When you venture into Guadalajara, do you want to go to the same type of place you can see at home — i.e. a suburban shopping mall? Of course not.
True, some areas in downtown Guadalajara, where much of the city’s unique charm lies, can be overwhelming or seedy. So here we have selected a potpourri of activities that allow a visitor to enjoy the best while minimizing the worst of the city that is often considered Mexico’s safest and best educated.
If you’re arriving from Chapala by bus, which is the least stressful way for the uninitiated, you’ll arrive at the Central Vieja, or old bus station. To leave the station area, one option is to take a taxi, asking before you get in the back seat, “Trae taximetro?” (Do you have a meter?), which almost all taxis do, and thus avoiding any uncertainty about the fare. Tips are not expected. And taxis in Guadalajara are considered safe, unlike in Mexico City.
Alternatively, walk west from the bus station about four blocks to the large thoroughfare, Calzada Independencia, in the center of which runs the long, smooth, gleaming Macrobus. You can take this new bus line — really a hybrid bus-train — north to the Guadalajara Zoo if you want (which is a very nice option for a visit — open daily 10 a.m.–6 p.m, www.zooguadalajara.com.mx) But if you get off at the San Juan de Dios stop, you’ll be near the Instituto Cultural Cabañas and the main Cathedral. However, be prepared for a bewildering maze of people, shops and roads here and, to navigate, keep a destination, such as the twin yellow spires of the cathedral, in sight or at least in mind. (Should you submerge yourself in the San Juan De Dios Market, be prepared to spend disorienting hours navigating this warren of shops that sell typical Mexican crafts and almost everything else except washing machines. The market ranks high on some people’s seedy and overwhelming list.)
You might want to pop into the cathedral — after all, it is the icon of Guadalajara — but to many, it is prettiest from the outside at night, when its beautifully illuminated towers and rotunda seen from the east, from near Teatro Degollado, make a striking vista.Speaking of the Teatro Degollado, perhaps the city’s most authentic gem, there are few performances scheduled for the Christmas holidays except the Jalisco Philharmonic’s New Year’s concert at 8 p.m., Friday, December 30, and Saturday, December 31. Jump on this opportunity to enjoy the Degollado’s world-renowned acoustics and ambiance along with the world-class JPO, at economical prices. If you can’t make it at night, you can enjoy all the Degollado’s charms for free at 8:45 a.m. open practices on concert Fridays. To confirm the above, call the box office: (33) 3614-4773. Unfortunately, a staple for visitors in earlier years — Ballet Folklorico performances — have become rare at the Degollado, due to the damage that the super-extra-vigorous dancing does to the stage.
Just steps behind the Degollado, don’t miss the chance to have breakfast or dinner at an established yet relatively undiscovered restaurant — La Rinconada. Located in one of Mexico’s officially designated patrimonio historico buildings, the restaurant faces stiff signage restrictions, so many people do not know it exists. The large, international menu offers soups, salads, pastas such as Fettuchine Tres Quesos, five different cuts of steak, seafood dishes such as Shrimp with Mango and Coconut, and Italian coffee and wine. Their tequila is good too. (Morelos 86 in Plaza Tapatia, two blocks behind Teatro Degollado. (33) 3613-9925. Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Sunday.)
Smack between the cathedral and the Cabañas Cultural Institute, amateur and professional jewelry makers will find a dizzying plethora of beads, stones, clasps, and chains from around the world under the modern, spacious roof of the Centro Joyero. Anyone should be able to direct you to this large, clearly marked building. The real excitement (for jewelry makers and beaders) is on the main floor, but go up the elevator to the small, second level for gold and silver investment coins, gold jewelry and watches.
Another great area that is a bit closer to the bus station (about 12 blocks away) than the Cathderal/Cabañas area is known as Jardines San Francisco/Jardines Aranzazu. These gardens flank two very old churches of the same names. Walk or take a taxi from the bus station and look for calandrias (fancy, horse-drawn buggies) lining one edge of the gardens. This is one of three areas (and the least congested one) from which, for a mere 200 pesos for as many people as can fit in a buggy (possibly six, depending on their size and whether anyone wants to ride up top with the driver), you can embark on an exciting, one-hour equestrian tour of downtown, choosing from two or three rutas. The buggies often go interspersed with regular city traffic, which can be unnerving, but the horses and drivers are used to it and, well, this is Mexico. You’ll see cuddling couple and families with kids in the clip-clopping calandrias, often at nighttime, and the drivers will throw in a lot of historical lore too.
If you get hungry, go behind the Templo Aranzazu and try the established, moderately-priced, La Alemana, with Mexican and international food. Or, on Ramon Corona, a couple blocks north of where the calandrias park, there are many reputable restaurants — La Chata, La Gorda, and a famous chicken restaurant, along with Bar Lido, famous among foreign visitors for its tranquil atmosphere and recorded music from the 1940s and 50s. If it’s coffee you want, go a couple blocks farther north, near Ramon Corona and Juarez, and try the Cafe Madrid. (Good coffee shops, other than Starbucks, are rare in Guadalajara.)
But for really special food, head for the nearby Nueve Esquinas (Nine Corners, at Leandro Valle and Galeana), a must-see area located ever so slightly away from the dead center of Guadalajara. (You may go through Nueve Esquinas if you take a calandria ride, but you can’t stop and eat, so note the location for later.) Its central fountain and vest-pocket-park atmosphere lend it great charm but the real deal here is food, specifically, birria, a savory and not-too-spicy goat stew. (You can sprinkle chopped onion and squirt lime juice on it.)
The several restaurants in Nueve Esquinas offer more than birria. The one that seems to stick out into the middle of the plaza has freshly made tortillas, yummy salsas, various aguas frescas (natural, cold fruit-and-sugar drinks) and a wide selection of Mexican dishes.