You simply buy a $50-100 USD plane ticket, and arrive within 1 hour, with the airport just 30 minutes by taxi/uber from the absolute center of the city.
After visiting Mexico City about a month later, I can retrospectively say that Guadalajara is a much more manageable city to visit, and potentially live in, compared to Mexico City.
The center of Guadalajara is much more defined, and for the most part walkable without too many hassles, and enough to see between different sections.
You can also take the typical tour bus for about $7, and visit the other popular regions of the city, which I simply enjoyed passively from the second floor of the tour bus.
While the city itself has some fantastic-looking colonial-era churches (as most of Mexico has), I found the city itself (and even the center) heavily modernized.
Finally, if you enjoy the nightlife, then Chapultepec (which is a relatively long street), offers most of what you need in a concentrated area.
But basically, Guadalajara, which is named after the same city in Spain, comes from Andalusian Arabic (when the Arabic ‘Moorish’ empire ruled Spain) for ‘River/Valley of Stones’.
Originally, settled in 1532, the site of Guadalajara was relocated 5 times due to several major issues such as a lack of water, a dry and inhospitable land, hostile indigenous tribes who kept attacking for years, and a leader who just didn’t like the location.
Finally, by 1542, after almost a decade of unsuccessful attempts, Guadalajara was officially settled in its new and current location at the ‘Teatro (Theatre) Degollado’.
‘Teatro (Theatre) Degollado’ in Guadalajara
Yet, by 1543, a contingency of indigenous tribes waged war against the city, due to the savage treatment of the indigenous people as slaves under the Spaniard ‘Nuño de Guzmán’. The war ended only after ‘Nuño de Guzmán’ agreed to release the indigenous slaves.
By the 1560s, Guadalajara was declared the capital of the ‘Nuevo (new) Galicia’ state and became an important hub for launching religious, military, and exploratory expeditions onto the indigenous Mexican civilizations.
As the city continued to grow rapidly, it enveloped and assimilated the peoples of the Mezquitán, Analco, and Mexicaltzingo by 1669.
In 1810, ‘Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’ established an anti-Spain, anti-Slavery, pro-independence, revolutionary government in Guadalajara.
He managed to abolish slavery throughout all of Mexico, but by 1811, he was captured and killed in Chihuahua.
Now statues of Miguel Hidalgo adorn most Mexican cities.
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla broke the chains of slavery (he signed the documents abolishing slavery in 1810 in Guadalajara)
During the ‘War of the Reform’ (1857-1860), Guadalajara was the main battleground between Liberals and Conservatives. The liberals wanted to remove ‘privileged power’ from the Catholic Church, the Military, and the Elite.
By the 1890s, electricity, and railroads were finally implemented, and by 1947, the population exploded to 1 million people.
As of 2018, the greater Guadalajara area features over 5 million residents, a rich technological and industrial sector, and many international corporations stationed within.
The Ultimate Guadalajara Gallery
A Jalisco police officer is ready to fight narcos in Guadalajara, Mexico
Juan De La Barrera (1828-1847) was a military cadet who died during the American Invasion (1846-1848) in the battle of Chapultepec, Guadalajara, Mexico.
A homeless man stands in front of a restaurant in Guadalajara, Mexico
A little girl is forced to play this instrument by her mother, for spare change on the streets. The mother also forced her son as well. Poverty is very widespread in Mexico overall.
This fountain is used to liven up a heavily urbanized area in the trendy, popular area of Chapultepec. Guadalajara, Mexico
A statue of a young lady of (perhaps) no particular importance in front of a house in Guadalajara, Mexico
A woman in Guadalajara waits for the bus
A dog making the emoji face in Guadalajara, Mexico
A dog preparing for his 100th soccer game in Guadalajara, Mexico
A priest blesses his fellow cacti next to the Expiatory temple of the Blessed Sacrament in Guadalajara, Mexico
A closeup of the Expiatory temple of the Blessed Sacrament in Guadalajara, Mexico
Construction for the Templo Expiatorio del Santísimo Sacramento started in 1897 and finished in 1972. There were many suspensions due to a revolution and religious persecution, as well as a lack of funds and payments for its construction.
Statue of Pope John Paul II at Expiatory Temple (Templo Expiatorio) with cardinal commemorating visit to Guadalajara
Despite being a dangerous city, Guadalajara offers safe passage during the day time, most of the time
I enjoy taking photos of beat up cars. They always have a rich history of what happened to them. Guadalajara
A cowboy and carriage is a popular attraction to try out in Guadalajara, Mexico
Night time comes, and the cowboy and carriage keeps rolling, in Guadalajara.
The modern art museum at night time in Guadalajara. I am not a fan of these types of museums. I prefer classical art, depicting life 200+ years ago.
The Templo Expiatorio del Santísimo Sacramento. Lighting up the cross at night is the cool new thing to do.
