Agave fields outside Guadalajara.
Photographer: Ted McGrath/Flickr (time-to-look)
Guadalajara, Mexico’s second city, offers a unique blend of the cosmopolitan and traditional. Its historical center provides a hefty culture fix, while the suburb of Tlaquepaque offers all the traditional handicrafts souvenir shoppers could ask for. As the epicenter of the country’s tech boom, the city’s vibrant young art scene and list of cool neighborhoods, like Chapultepec, show no sign of slowing down.
The surrounding state of Jalisco is also responsible for two of Mexico’s most enduring exports, tequila and mariachi, and you can experience the best of both in the city—often at the same time. A short train ride through the blue-hued agave landscape to the picturesque town of Tequila and its distilleries is a highlight you shouldn’t miss… or drive back from.
