Best places to visit in Guadalajara
The main plaza and cathedral
We recommend you go directly to the Plaza de la Liberación. Here you can see a quick glimpse of some of the city’s most famous historical architecture and culture. If you stay at one of our hotels in Guadalajara, such as the NH Collection Guadalajara Providencia, you even have to get in the car.
The plaza is spectacular and you’re spoilt for choice for the ideal background to the rushed selfie picture you need to take home: the Palacio Legislativo where congress meet to make their decisions and the Palacio de Gobierno both hold significant weight for the state politics and are distinguished buildings in their own right. If you have time for just one picture, though, we suggest lining yourself up with Guadalajara Cathedral, sitting on the west side of the square. An impressive architectural display and one that has been with the city since its very inception.
Historical walk for a sense of Guadalajara
We started this guide of things to do in Guadalajara, Mexico, by the main square, so we are going to expand the tour from there. First things first: go through the cathedral’s doors to take in its true majesty that is hinted at from the façade.
Now our preference is to explore this part of the city by foot – although there is a more novel, if less flexible, approach by horse-drawn carriage – and we begin with a wander across the Plaza de la Liberación with the cathedral directly behind you. Stop as you reach the building on the other side, the Teatro Degollado, and order a coffee. You can sit on the outdoor terrace and soak up some of the ambience from the square while marveling at the theatre façade itself (more on that later).
Fully recharged, take the Paseo Hospicio as you stroll eastwards and watch as the relatively ordinary selection of shops and kiosks turn into the more luxurious and exclusive. The little squares that open up along the Fuente Danzantes, a long fountain-filled stretch of water just past Plaza Tapatia, are wonderful and allow for brief sit-downs to talk shop or just take in the culture that surrounds them.
As you reach the end of the street you’ll not miss the Instituto Cultural Cabañas, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which will impress you from the outside but inside is graced with 1930s frescoes on the history of Mexico and various other works of art that’ll take your breath away. If you’re in this area around lunchtime, or at any time when the stomach starts to rumble, head north two blocks to Restaurante La Chata. Budget prices but you won’t be disappointed with the local dishes served up. Try their incredible enchilada selection and toast to a good day’s with an innocently scrumptious margarita.
Coming down to the southwesterly corner of the Cabañas, another thing to do in Guadalajara, Mexico, is going to the Mercado Libertad San Juan de Dios, billed as the largest outdoor market in all of Mexico. Soak up the noise and bustle as you ponder what to buy from the vast selection laid out across three floors. There are various food stalls for a bite to eat too.
When you’ve had your fill, take one of the south facing exits and enter the Plazuela de los Mariachis for another authentic taste of Guadalajara life. With the San Juan de Dios church looking over you will find a choice of restaurants with outdoor terraces on the square, ideal for a casual lunch while you listen to the local musicians around you.
As you walk back towards the hotel along Calle Pedro Moreno you can enjoy the many attractive window displays until you arrive at Plaza de Armas, more commonly known as Plaza Major by the locals. With its centerpiece bandstand, Grecian statues and wandering vendors, this square neatly ties off a simple trip around the historical center of Guadalajara.
