State · Jalisco, Michoacán e Riviera Nayarit

Jalisco

Jalisco, land of mariachi and tequila: Guadalajara and the Hospicio Cabañas, Tlaquepaque, the agave fields of Tequila, Lake Chapala and Puerto Vallarta.

In the photo: Basílica de Zapopan

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

The state

Get to know Jalisco

Jalisco, in western Mexico, is the land of several national symbols: mariachi, tequila, the charro and the jarabe tapatío. It stretches from the highlands, where Guadalajara sits, to the Pacific coast, where Puerto Vallarta opens onto the Bay of Banderas.

Guadalajara, the capital and second largest city of Mexico, has a historic center with the cathedral with yellow towers and the Hospicio Cabañas, a World Heritage Site, with José Clemente Orozco’s murals in the chapel. Tlaquepaque and Tonalá, in the metropolitan area, are known for glass, ceramic and silver crafts, and the El Parián square in Tlaquepaque gathers mariachis.

About 60 km from the capital, the blue agave fields around the town of Tequila form a World Heritage landscape, with distilleries that welcome visitors. To the south lies Lake Chapala, the largest in Mexico, with Ajijic, a village of cobbled streets and murals.

On the coast, Puerto Vallarta has the malecón with sculptures, the church of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe and the beaches of Bahía de Banderas, where humpback whales commonly appear from December to March. On the table: birria, torta ahogada and pozole.

Destinations

1 destination in Jalisco

1 city

Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit

Cities

1 cities in Jalisco in the guide

Jalisco

Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta is the main city on Bahía de Banderas, on the Pacific, between the sea and the mountains of the Sierra Madre. The Centro has the malecón, a seaside promenade with sculptures, and the church of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe; south of the Río Cuale, the Zona Romántica has streets of bars and restaurants and Los Muertos beach. Further south, the coast leads to Mismaloya, Los Arcos and the botanical garden.

When to go

On the highlands, from October to May days are usually dry and sunny; from June to September it rains in the afternoons. On the Puerto Vallarta coast, November to April is the dry season and whale season, with whales from December to March; June to October is hotter, rainier and the hurricane season. Jalisco is 3 hours behind Brasília.

Getting there

Guadalajara International Airport (GDL) and Puerto Vallarta (PVR) receive flights from Mexico City, other cities in the country and abroad; travelers from Brazil usually connect. Between Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta it’s about a 5-hour drive. Tequila and Chapala are about 1 hour from Guadalajara by bus, car or tour.

Your questions

Frequently asked questions about Jalisco

How to get from Guadalajara to Tequila?

By bus, car or tour, in about 1½ hours. There are also train excursions that depart from Guadalajara.

Where to hear mariachi in Guadalajara?

In the Plaza de los Mariachis, near the Mercado San Juan de Dios, and in El Parián plaza in Tlaquepaque.

When do the whales appear in Puerto Vallarta?

Humpback whales usually arrive in the Bay of Banderas from December to March.

How many days to stay in Guadalajara?

Two to three days for the center, Tlaquepaque and Tequila, and another day for Chapala and Ajijic.

Tap a state to see its destinations. Limites: INEGI / geoBoundaries (CC BY 3.0 IGO). Adaptação do Cidade Turismo.