Jalisco

Spirit of Jalisco

Puerto Vallarta, Ixtlán del Río, Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque, Chapala, Ajijic, Tesistán, Tapalpa, Tequila

Ixtlán del Río

The name of Ixtlán is of “náhuatl” origin, composed of the words “Itz-ittztell” meaning obsidian, and “Tlán”, meaning place where it is found. So the name means "place where obsidian is found", or “place of the obsidian knife”. The land is mainly mountainous with some flat lands near the small rivers where the agricultural lands and settlements are located. The important Río Santiago crosses the eastern edge of the municipality. South of the town lies Los Toriles, one of the most important archaeological site in northwestern Mexico. Here is found the temple of Quetzalcoaltl, from the Toltec culture. The ceramic and gold jewelry extracted here can be seen in the Regional Museum of Ixtlán.

Tequila

The area had been long settled – by Chichimeca, Otomi, Toltec, and Nahua Native Americans – when conquistador Cristóbal de Oñate arrived in 1530. A group of Franciscans founded the town of Santiago de Tequila on 15 April 1530. A large area, stretching between the foothills of the Tequila Volcano and the deep valley of the Rio Grande, is inscribed on the World Heritage List as "part of an expansive landscape of blue agave, shaped by the culture of the plant which has been used since the 16th century to produce tequila spirit and over at least 2,000 years to make fermented drinks and cloth. Within the landscape are working distilleries reflecting the growth in the international consumption of tequila which bears this town’s name.

Guadalajara

Mexico’s second largest city is an excellent introduction to this country, with its vibrant historic center, the art and craft markets, its folkloric ballet and mariachi orchestras. The town of Guadalajara was founded in 1531 by Spanish explorer Cristóbal de Oñate. Then between 1531 and 1542 after few relocations, today’s city of Guadalajara was founded at its current site by Crístobal de Oñate on February 14, 1542, by Royal decree of King Charles V. Guadalajara, it is considered the city that most epitomizes the external concept of Mexico propagated by the international mass media (characterized by charros, tequila, sombreros, and mariachis). Some of the main landmarks in Guadalajara historic center are:

  • Guadalajara Cathedral with an eclectic mix of gothic, neoclassical and palladian architecture.
  • Plaza of the Crosses. Four Plazas shaped like a cross with the Cathedral at the center.
  • Plaza de Armas offers one of the best views of the cathedral and the Governor’s Office. It features a French Ironwork from 1885 and four States on the corners of the place symbolizing the Four Seasons.
  • Plaza de la Liberación features two large cup-shaped fountains and a gigantic sculpture of Miguel Hidalgo, the man who signed the Mexican Declaration of Independency on the current Governor’s Office. It also serves as an atrium for the oldest surviving theatre in the city "Teatro Degollado", also it is an usual spot for massive free concerts.
  • Rotonda de los Jalicienses Ilustres serves as a mausoleum for important men and women born in Jalisco, the park around contrasts with the serious aspect of the Mausoleum itself.
  • Palacio de Gobierno is the historical center of the government of the State of Jalisco. Today it is mostly visited for the murals painted there by José Clemente Orozco. The most famous of these is a huge portrait of Miguel Hidalgo in the vault of the old chambers of the state council.
  • Instituto Cultutal Cabañas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, is a cultural and art center where fresco paintings of Jose Clemente Orozco are exhibited.

Tlaquepaque

San Pedro Tlaquepaque, also known as Tlaquepaque. During the 20th century it was absorbed by the outward spread of the state capital and is now a neighbourhood of the Guadalajara conurbation. The name Tlaquepaque derives from Nahuatl and means "place above clay land". The area is famous for its pottery and blown glass.

Tlaquepaque features El Parián, a large plaza flanked by columned arcades and surrounded by restaurants and bars. The main square in the city centre is known as El Jardín (The Garden), the main features are the two important churches, El Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad (Sanctuary of Our Lady of Solitude) and San Pedro (Saint Peter), and the Benito Juárez market.

Chapala, Ajijic and Tesistán

Chapala is a town located on the north shore of Lake Chapala, Mexico’s largest freshwater lake. Although there are several theories as to the origin of the city’s name, the most likely is that it comes from Chapalac, the name of the last chief of the indigenous people of the region.
Chapala, along with its namesake lake, is well established as a weekend getaway destination primarily for inhabitants of the city of Guadalajara. Most of the area’s expatriate population originating primarily from the United States and Canada, reside not in the city proper but in and around Ajijic, a village located approximately 5 miles west of Chapala. Many of these residents, a large proportion of whom are retirees, spend the winter in the Chapala area.

Tapalpa

Tapalpa is a town located in the Sierra Madre, less than 50 kms or 30 miles from the two snow covered mountains Volcán de Colima and Nevado de Colima. Its name originates from the náhuatl Tlapalpan which means the place of a colorful land. The town was settled by Otomies and then by Aztecs, it was conquered by the Spaniards between 1531 and 1532.

It is included in the list of Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns) because it’s a picturesque historical town with warm people and beautiful landscapes; it’s an example of the typical Mexican mountain village.