Famous for mariachis, tequila, and colonial era gardens, the city of Guadalajara beckons travelers who would rather experience "the real Mexico" than the much more visited beachside resort cities that draw the bulk of today's foriegn visitors. In a city steeped in tradition, one of the most traditional and most interesting neighborhoods is the small quasi-independent municipality of Tlaquepaque.

Tlaquepaque is a great place to spend a day of urban strolling --- especially if you're in a shopping mood, because Tlaquepaque is, in my opinion, the single best shopping district in Mexico. There is certainly nothing comparable in cities like Monterrey or Puebla, and while Mexico City has neighborhoods like Polanco with high-end designer names, they lack the distinction and "Mexican" character that you find in Tlaquepaque. Tlaqueuepaque is where its at, and its where I was at last weekend...


Where to Shop...
When you're serious about shopping for quality Mexican craftwork, then you're serious about shopping in Tlaquepaque. Guadalajara is a Mecca for almost any kind of artesanal decorative pieces that you may want, no matter whether you're looking for high-end jewelry, solid wood furniture, iron sculptures, gallery-quality glasswork, or high-end tiles. These are the kinds of things that are easy to find everywhere in Guadalajara, but especially in Tlaquepaque, where excellent quality shops and galleries cater to knowledgable buyers.

In my opinion, nowhere else in Mexico do you find such a large concentration of shops with such consistently high quality folk art and decorative art. Sure, there are shops in Mexico City and in other parts of the Republic that are just as good as some of Tlaquepaque's shops, but you'd have to run around to ten different parts of the capital to find as much stuff as you can find on just one square block in Tlaquepaque.

The biggest concentration of shops is along Independencia (which is a pedestrian-only street, closed to vehicle traffic) between the main plaza and Avenida Ninos Heroes. But don't limit yourself to just Independencia. There are also some excellent shops along Juarez, and also on the cross streets of Alfareros and Fco. De Miranda.

As you stroll through the shops, you'll find a big emphasis on decorative arts --- things like glassware, iron, pottery, mirrors, etc. These are the kinds of things for which Guadalajara has long been famous (and with good justification.) As you duck into shops here and there, you'll be shocked at how good the quality is if all you've seen before has been the low-quality stuff sold in tourist markets in resort towns. Tlaquepaque is where the good stuff is.

Tlaquepaque is, needless to say, a good place to exercise your Platinum cards...

Here are just a few of the shops that I think warrant extensive exploration:

* Rodo Padilla, a.k.a., "The Bicycle Shop" --- you'll spot it from the fanciful brass chair outside, with the distinctive umbrella over it, but step inside and you'll find a delightful array of whimsically fun ceramic sculptures, pieces that can spark fanciful visions in even the most cranky curmudgeon (like me)
* Preciado Galeria --- the Preciados are a family of high-end interior decorators in Guadalajara, and they operate about 5 different shops around Tlaquepaque, most heavily geared towards high-end furnishings and tastefully appointed tapestries
* Conceptos --- rustic wrought iron sculptures are what you'll find at Conceptos, many with rustic ceramic inlays. Although rustic looking in character, quite a few of the pieces are remarkably modern in theme and the rustic burnish on them lends a warmth of historic patina.
* Sergio Bustamente --- the famous designer's jewelry gallery gets a lot of attention because of its big name recognition, but its got serious competition in Tlaquepaque from some of the other high-end jewelers, like Daniel Espinosa and JJ Marquin, shop around to be sure you come out the winner!

These are just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. There's oodles more shops lurking around every corner....leather goods, papier mache, ceramics, blown glass, furniture, clothing, you name it, you can find it in Tlaquepaque!


What to See...
I tend to think of Tlaquepaque as a shopping Mecca first and foremost, though there are some interesting landmarks in the neighborhood, the area has a wonderfully funky old historic feel to it, and there are even a couple museums worth taking some time out to explore (although the museums are smaller, and more along the lines of an average 3-star quality attraction).

Catty-corner to el Parian is a large garden plaza called Jardin Hidalgo. It's a good place to plop on a bench for a while and do some people watching, or just chill out with a taco and drink from one of the street vendors. There are two colonial era churches next to the garden: one is called the Sanctuary of Solitude and the other is called Saint Peters (San Pedro). The Sanctuary of Solitude has some wonderful murals inside and a fabulously ornate ceiling and wall frescos, while San Pedro has towering white steeples and a classicly ornate churrigueresque facade.

The two museums both focus on Guadalajara's historic artesanial excellence in the area of ceramics and fine pottery. The Regional Ceramic Museum is the older of the 2 museums, having been founded about 50 years ago. While tile and pots are the stars of this museum, it also contains some exhibits of colorful Huichol patterns.

The younger but larger of the two museums is the Museo Pantaleon Panduro. This museum is set up with a bit more focus on the techniques and history of ceramic processes, and it includes four galleries of temporary seasonal exhibits, most focusing on different aspects of the fine arts.


Where to Eat...
When you come to Tlaquepaque, come hungry! There's lots of excellent restaurants and bars throughout the neighborhood, most specializing in traditional Mexican foods, and quite a few sporting roving mariachi bands. After all, Guadalajara is generally considered the most traditionally Mexican feeling city in the country, and it just wouldn't be that way without mariachis.

If you start off exploring Tlaquepaque at the main plaza, there's a big building there called the Parian, which is set up in traditional hacienda style with a big open courtyard. Tables surround a gazebo where mariachi bands play and the food is always dependably good, if perhaps a bit too predictable.

Most travel guides recommend a place called Restaurante Sin Nombre.

Locals had recommended to me a place called el Patio, which is a similarly traditional open-air restaurant. I thought the food was decent enough, but I had a tough time figuring out their sometimes bizarre translations on the english-ized menu (I really wish restaurants in Mexico would not try to translate menus....) and the food tasted to gringo-ized for my tastes. I really should have tried el Abajeno instead.

If your tastes are running away from predictably mainstream Mexican, you could try Hechiceros on Matamoros --- they cater to the carnivores with lots of grilled steaks, or maybe Mariscos el Pescador Rojas on Morelos if you're more in the mood for seafood.


Where to Sleep...
Tlaquepaque is just a few minutes by taxi from anywhere in the Guadalajara metropolitan area, but if you want to stay in Tlaquepaque itself, there are a few small, boutique bed and breakfast inns that you might want to check out.

The staff at Casa Isabel in Puerto Vallarta had recommended a place called Casa de las Flores (www.casadelasflores.com), and I tried to book a room there, but unfortunately, they were full the night I was planning to be there. Too bad --- it sounds like a very cool place (and relatively affordable at around US$70 per night).

Some of the folks over on fodors.com said that Villa del Ensueno is very good as well (www.villadelensueno.com), with recently renovated and modernized rooms. No idea what their rates are like.

Other possibilities include Casa del Retono, Posada del Folklor, or Posada en el Parian (www.indiosleep.com).


Bottom Line...
If you've wandered around resort areas wondering where the "real Mexican character" went to, well, you might want to visit Tlaquepaque. In a city steeped in tradition and artistry, Tlaquepaque stands out as a wonderful place where quality lives and visitors are welcomed. Don't pass through Guadalajara without spending some time in Tlaquepaque!

If you want more ideas for places to visit in Tlaquepaque, I highly recommend the local tourism web site: www.descubretlaquepaque.com


Show Me the Pictures!
Thanks for taking the time to read this review --- I genuinely appreciate it when folks read my ramblings. If you want to see a few snapshots that I took in Tlaquepaque, I've got 'em online for you at:
http://www.tiogringo.com/tlaquepaque.html




Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Friends
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime