Things to Do in Jalisco

If you walk west from the Centro Historico along Avenida Juárez, you’ll come the University of Guadalajara campus and the University of Guadalajara Museum of the Arts. A two-story neoclassical building of white brick, the museum is designed on a cross formation and is home to two important works by Jose Clemente Orozco. The murals are located in the auditorium: Stone columns support a domed ceiling emblazoned with the dramatic "El Hombre Creador y Rebelde,” or “Man, Creator and Rebel.” Behind the lecture stage is Orozco’s famous fresco, “El pueblo y sus falsos líderes” or “The People and their false leaders.” The clever use of space creates the impression that you are inside an Orozco mural. In typical Orozco fashion, the effect is mesmerizing but slightly unsettling.

The museum also houses a rotation of traveling exhibits and a fine permanent collection with works by important Jaliscan artists such as Martha Pacheco, Javier Arévalo, and Carmen Bordes.

Every year Mexico holds a prestigious nationwide ceramics competition. The tradition was started in 1977, and the contest has nine categories and a coveted President’s Award. If you are at all acquainted with Mexico’s fine folk art traditions, it should come as no surprise that the winning entries exhibit great innovation and a mind-blowing level of detail.

The Museo Pantaleon Panduro in Tlaquepaque houses over three decades of winning entries, and the collection is a true testament to Mexican ingenuity. Centered around a courtyard, vaulted hallways branch out into 27 galleries, where visitors can view everything from avant-garde crucifixes to the finest examples of traditional pots and dishes. Highlights include elaborate nativity scenes, skeleton figurines wearing hand-tailored clothing, delicate lattice work pots, a selection of miniature churches, and amazingly detailed candelabra, including one covered in ceramic figurines that depict scenes from Moby Dick, Romeo and Juliet, Le Miserable and other classics of literature.

The museum is named after Pantaleon Panduro, a 19th century artist who created playful clay busts and figurines that cemented Tlaquepaque’s reputation for true artistry.

Past the eastern end of the Plaza Tapatía, you'll find the Hospicio Cabañas Cultural Institute. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the massive stone building was constructed in 1805, but its fortress-like appearance gives it a more ancient air.

Bishop Juan Cruz Ruiz de Cabañas y Crespo founded the institute as an orphanage and home for the elderly and homeless. He called it la Casa de la Misericordia, or The House of Mercy. Interrupted occasionally by major wars and revolutions, the building functioned as an orphanage for nearly two hundred years until 1980, when the children were moved to a more modern location. Today the gracious old building hosts art exhibits, art and music classes, and an art cinema.

The cultural institute now contains 23 courtyards, a theater, a collection of folk art and a regular roster of temporary exhibits, but it's best known for a chapel adorned with 57 frescos by world renowned muralist Jose Clemente Orozco. The site also houses the world's largest collection of the Orozco's drawings. Guided tours of the building and murals are available on the half hour.

Sail into the calm Bay of Banderas for a warm Mexican welcome at Puerto Vallarta. This lovely beach resort city is on the mid-west coast of Mexico, lapped by the Pacific Ocean. Make your way downtown from the Marina Vallarta Maritime Terminal for an aquatic, eco-friendly or relaxing shore excursion.

How to Get to Puerto Vallarta
If your ship is mooring at Puerto Vallarta, you’ll dock at the Marina Vallarta Maritime Terminal, 3 miles (5km) north of the city center. Alternatively, your ship might anchor just offshore, in which case a tender will float you ashore. Taxis line up to take you downtown; negotiate the fare (around US$5) before you head off.

One Day in Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta’s number one attraction is the beach, and the full-facility resorts lining the sands. After soaking up the rays, take a leisurely stroll along the waterfront promenade to shop for silver jewelry and ceramics, sculptures and glassware. Soak up the colonial architecture and cobblestone streets on a Small Group City Tour, and if you’re docked for the evening take a sunset cruise across Banderas Bay and dine on the sands by candlelight.

Or spend the day getting up close and personal with dolphins or sea lions, or setting sail for snorkeling and swimming on a day trip to Marietas Islands. Other eco-escapades take you zipping across the rainforest canopy, or cutting trails through the coastal mountains on an ATV adventure.

Port Information
Puerto Vallarta is a popular cruise port, visited by cruise liners operated by Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess Spanish is the local language, but English is widely spoken and understood in Puerto Vallarta. The local currency is Mexican pesos, and you’ll find it’s cheaper if you use pesos rather than US dollars. There are ATMs throughout Puerto Vallarta.

The culture of the plaza, or town square, is central to Mexican life: the plaza is a community gathering place where school kids flirt, couples promenade, and everyone catches up on the latest gossip. Guadalajara contains many plazas, but the heart of Guadalajara's historic downtown is the Plaza de Armas. The Plaza de Armas has all the trappings of a classic Mexican jardin: wrought iron benches, prim topiary, strolling vendors, and the requisite Sunday social scene.

