Guadalajara & Merida March 2026
Guadalajara is in western Mexico, capital of Jalisco. The second largest after Mexico City. It is known for tequila and mariachi music and now widely recognized as the "Silicon Valley of Mexico”.
We stayed 4 nights at Casa Habita in centro but a residential neighborhood. hotel a bit noisy on week ends.
Near by an interesting restaurant for its architecture: Octo and an excellent japanese: Kasuga.
First visit: The Hospicio Cabaña, built at the beginning of the 19th century to provide care and shelter for the disadvantaged, it was one of the oldest and largest orphanage and hospital complexes in the Americas. It is a very simple and harmonious design. It is a UNESCO world Heritage site.
In the early 20th century, the chapel was decorated with murals by José Clemente Orozco, now considered some of the masterpieces of Mexican art.
The Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady, completed in 1618.
The Plaza de la Liberación, a large monument portraying Father Miguel Hidalgo holding broken chains, symbolizing freedom from Spanish rule.
Around the Plaza…
The Rotunda of the Illustrious People of Jalisco built in 1952 is a neo-classical monument dedicated to renowned artists, and leaders.
Luis Barragán was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, in 1902 he is the only Mexican to have won the Pritzker Prize. Bold colors, straight lines and clean walls. These are some of the key features used by Luis Barragán
Casa Robles León, 1927
Casa González Luna, 1928: the house is now the Casa ITESO Clavigero Cultural Center.
I enjoyed strolling the artisans shops: Chamula Hecho a Mano, Casa Galeana, Once Patios, Albergue Transitorio/ Julia & Renata.
Tlaquepaque (renowned as an artisanal hub for pottery) is a small town, once outside of Guadalajara, and today an integral part of the urban fabric.
As we strolled around this neighborhood, we were able to witness quinceñeras celebrations. A Quinceañera is a traditional Latin American and Caribbean celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday, marking her transition from childhood to womanhood. We were mesmerized by the joy, the colors, the outfits, the deployment of celebration! And finally a wedding! We were in a middle of a movie…
A quick visit to Zapopan
The Museo de Arte de Zapopan MAZ
The 16th-century Basilica of Our Lady. And an other wedding…
TEQUILA!!! We never thought it was a place… and a beautiful one!
Tequila, Pueblo Mágico, is a UNESCO-listed town renowned for the famous blue agave spirit. It is a 1 hour drive thru vast, volcanic agave landscapes.
Tequila is a charming town…
… Where the famous Jose Cuervo Tequila, among others, is made.
We took a took of the factory in a beautiful hacienda.
Tequila is a distilled spirit made from fermented blue agave (Agave tequilana Weber) hearts, produced exclusively in specific Mexican regions. The process involves harvesting 7+ year-old plants (jima), cooking the hearts (piñas) in ovens or autoclaves, crushing them to extract sugar, fermenting with yeast, double-distilling in copper or steel pot stills, and optionally aging in oak barrels.
Next stop Meridá:
Plaza Grande, Cathedral of San Ildefonso, Casa Montero and The Governor Palace. It is the vibrant, historic heart of downtown Mérida, surrounded by colonial landmarks
Every Wednesday night at Casa Montero, there is an iluminacíon, history and dance show.
The Catedral
We stayed at Casona Origen, cute and comfortable, we loved the vibe. Vana is a great rstaurant nearby. There is many fun, vintage places in beautiful run down buildings, bars, coffee shops everywhere and even a Patio Petanca. Hotel Cigna seemed interesting. Other restaurants we loved: Micaela Mar y Leña, The Museum of Yucateca Gastronomy (best sopa de lima) and a hard to find Omakase Jayu: a very interesting and delicious fusion of Japanese dishes with Yucatecan touches. It all made me think of Cuba + Austin TX in Mexico!
Around the city…
Parque Santiago dance and market every Tuesday night, dancing to the rhythm of danzón, mambo, and cha-cha-cha was a lot of fun!
Paseo de Montejo is considered Mérida's most beautiful street, an elegant boulevard inspired by the Champs-Élysées, featuring grand 19th-century mansions from the henequen boom.
On this paseo, el Museo Regional de Antropología de Yucatán, Palacio Cantón
Parque La Plancha near our hotel is a massive 20+ hectare urban park transformed from a former railway yard. It looked like it was under renovation…
We enjoyed all the shops with great local products: Básica Sociedad Diseño Colectivo, Casa T’HŌ and the amazing Taller Maya Santa Ana, founded in 2005 as an initiative of Fundación Haciendas del Mundo Maya, it empowers Mayan artisans by connecting ancestral techniques with modern markets.
Las Sillas Confidentes! (Confidant Chairs), also known as Tú y Yo (You and Me) or lovers' chairs, are iconic S-shaped, twin seats facing each other. Installed in 1915 in Mérida's Plaza Grande, they were designed to allow for conversation while keeping couples at a respectable distance.
A day trip to Cenotes and henequen haciendas: Henequen, known as "green gold," is a spiky agave plant native to Yucatán, processed in Mérida into durable twine, rope, and hammocks. Historically, this industry built 19th-century mansions, it was a vital economic driver. The process involved cutting leaves, using machines to shred them, drying the fiber in the sun, and baling it for export or crafting.
Hacienda Mucuyché is a restored 17th-century henequen estate with two stunning cenotes: the open-air Cenote Carlota and the cavernous Cenote Azul Maya. We toured the historic machinery and swam through the two cenotes.
The Hacienda
Near by the Cenote Yaal Utzil
An other henequen estate Hacienda Yaxcopoil dates back to the 17th century. The name Yaxcopoil means “the place of the green alamo trees” in Mayan. The Hacienda represents the boom years of henequen cultivation during the late 19th and early 20th century.
We skipped the beach in Merida as we spent time already in very pristine and untouched places on the water in Punta Pajaro and at home in Santa Cruz de los Zacatitos.
Loved both cities with very different vibes, loved the locals always so friendly!
