Guadalajara is a large city in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, and another popular expat hub. We went to Guadalajara because my husband and close friend ran the Guadalajara half marathon, and it was such a fun trip. However, we didn’t really spend almost any time in Guadalajara itself, but rather, used it as a base to do a Tequila tour and visit Tlaquepaque, a Pueblo Magico nearby. Guadalajara is a great base to visit these two amazing destinations.
A Day in Tlaquepaque
On the Saturday before race day, we decided to go to Tlaquepaque. This little Pueblo Magico is about 30 minutes outside of Guadalajara and is an idyllic place to spend the day. To get there, you can simply take an Uber. While there, you can explore the town, the little shops and the restaurants. We walked around and made our way to Restaurante Casa Luna, which has an amazing ambiance and great food. From there, we walked around and explored the little shops. In late afternoon, we headed back to Guadalajara for an early night since my husband and friend were running the half marathon the next day.
Do a Tequila Tour
The other amazing thing to do near Guadalajara is a Tequila tour. Imagine, we were up at 4 AM for the half marathon, and we started a tequila tour at 10:30 AM after my husband and friend ran 13.1 miles. We were actually late for the tour (surprise), and had to get an Uber to meet the bus at a stop on the way to the first destination. I don’t recommend that, but the day ended up being super fun.
Visit a Tequila Distillery & Learn about the Process of Tequila Making
So we’ve been awake about 7 hours and the first thing you do on the tour is visit a tequila distillery. This was a very cool experience. They walk you through the process of steaming the agave plants, how it’s made, the cellars, and the different kinds of tequila. Then, you are able to go walk throught he agave fields. Even if you don’t like tequila much (like me), it was still a really great thing to do. We visited the Tres Mujeres distillery.
Go to El Guero to drink Cantaritos
Next on the tour is a visit to El Guero’s. This is so fun. You are dropped off at this large outdoor restaurant where they have cantaritos. A cantarito is typically a clay jar with a mix of tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, orange juice, sprite, ice and salt. They come in sizes from a small cup to multiple liters, and let me tell you, even if you don’t like tequila, these are good. The tour drops you off at El Guero for about two hours, so you have time for some (or many) drinks. The ambiance of the restaurant is super fun with mariachis and families as well as tours. Most people walk out pretty tipsy. Hot tip – you can keep your cantarito! We didn’t realize this so we didn’t bring it with us. I recommend keeping it for the next stop.
Visit the Pueblo Magico of Tequila, Mexico
The next stop of this tour is Tequila, Mexico. Now, I personally wouldn’t want to stay in Tequila, Mexico, but it’s a great place for a stop on the tour. It’s quite pretty, and the ambiance is very fun. It’s one of the only places in Mexico where you are allowed to drink in the streets. In most places in Mexico, this is illegal and can lead to fines. So imagine, you can walk around Tequila and buy cantaritos around every corner while enjoying the little town. Here, you can also get also go for lunch, and by this time in the day we absolutely needed it. We stopped into La Antigua Casona for a great lunch before talking a walk in the town and then heading back to Guadalajara.
Honestly, this was so fun and I’d really recommend it. The ambiance is great, and we were friends with everyone on our bus by the end of the tour. Now, while that was because of the tour or the tequila, we’ll never know.
For More Tequila Tours, check out the options below!
