Mexico’s second-largest city is often overlooked, but in our opinion it is much more sexy than the huge cluster around Mexico City. In Gudalajara, the sunny climate of the country is at home, and also the classic Mariachi music comes from here. It’s a city that people might not blow away at first. We, for example, were not really impressed by the city itself. However, this city finds its beauty in the surroundings.

Next to all these aspects the city is known for its high quality of life, good food and for the open friendliness of the people. The beaches of Jalisco (for example in Puerto Vallarta) or the famous Tequila fields are not far from Guadalajara. In a fancy tourist train you can even explore the city’s backyards on rolling wheels and therefore the city offers something that makes the metropolis unique for all the places in Mexico. Impressive is also the sensational canyon, Barranco de Oblatos. Right in front of the city, this place is a paradise for nature lovers and completes the proximity to the enthusiasm for the Original. If the road to the canyon seems too far or the time to less, you can catch a glimpse of the spectacular zoo, which is considered as the best in Latin America. Maybe you also prefer the local cuisine of the city? How about the world’s fastest restaurant in the world?

In Karne Garibaldi, they have made it their mission to conjure up a plate of special enjoyment on the table in less than a minute. Speed Delivery instead of Speed Eating: Guadalajara is a sensation of city in Mexico, which many feel somehow more advanced than the larger southern counterpart Mexico City. The city is different, progressive, climatically pleasant and absolutely worth living. Should it pull you as an expatriate to Mexico, we recommend this city to you particularly dearly.

Stylish and good food in Guadalajara: Karne Garibaldi and Co

Once in Guadalajara, you should go on an extended food and taste tour of the city.

Unfortunately, there is no chicken in this city. Since it has such a food specialist as Alex it seems a little harder to find the appropriate preferred dish. However, the city is very well known for good beef.

We followed the advice of an Uber driver and still found a place where even Alex had to move his lever and could not overlook this good, juicy beef meat any longer. And there is another reason, why mainly locals and incoming tourists from Mexico itself are eating there: Of course, the Karne Garibaldi is probably the fastest restaurant on earth. It was not only mentioned in an entry in the Guinness Book of Records, its also a restaurant that offers unique dishes. We are especially reminded of the sensational alcoholic variety of diverse Micheladas. Especially those one with tomato pulp are really tasty and unique in flavor. A special culinary delight for Guadalajara visitors.

Currency

The official currency in Guadalajara is Mexican peso.

Current exchange rates can be found in this page.

Where to find cheap accommodation in Guadalajara?

As we mention in our Airbnb article, we are always looking for places to stay for a fair price, in this case we stayed in an airbnb room, where we payed $220 mexican pesos (11 dollars) each night in a cozy apartment. The host was really nice, the apartment in a good location and we had wifi to work here. So take a look to airbnb and see which options suit better for you, your budget and your travel plan.

What to consider / What to avoid?

While our visit to Guadalajara we had troubles with our orientation, we are not sure about the reason but make sure you bring your map with you and comfortable shoes that allow you to walk a lot.

Guadalajara is cozy, but still a city. Make sure you review the distances from point A to point B. You can find transportation methods as buses, there is actually a bus station outside Guadalajara zoo.

Regarding foreign people, we found a lot of foreign people in this city. Actually Alex and I had lunch together in an Austrian restaurant.

How much does it cost to stay in Guadalajara?

Guadalajara is a very well priced city. Due to the good climate, the good food and the cultural richness, Guadalajara offers the best value for money of all Mexican cities. It’s not as expensive as Monterrey, not as stuffy as Mexico City. Jalisco’s capital is an ideal destination for those who want to get to know Mexico off the beaten track. We found AirBnB appartments for 20 Euro per night, even 10-15 Euros the night can get found.

In Guadalajara it’s definitely a really affordable price for a very good accommodation with central location.

A meal in an established club and bar starts already from 10 euros , simple street food instead you even get for just 2 euros.

What to see and what to experience in Guadalajara?

Guadalajara Zoo

Awarded as Latin America’s Best Zoo. The terrain is very spacious and you can even ride a cable car and spot roaring lions, exotic hoofstock and Co. This bird’s view perspective of this experience is more as unique in Mexican zoos. Additionally there is an aquarium and a pinguinarium. At the other end of the zoo, the view of the wonderful canyon landscape of the Barranco de Oblatos inspires. The zoo also has a safari zone, where you can experience animals in a wider terrain and also on the side of the bus that crosses the territory several times.

The zoo is one of the biggest attractions of its kind in Mexico and enjoys great popularity among the local population.

The prices are really affordable, for big families or couple plans. Here a table of some of the prices to visit this zoo. The food is actually really tasty and also have affordable prices. In this time, I will recommend to have your lunch at the zoo and enjoy the landscapes you can see from the different cafeterias inside the zoo.

City Center

Guadalajara city center has interesting buildings and monuments. Some of them might not look so Mexican. They can have an Italian style. One of these monuments is the “rotonda de los hombres ilustres” which honors the most trascendental characters in Guadalajara. Nowadays it has 98 urns.

Guadalajara also has a funny side. In the “callejón del diablo” you will find a fountain with four statues of kids shooting water from different parts of their bodies. We will not include a picture here, to make sure you surprised yourself as we did

Agua Azul Park

Agua Azul is a beautiful park located in the south of Guadalajara Center. This park is a paradise for animal and nature lovers. To read a book, visit with your family or have a picnic there. You will find a small lake, nature, some birds and a butterfly park.

Nightlife

If you are looking for nightlife while your visit to Guadalajara then we suggest you to go to Chapultepec street. When we went to Guadalajara we visited a friend living there, who gave us the idea to go to a bar. Arriving to Chapultepec was quite funny to see all the people partying in the streets. The atmosphere is really cool, they have a market also so you can take a look. With a little bit of luck you will find people dancing in the fountains.

Happy reading!

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