A statue of perhaps someone very important, just outside a building in Guadalajara, Mexico.
On July 8, 1914 at 5 o’clock in the morning, the Constitutionalist troops advanced on Guadalajara, entering various places: the Garita, Tequila Road, Modern Colony, Agua Azul forest and the Mezquitan neighborhoods and the Sanctuary. General Manuel M. Dieguez entered Guadalajara following the Poniente Oriente route and arrived at the Government Palace at 11 o’clock in the morning. That is how Guadalajara got incorporated to the Mexican Revolution.
Temple of Our Lady of Carmen in Guadalajara
A bust of an important revolutionary in Guadalajara, Mexico
A man awaits a customer to shine their shoes in Guadalajara, Mexico
I forget the name of this building
A statue within a building, with the engraving of something religious associated to Jesus, in Guadalajara
Mexican workers in Guadalajara, Mexico. A long time ago, their ancestors were forcibly mixed with European Spaniard blood.
Mexico has had a long, but mostly negligible attempt at communism, with the most prominent communists being Diego Rivera and his wife, Frida Kahlo
Interesting graffiti depicting techno-stylized pre-hispanic art in Guadalajara
A Guadalajaran man (a ‘tapatio’) works outside his shop
A minor church in Guadalajara that looks like it is in the tropics
Guadalajara native Jose Clemente Orozco (1883-1949) was a political artist who specialized in complex murals
Perhaps a bust of Aristotle in Parque Agua Azu, Guadalajara
A closeup of (maybe) Aristotle in Parque Agua Azul, Guadalajara
The artificial pond in Parque Agua Azul, Guadalajara
Police using mopeds to traverse the streets of Guadalajara
A rooftop view of Guadalajara – facing the main Cathedral
A closeup of the cathedral in Guadalajara, from a rooftop
Another church in the center of Guadalajara. There are many.
Facing in the direction of the business district in Guadalajara
Locals walk around the central shopping streets in Guadalajara
Barrios (neighborhoods) creep up the hills in Guadalajara. These can range from lower-class to upper-class, depending on the district
A closeup of a dome of a church in Guadalajara, with a saint on top. Perhaps Saint Michael.
A closeup of the intricate carvings on a church in Guadalajara. Each carving indicates someone of historical significance.
Inside one of the many churches in Guadalajara
Baby Jesus in his crib in a church
Perhaps a Saint for Mercantilism? in a church in Guadalajara
A little girl asks for a favor from someone of religious importance in Guadalajara
Jesus on a cross, surrounded by 2 angels in Guadalajara
A contemporary painting of white baby Jesus and Mother Mary above demons? in Guadalajara
A painting of Jesus with a halo coming to produce miracles in Jerusalem to a bunch of white people in the middle east.
A ‘coachman’ awaits clients to ride in his carriage in Guadalajara
A ‘coachman’ awaits clients to ride in his carriage in Guadalajara
The Guadalajara Cathedral or Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady. The cathedral has been rebuilt more than a dozen times due to earthquakes.
The colonial-era facade of a building in the center, beside a church in Guadalajara
Worshipers listen to prayers and ask for things to their subconscious deity inside a church in Guadalajara
The beautiful designs of the churches siphoned off much of the investments from the poor people in Mexico.
The front of this church in Guadalajara
Contemporary religious painting adorn this church, as worshipers listen to a priest say religious things in Guadalajara
The Guadalajara Cathedral was built on top of a previous church called the ‘Templo de Santa Maria de Gracia’ in 1541.
The arches inside the Palacio Municipal de Guadalajara.
Mural by Gabriel Flores García in The Palacio Municipal in Guadalajara. The arrival of the Spaniards
Mural by Gabriel Flores García in The Palacio Municipal in Guadalajara. A christian monk saves the indigenous peoples from certain death.
Mural by Gabriel Flores García in The Palacio Municipal in Guadalajara. Indigenous battle against their impending defeat against the Spanish conquest.
Mural by Gabriel Flores García in The Palacio Municipal in Guadalajara. The Spanish war machine vs. the ill-equipped Indigenous tribes.
Mural by Gabriel Flores García in The Palacio Municipal in Guadalajara. Revolution on the backs of the lower classes
The arches of the Palacio Municipal in Guadalajara
Figurines of important people in Guadalajara’s history
Figurines of important people in Guadalajara’s history
Figurines of important people in Guadalajara’s history
Figurines of important people in Guadalajara’s history
Figurines of important people in Guadalajara’s history. Martina Ballesteros
Central Guadalajara under repairs
A typical dish from Guadalajara. Meat, soaked in some kind of sauce.
Another cathedral, not too far off from the main Guadalajara Cathedral towers into the sky
Despite the assumption of Mexico being a hot place, it was actually mildly cool in Guadalajara when I was there. Bring warm clothes for when the sun is blocked by clouds.
