Guns & Butter: Guadalajara Travel Guide

The Guadalajara Mexico Travel Guide is part of The Detour in Mexico Trip Report which covers the following places :

• Guadalajara, Mexico
• Scottsdale, Arizona

Here is the The Guns & Butter methodology, the best way to see as much as you can in as little time as possible.

• A trip is composed of two factors: Labor And Lazy.
• Anything on the line (Production Possibilities Frontier for my fellow economists) is an efficient use of your time depending on your tastes and preferences.
• Anything inside the line is inefficient and should be avoided.
• Anything outside is aspirational but may be impossible to do given the constraints of time and resources.
• The opportunity cost (what is given up) for relaxing and being Lazy is gained by being adventurous in the form of Labor and vice versa.

15 Minutes 

I wouldn’t call it a tourist trap, but you should be aware that nothing takes 15 minutes in Guadalajara. Uber from A to B? Leave 1 hour. Waiting for your check? Remain patient. Things move slower in Guadalajara which is a good thing if you are looking to relax and a bad thing if you are looking to get stuff done.

Museums 

We simply ran out of time to see and do everything. I’m not a museum guy but Guadalajara has a few notable museums that would have been nice to see for a quick pop in.

Taxis 

I spent far too much time in taxis for my liking. The city is spread out and both of my hotels were not conveniently located for the places on this list.

Sport 

I went to the World Baseball Classic when I was in Guadalajara, and I encourage you to go to a sporting event as well. If you are in town on a Saturday, head to the soccer stadium. Buying tickets to the WBC was a hassle so be prepared for that.

Tacos 

I go on vacation to drink and eat. The tacos in Guadalajara rivaled those in Mexico City. Day and night, there is always a place serving delicious tacos. Be sure to go to Tlaquepaque during the day, Fonda Dona Gabina Escolastica for dinner, and Chapultepec Road for drinks and more tacos by night.

Tequila 

The Jalisco state produces the best tequila in the world. I had tequila everywhere I went and even purchased a bottle of extra anejo tequila to enjoy when I returned.

The tequila tasting was in Tlaquepaque.

Beer 

Sometimes I don’t feel like trying new foods or immersing myself in the local culture. In Guadalajara, I found a Belgian beer house (El Deposito) which was a nice break from tequila.

Hotels 

The hotels are not in ideal locations, but both the Hyatt Regency and the Westin are great places to relax after a day of eating, drinking, and sitting in traffic.

Overall 

Guadalajara was a nice place to visit. Three nights in Guadalajara were plenty. Although I had a good time, I definitely prefer Mexico City.