, modern, cultural and surrounded by places with great history and tradition. The other Mexican cities that share the podium with Guadalajara are Oaxaca, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico City and Mérida.
Guadalajara Popero Tour
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