A little less than 250 miles northwest of Mexico’s capital is Mexico’s second largest city, Guadalajara, situated in the state of Jalisco. With 5 million inhabitants, it’s less than a quarter of the size of Mexico City, but nevertheless, Guadalajara is an important city: colorful and vibrant, it’s also one of Mexico’s colonial treasures.
Guadalajara is often described as the “most Mexican of all Mexico’s cities”, partly because the culture here is traditionally Mexican in so many ways, and also because several products firmly associated with Mexico emanate from here.
Mariachis are the traditional Mexican musicians with their black velvet dress and unmistakable large Mariachi hats. Where their name derived from is a bit of mystery; various theories abound, but it was in Guadalajara that Mariachis first appeared. Mariachis play melodies and sing traditional Mexican folk songs, usually in plazas, at parties, restaurants, weddings, birthday celebrations, and the like. The original ‘orthodox’ Mariachis play only stringed instruments and sing only traditional folk music from the state of Jalisco. Today, many Mariachi groups also incorporate a trumpet in their music, (an English import, which actually sounds really great when properly combined with the strings) and sing a variety of Mexican folk songs from across the country’s regions.
Another great Mexican product—and one of Mexico’s most successful exports: Tequila—also began life in Guadalajara. Tequila is made from the Blue Maguey plant and, not surprisingly, Guadalajara is still one of the main Tequila producing areas in Mexico today. Connect to the Mexican Bar on Mexperience for more information about Tequila.
Guadalajara also gave Mexico its famous wide-rimmed hat (the famous Mexican Sombrero), introduced the Mexican Hat Dance and pioneered Charreadas—today more commonly known as the Rodeo. Many of the key images associated with Mexico were bequeathed to the nation by one city—Guadalajara.
Guadalajara, like many cities of its size, offers all of the benefits that come with being a large, cosmopolitan city, but without the nuisances and stresses that are often part and parcel of a huge megalopolis. The distinction between Mexico City and Guadalajara is a case in point.
Guadalajara has all the amenities you would want from a large city in Mexico: Colonial center, great art and culture, good shopping, great restaurants serving a huge variety and choice of delicious food, excellent choice of accommodation options, and a vibrant nightlife— without the pollution, severe traffic headaches and other associated side-effects of Mexico City. In fact, if you want big-city life, but don’t want to visit Mexico City, then Guadalajara can offer you a worthwhile alternative.
