Guadalajara
- Sarah Lakey
- Jul 2
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 4
On my first trip to Guadalajara, I set out to explore what makes this city all its own. Upon arrival on a Sunday evening, I stumbled across musicians jamming in the streets of Colonia Americana. No tourists in sight. Just friends, music, and dancing.
The next morning, I set out for COFFEE of course! I started by checking out PalReal in Americana. They use local Jalisco roaster Cafe Estelar, whose beans I first discovered last year in Puerto Vallarta. PalReal's pour over, or "V Sesenta" as I learned it's called here, was excellent. The seating is limited (couple picnic tables outside), but the coffee is worth it.
"V60" or "V Sesenta" served with soda water.
After taking a walking tour of the Historic Center (highly recommend), I tried Tejuino for the first time, which can only be found in Guadalajara. It is a traditional beverage made from fermented corn, sweetened with piloncillo and served with salt, a squeeze of lime and scoop of lime sorbet. My tour guide told me that many tourists are not necessarily fond of this unique beverage, but I LOVED it. It was not too sweet, richly flavorful, a bit salty, and very refreshing.
It took me a few days, but I finally discovered my favorite cafe in Guadalajara: Cafe Tenango. This place did not come up when I was searching for best coffee spots in town, but luckily, a local recommended it and I've been back every day since. The cafe is housed in an old home and every room has been designed thoughtfully and artistically with so much character. The space is colorful and art-filled, with numerous rooms, a patio space, and even local art for sale. The coffee is excellent (everything from americanos and French press, to V60, Chemex, and more.) The food is your basic Mexican fare, no frills, but loads of flavor. They play a fantastic array world music, and the vibes are so good here, I never want to leave.
The glorious Teatro de Degollado is situated in the historic center, and I was lucky enough to catch the Orquestra Filarmonica de Jalisco perform here. The music was excellent, although I always struggle with audience members filming during the performances, phones up in the air! This is a practice that is allowed in many central and South American countries, and it drives me bonkers.
Other recommendations:
-For massage: Mond Massage is an incredibly magical spot
-Tlaquepaque is worth a day trip. Only 30 min from Americana
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