Classical statues that represent the seasons of the year preside over the four corners of the square, which is ringed with historic buildings, including the Palacio de Gobierno, a baroque monster that houses two famous murals by the social realist artist Jose Clemente Orozco.

The centerpiece of the scene is a belle epoque bandstand. A gift to the city from the dictator Porfirio Diaz, the gazebo was built in Paris in 1909, and features a hardwood ceiling that enhances sound quality. The wrought iron roof is held aloft by eight columns that depict curvaceous beauties with musical instruments. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday nights, the gazebo is the focal point of free concerts from the state band and other traditional Jaliscan groups.

Credited with making peace, ending plagues, healing broken bones, and raising the dwindling waters of Lake Chapala, the Virgin of Zapopan is the official patroness of Guadalajara and the state of Jalisco, defender "against storms, lightning, and epidemics." The tiny painted statue is crafted of wood and hardened corn husks. Brought to Jalisco in 1541 by a Franciscan missionary, she was the first Catholic icon to gain widespread acceptance from the region's native tribes. In times of need, the virgin is removed from her sanctuary and paraded through the city. "The Queen of Jalisco" is credited with hundreds of miracles and civic accomplishments. When Mexico achieved independence from Spain, the new government named her "General of the Army of the State," and, with due pomp and ceremony, dressed her appropriately in a tiny general's sash.

Over the past 500 odd years, the virgin has received many distinguished visitors, including Pope John Paul II. In the winter you can visit her at her home, the Basilica of Zapopan.

Located approximately four miles (7 km) northwest of the city center, the baroque basilica was completed in 1730. On October 12 of every year, the church is the site of a massive pilgrimage: Hundreds of thousands of people gather to march the virgin back home after her annual six month tour of the city's other churches.

On the north side of the Guadalajara Cathedral, you’ll find a little park that contains the Rotonda de los Jaliscienses Ilustres, or the Rotunda of the Illustrious Jaliscans. Ringed by bronze statues and flowering trees, the neoclassical rotunda houses the remains of the state’s luminaries. Inside the rotunda, the coffin of Enrique Díaz de León, the first rector of the University of Guadalajara, sits in state. You’ll also see urns containing the ashes of Jalisco’s honored dead; additional empty urns await their occupants. A crypt below the floor contains the mummified remains of General Ramón Corona, who defended Mexico during the French invasion, served as a popular reform governor, and was murdered in 1889.

Statues of Jaliscan movers and shakers encircle the monument. Wander the park to gaze upon the great muralist José Clemente Orozco, the architect Luis Barragán, the governor Ignacio Vallarta (of Puerto Vallarta fame), and the writer, philosopher, avant-garde landscape painter and Nazi sympathizer, Dr. Atl.

Whether it’s the waves that rhythmically roll towards beaches covered in thatched-hut palapas, or the marlin, shrimp, and mahimahi tacos that are served with a squeeze of lime, there’s something exotic and nearly utopian about small town Sayulita. When compared to neighboring Puerto Vallarta—its glitzy, grown-up cousin—Sayulita is a laidback village where the pace of life is just right. “Discovered” by surfers in the 1960s, this Nayarit darling is the trendy new hotspot for escaping the nearby resorts. Thanks to the gentle, beginner-friendly waves that lap at Sayulita Bay, the town has become one of Mexico’s best for learning to ride the waves. Brides looking to say “I Do” now flock to the town in droves, drawn by the area’s affordable lodging and wealth of white sand beaches. Grab a snorkel and hop aboard a cruise to the Marieta Islands, where dozens of species of tropical fish all scour the coral reef. Or, hire a longboard and paddle into a world-class, righthand wave—perhaps choosing to standup paddle just before drinks at sunset. Add in some yogis, a healthy food scene, and a collection of coastal hiking trails, and Sayulita is the Mexican beach town that’s easier to reach than leave. 

Once a quaint outlying village, Tlaquepaque has been swallowed whole by Guadalajara. That said, the "town" retains its identity and feels more laid-back than Guadalajara proper. Tlaquepaque was originally known as a shopping Mecca for traditional ceramics and glass, and the town still boasts some of the best high-fire ceramics in the country. In addition, the area now abounds with galleries and boutiques selling Oaxacan rugs, Guerrero masks, fine leather purses, high end jewelry, antiques, traditional clothing, and all manner of rustic furniture.

Tlaquepaque is touristy but pleasant. Many shops and galleries are housed in Colonial mansions, and the pretty town plaza is worth a stroll. If shopping gets old, check out El Parian, an enclosed plaza ringed in bars and eateries where you can order local specialties like birria, a spicy beef or goat stew. El Parian is also a good place to hear mariachis, especially on Sundays when the locals flock and sing along.

Two local museums, the Museo Pantaleon Panduro and the Museo Regional de la Ceramica, have excellent displays of artesania, or folk art. Both museums are housed in old buildings that are worth a wander. Entry is free of charge.