Guadalajara (Mexico) > Reviews > Hit and miss

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
Family Friendly

Advantages:	All facilities, great shopping, good base for day trips
Disadvantages:	Very modern city, not much of 'real' Mexico, some may find boring

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I lived in Guadalajara for six months. It is Mexico's second biggest city, and very modern with an airport, department stores etc.

There are some things well worth seeing, such as the famous mariachi festival, where groups of singers from all over the world come for a parade, dressed in traditional costumes you see on tequila bottles. Guadalajara is famous for mariachi, who often serenade you in a restaurant, and take requests! Some might find this a bit kitsch, but others will love it. Guadalajara is also the birthplace of tequila, very touristy but very fun!

Guadalajara is good for the more well-off tourist, and particularly families, as you can live in great, modern comfort. There are loads of good restaurants, and beautiful plazas with French style colonial buildings, benches, trees and modern art. It's a good city to stroll around in and take a coffee, and prides itself on its intellectual air, particularly Chapultepec, where there are continental style cafes and bookshops on a long boulevard. There is also an annual international book fair, which is well worth attending, with stands from all countries and talks and debates on literature. The opera house is worth seeing, and there are often open air concerts.

Shopping is brilliant, with a huge market, known particularly for the leather goods, especially shoes. You are expected to haggle! Nearby Tlaqupaque is a village taken over by arts and crafts market, which has outstanding pottery, leather and other goods. Very cheap due to immense competition, and well worth a look.

Lake Chapala, nearby, is a major area for foreigners to stay, and has a number of small artesan shops.

There is also a lovely park in the south of the city (Parque Agua Azul), with a beautiful collection of butterflies, and a huge zoo overlooking a canyon, which is breathtaking.

In addition, Guadalajara is a good base to visit other colonial cities such as Morelia (highly recommended, beautiful small colonial town with great culture and indigenous villages as well as mountains, natural spas and forests).

I would recommend Guadalajara as a base or a day trip rather than a destination in itself, but if you are looking to learn Spanish, travelling with children or enjoy a lot of comfort it's a good place to stay too.

However if you are a backpacker or student, you may find it a bit too much like any other modern city and prefer to go to smaller towns with more character.