A mural of a tiger in a concrete jungle in Guadalajara
Local mexican students wait for entry into an aquarium in Guadalajara
As I drove in my tour bus, a man gave a thumbs up to show everything was ok in Guadalajara
Another local ‘Tapatio’ enjoys his alcohol during the day in Guadalajara
The stark contrast between having money, and not having money, in Guadalajara
A yellow colonial building in Guadalajara
A girl stares off from her balcony in one of the districts in Guadalajara
A very indigenous-looking old lady in Guadalajara
Yellow taxis fill the streets in Guadalajara
Basilica of Our Lady of Zapopan. A Franciscan sanctuary built in the 1600’s.
There is an over abundance of shoe-shining/cleaning spots in Guadalajara
Scotiabank, which is a Canadian bank, pervades Mexico in every city.
A fancy yellow residence in Guadalajara in Zapopan district
Protests against the privatization of water in water-limited Guadalajara
Attempted organization of protests against the privatization of water in water-limited Guadalajara
The people of Guadalajara protest the privatization of water, despite drastically decreasing supplies.
The dome of potentially another church in Guadalajara
A local vendor sells typical fried snacks from his cart in Guadalajara. You can add spicy or lemony flavours to anything you buy
Another of many local vendors sell their fried snacks on the streets in Guadalajara
Biblioteca Iberoamericana Octavio Paz in Guadalajara
The colourful arches of Plaza Universidad in Guadalajara
The Guadalajara Cathedral with a blue sky
One of the towers of the Guadalajara Cathedral. One of the towers is slowly slanting inwards and needs repair before it falls over.
The dome of the Guadalajara Cathedral
A well-groomed horse awaits its next clients in Guadalajara
A coachman and his carriage await clients to show them around the central city of Guadalajara
Around this arch in the center of the city is a collection of statues of historically important people in Guadalajara. A lawyer perhaps?
Around this arch in the center of the city is a collection of statues of historically important people in Guadalajara. A scientist/botanist
Around this arch in the center of the city is a collection of statues of historically important people in Guadalajara. An army man
Around this arch in the center of the city is a collection of statues of historically important people in Guadalajara. A politician/lawyer
A family of locals crosses the street
A classic 1970s Porsche Coupe awaits repairs in Guadalajara
A local boy charms a girl in Guadalajara
A local man looking very unimpressed in Guadalajara
A man cleans up a restaurant in Tlaquepaque District in Guadalajara
A woman takes selfies of her baby with a colourful cow to the side in Tlaquepaque District in Guadalajara
Where is the justice and the peace? It is in you to share!… Every time, we are more!
A typical residential street in Guadalajara
A tied up dog looks absolutely bored in Guadalajara
Walking around of the market streets in Guadalajara
A seat-statue in front of various flags in the Hospicio Cabañas Plaza in Guadalajara
Hospicio Cabañas, founded in 1719 by the Bishop of Guadalajara, Juan Ruiz de Cabañas
A courtyard inside the Hospicio Cabañas
A mural on the dome ceiling inside the Hospicio Cabañas
Another ceiling mural inside the Hospicio Cabañas
A baseball ceremony taking place inside the Hospicio Cabañas, Guadalajara
A baseball ceremony taking place inside the Hospicio Cabañas, Guadalajara
A baseball ceremony taking place inside the Hospicio Cabañas, Guadalajara, Mexico
The fountains in front of the Hospicio Cabañas, Guadalajara, Mexico
“A sculpture inspired by the immolation of the deity Quetzalcoatl” in Plaza Tapatía in Guadalajara
A cowboy hat modeled after the American variety for $70 USD. Cowboy culture is historically important in Guadalajara
Cowboy boots in Guadalajara
Cowboy boots in Guadalajara
Cowboy boots ranging from $130 USD in Guadalajara
‘Parish of San Juan de Dios’ in Guadalajara at night
Looking at Calz Independencia Norte at night in Guadalajara
The fountain in front of the ‘Parish of San Juan de Dios’ in Guadalajara at night
Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace) in Guadalajara. In 1810, Hidalgo signed the document abolishing slavery here.
Despite numerous earthquakes, the facade of the Palacio De Gobierno in Guadalajara did not collapse over the centuries
The rear of the Guadalajara Cathedral
The rear of the Guadalajara cathedral features a fountain, overshadowed by the massive towers and dome
The Guadalajara Cathedral during sunset
Enjoying a ‘Pozole’ soup dish during the sunset in Guadalajara
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2 Comments
Jamie Car·
Nice place! Spend here great vacation last autumn. We rented a car and visited many places in the city and its surroundings. We liked it here
Nice place! Spend here great vacation last autumn. We rented a car and visited many places in the city and its surroundings. We liked it here
Yea, GDL is definitely interesting. The surrounding cities add to the novelty (Tequila, Lago De Chapala, etc)