Guagalajara

Guadalajara

Located 335 miles northeast of Mexico City, Guadalajara is the proud capital of the state of Jalisco, and the second most populated city in our country.
Guadalajara is a city of greateconomic and cultural importance, and one of the most beautiful not only of Mexico but of all Latin America. Also known as “The Pearl of the West”, Guadalajara and its surrounding areas are thecradle of many of the great symbols of what is Mexican: charreria, the national sport; jarabe tapatio, our national dance; tequila, the Mexican spirited beverage par excellence; the traditional mariachiwith their cheerful music; and the beautiful pottery from Tonalá and Tlaquepaque, two of Guadalajara`s most important neighboring towns.
The magnificent architecture of its religious and historicalbuildings stands out among the city`s main attractions. One of the most famous is the Hospicio Cabañas, with its murals by the world known Jalisco painter Josè Clemente Orozco. This nineteenth centurybuilding, originally built as a hospice, has been declared a Humankind Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, and is currently home to the Cabañas Cultural Institute.
Another Historic Center architectural jewelis the Degollado Theater ,a monumental nineteenth century Neo Classic building, With an approximately 1,500 seat capacity, plays, operas, dance and musical concerts, children’s shows, movies,festivals. Conferences, and government addresses are presented here.
The beauty of Guadalajara’s parks and surrounding natural areas is also noteworthy; among them is the 280 acre Metropolitan Park, thelargest if it’s kind in the city. In the city outskirts, heading west towards Nogales is the Bosque de la Primavera (Spring Forest), the city’s “lung”, since it provides it with water, humidity, andclean air. This more than 89,000 acre forest has several volcanic hot springs and is home to countless wildlife species, which is why in 1980 it was declared Protected Forest and Wildlife Refuge by the...