I was absolutely amazed by everything Guadalajara, Mexico’s 3rd-largest city, has to offer. I loved it so much that I went back just a month later. The city is sadly not on many Canadians’ radars, but it really should be. Some of the most iconic Mexican traditions actually originated specifically from Guadalajara (or its state, Jalisco): mariachis, tequila, birria, etc.!
In September, I was so glad that Flair Airlines, Canada’s only ultra low-cost carrier (ULCC), invited me on their inaugural flight from Toronto to Guadalajara (they also fly there from Vancouver). You can read my Guadalajara trip report for more details about the context, the logistics, and more.
Then, in late October, I returned to fly 1 of the 15 airlines I needed for the unique promotion that gave me 1 million points. It’s true that Guadalajara happened to be the cheapest flight from Chicago (where I was speaking at a travel rewards conference), but I was glad to go back for Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead).
Here are the 12 reasons I loved Guadalajara, Mexico.
1. Authentic Mexico
The authentic, real, and better Mexico is not experienced by staying in an all-inclusive resort and not even leaving it (or leaving it only for overpriced touristy excursions booked at the resort).
That is the case with all countries, obviously. But it’s worth reminding you now, given how the U.S. is very unpopular currently — and how Mexico can be a great nearby alternative for actual sightseeing experiences (and a significantly cheaper alternative, of course).
Personally, I usually prefer less touristy destinations. I hadn’t been to Mexico yet (apart from a full day in Mexico City on my way to Peru), but now I know without a doubt that Mexico can really be a great place for seasoned travelers too!
This first (extended) taste of the country was amazing.
I loved Guadalajara. A lot more than I thought I would, to be honest.
It’s a massive city with a population of 5.3 million people in the metropolitan area, which is more than Montreal. So it’s a great place to see how Mexicans really live, and it felt very authentic.
Guadalajara is known as a cultural hub of Mexico. For much of the country’s history, it was its 2nd-largest city (after the capital; Monterrey is now #2 due to its crazy growth).
And if you like beaches more than I do (which you almost certainly do), it’s a great idea to go visit Guadalajara if you’re on a trip to Puerto Vallarta on the coast. It’s a 1-hour flight for as low as $29 (CAD 40) or a 4.5-hour bus ride for as low as $38 (CAD 52). That way, you can still vacation… but you can still be a traveler a bit too!
2. Relatively affordable cost
Mexico is not among the world’s cheapest countries… but it’s undoubtedly much cheaper than Canada, the U.S., and almost all of the Caribbean.
All the costs once you’re at the destination are pretty low.
And most importantly, when taking into account the cost of flights to get there, the overall cost of traveling to Mexico is squarely among the cheapest in North America for sure. Especially if you’re good at finding cheap flights.
In terms of travel budget at the destination, for example, I managed to get by on just $14 (CAD 20) per day for food and transportation on the extra days I stayed (after the days that the Guadalajara tourism office sponsored for the inaugural flight).
For hotels, I redeemed Marriott Bonvoy points to get free stays for the extra nights (see #11 below for hotel details). For activities, I was able to do all the non-free ones as part of the sponsored trip, and I mostly stuck to free ones for the rest of the trip.
You can read the logistics section of my Guadalajara trip report for tips on finding cheap flights to Guadalajara and so many more details to lower the cost of your trip.
Guadalajara (Mexico) trip report: Great authentic Mexican experience in this cultural hub
3. Safe
I normally prefer not even mentioning the safety topic at all, because I absolutely don’t want to validate the fact that so many travelers are scared of everything and everywhere when they shouldn’t be.
However, it’s true that some regions in Mexico are actually indeed considered “less safe” according to the standard definition.
However, Guadalajara is definitely not part of them. You’re good.
I felt completely safe all along, day or night. Much more than in many U.S. cities.
4. Historic center
I love architecture, so I definitely enjoyed strolling through the city’s historic center.
The Guadalajara Cathedral is the highlight that you’ll see in most pictures of the city.
It is indeed very beautiful.
It sits next to a large public square, Plaza de la Liberación.
It’s not the only nice church.
The neo-Gothic Templo Expiatorio del Santísimo Sacramento is also a stunning structure.
As is the case in many cities, a significant number of the most beautiful buildings are churches.
But there are many other nice buildings all around the central (and oldest) part of the city.
The Teatro Degollado is a great example, but truly, that whole area is full of sights like this.
