What to See in Jalisco, Mexico

The best things to do in Jalisco range from discovering Guadalajara’s museums and historic buildings to exploring Pacific beaches, mountain towns, lakes and the landscapes associated with tequila. This western Mexican state brings together mariachi, ranchera music, birria, jaripeo, ceramics and long-standing Indigenous cultures. Neywo has free audio guides for 4 cities in Jalisco, covering 60 narrated places in total, with narration available in 11 languages.

What to see and do in Jalisco

Jalisco is a large and varied state. Its territory reaches from the Pacific coast to high ground rising to the summit of Nevado de Colima, bringing together forests, beaches, plains and lakes. The landscape changes with the region: the coast is warm, the north and northwest are drier, and much of the state has a temperate climate with humid tropical summers. The rainy season runs from June to October.

Explore Guadalajara, Jalisco’s cultural centre

Guadalajara is the capital, largest city and cultural and economic hub of Jalisco. More than half of the state’s population lives in the Guadalajara metropolitan area, which includes the city and seven other municipalities in the Center region.

The city is also the strongest starting point for understanding Jalisco’s cultural identity. Neywo’s Guadalajara guide includes 49 narrated places, among them Hospicio Cabañas, Guadalajara Cathedral, the Museo del Periodismo y las Artes Gráficas and the Guadalajara city museum. These sites introduce the state’s history, architecture and artistic life from within its main urban centre.

Visit Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific coast

Puerto Vallarta offers a very different view of Jalisco. The state has a long Pacific coastline, and the coastal climate is warmer and wetter than that of the north and northwest. Puerto Vallarta is one of the places that draws visitors to this part of the state.

Neywo’s guide to the city includes 6 narrated places, including Puerto Vallarta, En Busca de la Razón, Tritón y Sirena and the Museo Arqueológico de Puerto Vallarta Cuale. Together, they provide an introduction to the city’s public art, archaeology and coastal setting.

Discover the mountain setting of San Sebastián del Oeste

San Sebastián del Oeste is one of the smaller destinations in Jalisco and offers a contrast with both Guadalajara and the coast. The state contains more than 12,000 communities, most of them very small, and this variety of settlements is part of the region’s character.

Neywo’s San Sebastián del Oeste guide includes one narrated place: Hurricane Patricia. It is a concise way to add one of Jalisco’s mountain destinations to a wider journey through the state.

See the ceramics tradition in Tlaquepaque

Tlaquepaque is closely connected with one of Jalisco’s most important crafts. Ceramics are especially significant in the state, which leads Mexico in the volume, quality and diversity of exported handcrafts.

The city has 4 narrated places in Neywo, including Tlaquepaque, the Parroquia de San Pedro Apóstol, the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad and the Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque. A visit here helps connect religious heritage with the region’s long ceramic tradition.

Learn why Jalisco is associated with tequila

Tequila comes from a small region of Jalisco. It is made from blue agave and is the best-known type of mezcal produced in Mexico. It is also the only mezcal made industrially under strict standards.

Tequila is only one part of the state’s broader cultural inheritance. Mariachi remains strongly linked with Jalisco, while ranchera music, birria and jaripeo are also closely associated with the region. The phrase “Jalisco es México”, or “Jalisco is Mexico”, reflects the number of traditions identified with the state.

Encounter Jalisco’s Indigenous and religious heritage

Jalisco’s cultural history reaches back through the many peoples who have lived in the area, including Huichols, Nahuas, Caxcans, Cocas and Purépecha. As of 2010, Huichol and Nahuatl were the most widely spoken Indigenous languages in the state.

Religious heritage is another important part of Jalisco’s identity. Three highly venerated 16th-century images of the Virgin Mary are known as sisters. They are found in San Juan de los Lagos, Zapopan and Talpa. Music, food, faith and Indigenous languages all contribute to the place Jalisco occupies in Mexico’s cultural imagination.

A short guide to Jalisco’s history and identity

The name Jalisco comes from the Nahuatl word xalisco, meaning “over a sandy surface”. It was once written Xalisco, with the letter x representing a Nahuatl sh sound. The modern Spanish spelling uses j. People from Jalisco are often called tapatíos, a nickname that also comes from Nahuatl and is connected with a pre-Columbian monetary unit.

The region’s political history has also changed over time. At the beginning of the 19th century, Colima, parts of Zacatecas and the San Blas region were still part of the Intendencia of Guadalajara. The area prospered with relative freedom from Spanish colonial authorities and fewer trade restrictions. During the early 1900s, opposition to the Díaz regime included isolated strikes and protests by miners, students and professionals. Francisco I. Madero visited Guadalajara twice, first to campaign and later to organise resistance.

Today, Jalisco combines the metropolitan scale of Guadalajara with smaller settlements, agricultural areas, craft communities and coastal destinations. Agriculture developed mainly in tropical and subtropical areas, while industries are concentrated in the Guadalajara metropolitan area. Lake Chapala and Puerto Vallarta also have notable communities of foreign residents, mainly from the United States and Canada.

Explore Jalisco with Neywo’s free audio guide

Neywo offers free audio guides for 4 cities in Jalisco, with 60 narrated places in total and 3 walking tours. Narration is available in 11 languages. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule.

Download Neywo to explore Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, San Sebastián del Oeste and Tlaquepaque while walking through Jalisco.