Guadalajara Facts

Guadalajara is known as the Pearl of the West or the City of Roses. For many years, it was considered a stopover on the way to other places. Over the last few decades, however, it has become a popular tourist destination in its own right-modern and majestic-in western Mexico. The capital of the state of Jalisco, birthplace of tequila and mariachi music, the city has a traditional, provincial town flavour while retaining the traits of a modern metropolis of over two million people. The most beautiful area in the city undoubtedly is the Centro Histórico (Historic Centre), especially the Plaza Tapatía. A journey through history begins at the Catedral Metropolitana and ends at the Instituto Cultural...

...is widely considered the most Mexican of cities. Despite the fact that it's the nation's second-largest metropolis (with 3.5 million inhabitants, it's a very distant second to Mexico City), it isn't hard to navigate, and residents are friendly and helpful. Visitors can enjoy big-city pleasures without the big-city hassles that would beset them in the capital.

While in Guadalajara, you will undoubtedly come across the word tapatío (or tapatía). In the early days, people from the area were known to trade in threes, called tapatíos. The locals came to be called Tapatíos as well, and now the word tapatío has come to mean any person, thing, or even style that comes from Guadalajara.