Even as we become aware of the shopping mecca that is Zapotlanejo, we are confronted with the colonial history of this lovely town on the outskirts of Guadalajara. Immediately after passing the inevitable Pemex station and the shopping malls that line Highway 80, we can easily spot the graceful colonial era arches that outline the entrance into the city proper.
Zapotlanejo was a perfect spot for a recent Sunday day trip, hosted by lifetime resident Ricardo Morales and his lovely wife Nathalia, herself a transplant from Tucson, Arizona. Ricardo’s father welcomed my husband and me into his home, a gracious hidden oasis just around the corner from the downtown shopping district, upon our arrival mid-morning, giving us a brief but thorough overview of Zapotlanejo’s history as a center of the Mexican clothing industry.
Ricardo’s great grandfather was one of the founders of the clothing manufacturing industry in “Zapo,” emerging from a family-centered business with his two brothers making khaki pants, to employing over 120 employees in an ample factory, along with several other families who joined in the industry, making Zapo a major center of Mexican produced clothing for many decades in the early to mid-20th century. The family patriarch shared business responsibilities with his brothers, and ultimately pulled in friends and successive generations in a collective industry that began in homes around the town’s main plaza, making and selling their clothing wholesale from their home storefronts, ultimately expanding into neighboring pueblos, employing generations of skilled workers in the region.
All the siblings grew up in the family business, of course, leading the industry in the 1980’s and 90’s through another clothing boom in Zapo, making pleated skirts along with khaki pants and other clothing that sold to several large chain department stores in Mexico and the United States. Ricardo’s mother became a designer for the company, working alongside her husband for more than 25 years. Their son, my friend Ricardo and his sister grew up in the business as well, helping their father, mother and uncles as their business, along with the other factories in town, endured the changes wrought by the great import influences from China. This transformed their town from a manufacturing hub to a now thriving clothing, accessories and home goods distribution center.
What were as recently as ten years ago once almost exclusively wholesale storefronts with no dressing rooms to be seen in downtown Zapo are now exclusively retail stores, supplying the intrepid shopper with as many choices for clothing, shoes and accessories as can be imagined. On the main street alone — Zapo’s “Fifth Avenue” — are more than 2,000 boutiques and shops. Sales are mostly cash only, another vestige of the former wholesale manufacturing practices of a bygone era.
“And the prices cannot be beat,” insists Ricardo as we wander down “5th Avenue,” peering into glossy storefronts with live models sporting the latest fashions. “Fashion in Mexico begins here in Zapo,” he adds, noting that many of the high-end retailers in Mexico City, Guadalajara and coastal resort cities buy their products in Zapo and retail at much higher prices.
We sample a walnut-sprinkled tuba drink and wander from shop to shop, dazzled by the variety and the sheer quantity of goods for sale. Stores in Zapo are open every day, even on Sundays. Most have deep discounts on sale items, and many stores offer an even deeper discount on the fourth item purchased in each shop. Ricardo points out the wrought iron bandstand on the city’s main plaza. His great grandfather owned the ironworks that created the delicate structure, as well as two bells that still grace the campanile in the cathedral.
Although now largely a shopper’s paradise, Zapo proudly retains a distinguished history in the region, as a stopover for Miguel Hidalgo and the site of a famous bridge battle during the Mexican War for Independence. The town is known as well as the entrance town to Los Altos, the beautiful highlands of Jalisco, with several resort areas nearby to explore. Although not a “Pueblo Magico” itself, Zapo seems well on its way to becoming so, with its delightful tree- and flower-lined cobblestone streets, teeming with shoppers on a Sunday. Among my personal favorites are the designs of local artisan Ana Perez, whose fashions can be seen on the moda cognoscenti on the beaches of Vallarta as well as in the best boutiques in Guadalajara. Look for her store on the main street; another larger boutique is under construction.
Our hosts insist that we cannot leave Zapo without sampling the town’s signature lunch. Stepping off the main drag onto a much quieter side street near the plazita, we enter a small taqueria and Ricardo sends word to the open kitchen to bring us the “usual.” The usual turns out to be an enormous taco, constructed from a crispy taco bread the size of a platter, coated with refried beans, cabbage, salsa and what I, an American from the deep South, can only describe as “pulled pork.” With a side order of the house pozole, we work our way through a delicious meal, ending with a deep desire for a siesta. However, in Zapo, a post-lunch nap is almost impossible – the shops beckon for more excavation!
Getting there
To get to Zapotlanejo from Guadalajara take Avenida Lazaro Cardenas past the Chapala highway and the New Bus Station and continue on Highway 80 for about 12 kilometers. Signs indicate the turn off to Zapotlanejo. A shorter route from the Lake Chapala area is to take the new Periferico Sur at the Guadalajara Airport, which joins up with both the Guadalajara-Zapotlanejo Carretera Libre and Highway 80 after eight and ten kilometers respectively. Alternatively, those who do not wish to use this new road can head into the outskirts of Guadalajara and turn right on to Highway 80 the Lazaro Cardenas intersection.