That theater is on the main street that leads to the city’s most famous monument, which I’ll talk about in the next section.
There are street markets as well.
There are also many fountains, for some reason.
You’ll also see statues and monuments.
Finally, the Mercado San Juan de Dios is the largest indoor market in Latin America.
It’s worth a stop if you want to see Tapatíos (Guadalajarans) in their daily routine.
5. Museums and attractions
The city is home to a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site: Hospicio Cabañas.
It was one of the largest hospital and orphanage complexes in the entire Americas.
It is now a museum featuring beautiful and large frescoes by José Clemente Orozco, a renowned Mexican muralist.
It’s a very pretty attraction. Every part of the site is elegant.
In terms of art, I explored the Museo de las Artes (MUSA). It’s free, so it’s certainly worth at least a quick visit.
I visited the Manifesto Art Gallery as well, and it actually has a cool private bar on the upper floor.
Apart from in New Orleans, cemeteries are rarely an attraction. However, one in particular in Guadalajara is well-known, and since there was a special nighttime tour on October 31 for Día de Muertos, I decided to visit.
That’s a great time to visit the Panteón de Belén cemetery for sure.
There are also numerous art installations throughout the city, such as this massive yellow structure.
Finally, ceramics are a key part of Jalisco’s history.
I visited the Pantaléon Panduro Museum of the National Ceramics Contest to see some nice works.
6. Culture
Mariachis hail from Guadalajara, and you should make sure to catch a show. A good (and free) place to do that is at the aptly-named Plaza de los Mariachis, right next to the market.
In several places during my visit, I came across impromptu concerts.
It made the city seem very lively.
My first visit happened to be during Mexican Independence Day.
There was a huge neighborhood party with fireworks, fair-like attractions, many booths… and a ton of people.
And as mentioned, if you do like all things related to Día de Muertos, it’s a great time to visit, as it’s a big deal there.
Across the city, you’ll often see very colorful murals.
On one of the weekend days, parks filled up with people playing sports and games, or just hanging out.
I’ll throw in sports as a cultural element. After my crazy experience with an epic Argentina-Brazil fútbol (soccer) riot at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro a year before, I decided to attend the 2nd soccer game of my life.
C.D. Guadalajara (Chivas) is among the most iconic teams in the top league in Mexico (Liga MX). It was a fun experience, but nowhere near as intense as in Brazil.
I was actually staying at the same hotel as the team that day, so I got to see them off when returning to my room to get ready to go to the stadium.
7. Food
I know so many people are big fans of Mexican food.
I’m not even that passionate about it myself, but I love many of the staples (tacos, quesadillas, carnitas, birria… to name just a few). I say this because even if you’re not the biggest fan, you’ll still love the food in Guadalajara.
Birria is actually from Guadalajara specifically. The tasty variation of barbacoa has gained popularity outside of Mexico and is very trendy. I found it delicious in its hometown, with my favorite being at Casa Luna restaurant in the Tlaquepaque neighborhood.
I’m truly a simple man when it comes to food; I’d honestly be fine eating tasty quesadillas every single day.
And I certainly ate my fair share there, often for just $2 (MXN 30) each. Yes, as a non-foodie, I’ll need to learn to take better food pictures.
If you prefer tacos al pastor, you can get 5 for $3 (MXN 50) in many places.
Since the first 4 days of my trip were with the tourism office, I got to do something I normally don’t do at all as a cheapskate who prefers to have more money for travel and loves cheap food anyway: eat at fancy restaurants (okay, I do it once a year with the Amex Platinum $145 (CAD 200) dining credit benefit).
And I also got to do another thing I don’t do that often as an ADHDer with food texture issues: eat more adventurous things. In this case, it was ant larvae (Mexican caviar) and octopus. That was because of peer pressure from the other content creators and Flair marketers with me on the trip.
That was at the Allium restaurant, a fancy spot where I also ate very good pork belly.
But the best restaurant was Hueso (“bone” in Spanish), with a stunning all-white decor made up of — you guessed it — bones. There were mariachis during the evening, and all the food was great.
Tacos at De La Õ cantina were good as well. It’s another highly-rated spot.
Finally, in terms of breakfast, we had a great one at palReal restaurant.
I also had breakfast at my 3 Marriott Bonvoy hotels, and the best by far was at my favorite of the 3 hotels, The Westin Guadalajara.
