Guadalajara · Mexico

Overview

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Traditions are preserved and customs perpetuated in Guadalajara. Still, the nation's second-largest city and the capital of the state of Jalisco is engaged in a struggle to retain its provincial ambience and colonial charm as its population surpasses 7 million. Émigrés who left Mexico City after the devastating 1985 earthquake and staggering numbers of the rural poor seeking employment created a population explosion that continues to strain public services and increase pollution. Despite these problems, you can still enjoy stately churrigueresque architecture and tree-lined boulevards, parks, and plazas

The Guadalajara suburbs of Tlaquepaque and Tonalá produce some of Mexico's finest and most popular traditional crafts and folk art. Some 30 miles south of the city, Lago de Chapala (Lake Chapala) -- Mexico's largest body of fresh water -- and the nearby towns of Chapala and Ajijic have lured retirees from the United States and Canada, who enjoy most of the amenities they were accustomed to north of the border. Tequila, where the infamous firewater is brewed, is 35 miles northwest of Guadalajara. Teuchitlán, 28 miles west of Guadalajara, has the Guachimontones ruins. The placid area around Lake Chapala makes for a weeklong (expats would say lifelong) getaway, while Tequila and Teuchitlán are great for day-trippers.