The recently opened southern extension of the Periferico (beltway) that links the Guadalajara-Chapala highway with the northern extremes of Tonala and Guadalajara makes driving to the city’s famed zoo a smooth 65-kilometer, one-hour jaunt from Chapala. I drove the entire road this week and here is my report.
Your first step should be to turn your trip odometer to zero at the Ajijic-Chapala Libramiento’s eastern terminus. The first 29.5 kilometers on the Guadalajara-Chapala highway were uneventful at midday – the best time to drive this roadway, before and after the two rush-hour traffic periods.
Less than a half-kilometer after the turn-off to the city airport, turn right onto the road labeled “Libramiento a Zapotlanejo.” This 12-kilometer stretch was finished about two years ago. The scenery is mostly scrub ranch land, except for an overpass above the industrial corridor to El Salto and a low-budget housing complex at km. 32.5. Although well fenced, cattle were seen on both sides of the fence, so you might moderate the urge to put your foot on the gas on this smooth six-lane roadway, which has no speed limit signs visible. I did, however, see one transit police officer on the side of the road during this stretch of the journey.
Just beyond the turn-off to the free highway to Zapotlanejo (km. 40.5) you pass under that highway and continue on though the outskirts of Tonala, where only a few small ranches adorn the landscape. (This is where you might get off to visit Tonala – about 10 kilometers on a decent two-lane road, although traffic snarls at rush hour).
As you continue along the new highway, the only fly-over u-turn (retorno) to be seen comes at about km. 46. The first traffic light is at km. 53. There are no signs at this intersection or the next two lights, spaced about a kilometer apart, so only the locals know where they lead! A few housing projects and an older village can be seen, and atop one hill you get a fine view of the unmistakeable Luz del Mundo temple in Guadalalajra’s Colonia Hermosa Providencia, but population and traffic is still low density here.
Finally, at the fourth traffic light a sign points to San Gaspar. At the fifth light there are signposts to Tizipan el Alto, and the first gas station appears. Traffic increases considerably as you leave Tonala and enter the Guadalajara municipal zone at km. 61. You will also notice that the roadway is no longer new. You’re now back on the old Periferico, and if you look to the right you can just see the beginnings of the deep canyon cupping the Rio Santiago. At km. 62.5, Avenida Belisario Dominguez leads down to the Huentitan Park where you can pick up the stone hiking trail that leads to the bottom of the canyon.
Almost there
The turn off to the Guadalajara Zoo is a bit further down the highway at km. 64.5. A sign mentions the zoo about a kilometer back, but the sign at the turnoff onto the lateral road says Calzada Independencia and Selva Magica – a separate area of the zoo with carnival-type rides. Get on to the lateral here and about a kilometer beyond take a right onto the Calzada heading north. The turn-off to the zoo is about a half a kilometer further on your right. If you continue on the Calzada to its end, you reach the Parque Mirador, where you can get some great views of the canyon. A few years back a Guggenheim-designed Museum was touted for this spot, but that project was scrapped in favor of a more modest modern art museum. The lower-budget Barranca Museo de Arte Moderno y Contemporario broke ground in 2011 but little progress beyond cutting down many trees has been made.
Heading home
After leaving the zoo, return to the Calzada Independencia and turn left. At the junction with the Periferico turn left and continue back to the Guadalajara-Chapala highway. Here turn right heading toward Guadalajara and just a short distance away there is a U-turn overpass that will set you back on your way to Lakeside.
Some caveats
Only a month after its opening, two serious accidents have been recorded on the new section of the Periferico. It surely has to do with the lack of posted speed limits (the official limit is 80 kilometers per hour) and almost no traffic police presence. Also, the lack of u-turns probably pushes drivers to speed up in search of them. Again, wandering cows can be a problem. It is advisable best not to travel this stretch after 7 p.m. Although street lamps were noted along the whole road, it was daytime when I traveled it and this reporter can’t say if they work yet.