Guadalajara — Destination Guide: Overview

Discover the home of Mexican classics such as mariachi music, tequila, wide-brimmed sombreros and the Mexican hat dance. Guadalajara is Mexico's second biggest city and heaves with historic buildings, museums, art galleries, markets, festivals, restaurants and nightlife. The historic center is laced with beautiful plazas. Relax in the Plaza de Armas or the Plaza de los Laureles after you've checked out the twin-towered 16th-century cathedral with its Churrigueresque, baroque and neo-classical architecture. The beautiful 18th-century Palacio de Gobierno features a mural of revolutionary Miguel Hidalgo, painted by Orozco in 1937. ...

Discover the home of Mexican classics such as mariachi music, tequila, wide-brimmed sombreros and the Mexican hat dance. Guadalajara is Mexico's second biggest city and heaves with historic buildings, museums, art galleries, markets, festivals, restaurants and nightlife. The historic center is laced with beautiful plazas. Relax in the Plaza de Armas or the Plaza de los Laureles after you've checked out the twin-towered 16th-century cathedral with its Churrigueresque, baroque and neo-classical architecture. The beautiful 18th-century Palacio de Gobierno features a mural of revolutionary Miguel Hidalgo, painted by Orozco in 1937. Guadalajara's center is peppered with impressive colonial churches including the Santuario de Nuestra Señora del Carmen. Of its museums, the regional museum, housed in a gorgeous 17th-century seminary, and the early 19th-century Instituto Cultural de Cabañas stand out - the Cabañas chapel is decorated with numerous Orozco murals. Guadalajara's downtown and its chic outer suburb Tlaquepaque have elegant shops. Handicraft fans will enjoy the markets of Tlaquepaque and Tonalá, another suburb. Guadalajara is a city enraptured with music. Be sure to stop by the Plaza de los Mariachis.

About the Expert

John Noble and Susan Forsyth are coauthors of Lonely Planet's Spain, Andalucia, and Mexico as well as many other LP titles from Indonesia to Belize to Brazil.