Groceries are pretty cheap as well. I tried the famous Pan de muerto (bread of the dead), given the time of year, and it was very good.
8. Tequila (the drink… and the city)
Many people are unaware that tequila (the drink) is named after Tequila (the city).
Yes, real tequila can only be called that name if it’s made in this region (like Champagne in France). Mezcal is a similar spirit that can be made elsewhere, in case you’re wondering.
The city of Tequila and its surrounding agave landscapes are another UNESCO World Heritage site.
The day trip to Tequila to see how tequila is made from A to Z (and taste some tequila) is definitely a must-do. I enjoyed it even if I’m not a huge drinker, so don’t skip it. That said, I’ve always loved seeing how things are manufactured.
Even without that aspect, the city itself is pretty lively and a fun place to spend a day.
Depending on the tequila maker you decide to visit, you might get to ride in a cool barrel-shaped bus.
I visited the Casa Sauza tequila factory. They produce the Sauza and Hornitos brands.
It was a fun time.
We first visited the actual fields where the tequila-making process begins, and got to see every step.
Then we saw the manufacturing process, and got to experience a tasting (a few in fact).
Tasting tequila in Tequila is truly a must-do if you’re in Guadalajara.
The small town is situated in the state of Jalisco, about 1 hour away from Guadalajara. It’s a $7 (MXN 130) bus ride or an apparently very fun train ride onboard the José Cuervo tequila train for $158 (MXN 3115) (which includes the price of visiting that distillery).
9. Other cool neighborhoods
Apart from the city center, the nearby neighborhood with the most to offer is certainly Colonia Americana.
It’s the trendy and hip spot, and it’s not far at all from the city center.
It was even named the best neighborhood in the world by Time Out Magazine.
But my favorite was a bit further away.
Tlaquepaque is located approximately a 15-minute drive from the city center.
It was a very lively pedestrian street with cool boutiques.
Everything is so pretty and colorful there.
I definitely think it’s worth visiting.
Tlaquepaque is actually a separate city that has become part of the Guadalajara urban area as the city has grown.
Finally, I also spent some time in the Country Club neighborhood, which is much more local.
It’s aptly named after a large country club located in the heart of the city.
It’s a more modern area with skyscrapers and nice tree-lined streets.
10. Nature
I stayed in the city itself (apart from the Tequila day trip), but for a taste of nature, I at least took the time to visit the Parque Mirador Independencia viewpoint.
It’s pretty crazy.
You’re in an entirely urban setting, and then the city literally just stops at the edge of this massive canyon.
I highly recommend it.
The views were worth it, and it’s accessible from the city center by bus rapid transit (BRT; with a dedicated right-of-way, similar to a tram but with buses).
The city also has many lovely parks.
11. Easy to get around
The central area and many neighborhoods are quite compact and walkable.
Obviously, a city that is walkable is so much more enjoyable to visit.
You can also use buses and the subway, but even Uber is very affordable.
You can read the logistics section of my Guadalajara trip report for more details about getting around.
12. Nice hotels
Guadalajara is a large city, so there is obviously a wide range of lodging options to suit all tastes.
But if you’re like me and you enjoy getting free hotel nights with the best hotel rewards program for Canadians, Marriott Bonvoy, Guadalajara is a great destination (like many parts of Mexico).
I stayed at 3 different Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Guadalajara.
My favorite was by far The Westin Guadalajara, a luxury hotel located near the convention center.
A more affordable option is the AC Hotel Guadalajara Expo, Mexico. It’s quite nice, but slightly further away (although with how cheap Ubers are… it’s not that bad).
Finally, the Hotel Guadalajara Country Club by HNF is the other one I tried. That’s not any of Marriott’s 30+ brands; it’s actually a former Aloft hotel that is currently undergoing renovations. That said, it has the best location of the 3, in my opinion.
You can read the reviews section of my Guadalajara trip report for a teaser about those hotels.
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Summary
These are the 12 reasons why I loved visiting Guadalajara, Mexico. It’s pretty close, and there are really a lot of cultural attractions. If you want an authentic Mexican experience, it’s a great choice that’s a little less intimidating than humongous Mexico City.
What would you like to know about visiting Guadalajara, Mexico? Tell us in the comments below.
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Featured image: Guadalajara, Mexico (photo credit: Andrew D’Amours/Flytrippers)
