Guadalajara

La maestranza

This exuberantly colorful and ornate cantina stands right in the middle of the historic center. It is a place for drinks and botanas (typical Mexican snacks) and it is notable for an atmosphere reminiscent of the bullfighting rings that are part and parcel of the city’s culture. The design is La Maestranza’s main attraction, casting its spell on numerous visitors each night.

Maestranza 179, Centro Histórico, Tel: 3613-5878

El Cubilete

When high spirits pull you towards the dance floor, what better than a Cuban atmosphere to really get you shuffling your feet? This cantina, created in the classic Afro-Cuban tradition and featuring the vibrant rhythms of son and salsa, has become a local legend.

Gral. Río Seco 9, Guadalajara. Tel:  33/3658-0406; 33/3613-2096

Primer Piso

This new bar-café offers a surprising musical repertoire that is as eclectic as it is glamorous. The menu offers a whole array of treats from cheese and cold cuts to coffee and cocktails. It is essentially a cultural venue for jazz and rap. Its fun ambience incites visitors to wile away the endless hours of the night here. You will find Primer Piso in the Expiatorio area.

Pedro Moreno 947, Guadalajara. Tel: 3825 7085

El Sacromonte

A good option for getting into the local vibe is this restaurant, which offers first rate Mexican dishes: mole, cheese-filled tortillas with rose petals, stuffed chiles en nogada, ground pork and beef patties with salsa, all served in a way that will appeal to the eye as well as the stomach. Here you are not served stereotypes of Mexican food but the real thing. The atmosphere is a bit on the serious side, though not unpleasant. 

Pedro Moreno 1398, Guadalajara. Tels: 33/3825-5447; 33/3827-0663

Hostería del Ángel

Hostería del Ángel is where you will find Spanish and Italian dishes in a comfortable setting with a casual atmosphere. It is very close to the Zapopan Basilica. You will definitely want to accompany your meal with a good wine, since the main ingredients are cheese and cold cuts served with vegetables and Mediterranean spices. The tapas and baguettes are the favorite dishes among regulars.

5 de Mayo 260, Zapopan. Tel: 33/3656-9516

Los Itacates Restaurant

This restaurant serves Mexican home style cooking without any need for pomp or ceremony. The delicious dishes are ideal for a low cost banquet in a relaxed atmosphere with colored wicker chairs and traditional handmade decorations. Among the specialties are stewed beef sides, chicken itacates (a kind of meat pie made with tortillas), enchiladas, bull testicles and stuffed chiles en nogada. There are also tables outside for people who want to relax in the shade.

Chapultepec Norte 110, Guadalajara. Tels: 33/3825-1106; 33/3825-9551

Hotel Presidente Intercontinental

This fourteen floor building, which looks like a glass pyramid, has a total of 1,122 five star rooms, two restaurants (one specializing in Mexican and international cuisine and the other in Italian), a lounge bar, a swimming pool and a conference room. If you want to go shopping, the hotel is located in front of the Plaza del Sol mall and close to several tourist attractions such as Villas Tlaquepaque, the village of Tequila and the zoo. Its quality service guarantees comfort for business and pleasure trips.

Av. López Mateos Sur and Moctezuma (lado oeste). Tel: 33/3678-1234. www.interconti.com

Old Guadalajara

This colonial building enjoys a privileged location in the historic center, close to a number of museums, the opera, the cathedral, the squares and markets. It exudes a traditional Mexican atmosphere with countless handcrafted decorations hung on the walls, alongside antiquities and Persian rugs. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, with queen size beds making it ideal for a good rest. It is surrounded by a garden with bamboo, palm trees, flowers and fruit trees. But its best feature is its intimate, warm hospitality in the middle of the city. 

Belén 236, Centro Histórico, 44100. Tel: 33/3613-9958. www.oldguadalajara.com

La Villa del Ensueño

This alternative boutique hotel in the city center – it is located in Tlaquepaque, 20 minutes from the Guadalajara International Airport – was built in a modern and comfortable version of a purely colorful and folkloric Mexican style. Orange stucco walls enclose the gardens, while the rooms have each been separately decorated and feature air conditioning and internet. It has received AAA recommendations (3 Diamonds), Frommer’s Mexico, Best Places to Stay, Fieldings Guide, Travelers Guide to México.

Florida 305, Tlaquepaque, Jal, 45500. Tel: 33/3635-8792. www.villadelensueno.com

The Expiatorio Church

This church was built by architect Adamo Boari at the behest of pre-revolutionary Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz, and its style has its roots in the Italian Gothic tradition. Italian mosaics from the Vatican can also be admired on the façade. Its clock was cast in Germany, just like the costly bells whose religious and profane melodies from Mexico and Europe are one of the church’s main attractions, along with the stained glass windows.  

Museo de la Ciudad (City Museum)

If you want to immerse yourself in the city’s history, this museum is an absolute must. Its collection includes Spanish musical instruments and accessories for horse riding. This Eighteenth Century building was converted into a museum to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the city’s foundation. There are guided tours and a library with important historical books on movies, literature and the plastic arts.

Independencia 684, Guadalajara. Tel: 33/3658-2531

The Basilica of the Virgin of Zapopan

This Franciscan monastery, dedicated to the city’s patroness whose feast is celebrated on October 12th, is a historical monument dating back to the Eighteenth Century, but it retains an eclectic feel thanks to the influence exerted by different styles and cultures over the years. It has an enormous atrium flanked by Ionic columns and heraldic shields with insignias. Inside the convent there are basketball courts and gardens which are used by the monks for meditation. Also, next to the chapel there is a museum of indigenous Huichol art – without a doubt one of the most spectacular in the country – with temporary exhibitions of handcraft.

Plaza pricipal de Zapopan

Pantaleon Panduro Museum

The ancient art of ceramics has found its sanctuary here. It displays works from all over Mexico, making it one of the country’s most important folk art venues. A 1985 mural by Guillermo Chavez Vega graces one of the walls and the masterpieces that won the National Ceramics Prize can also be found in this museum. It runs courses and workshops on ceramics, along with other activities related to the study of pottery.

P. Sánchez 191, Tlaquepaque, Guadalajara. Tel: 33/3639-5656