Guadalajara can be held responsible for the mixed blessings of mariachi music,
tequila, the Mexican Hat Dance, broad-brimmed sombrero hats and the Mexican
rodeo. Part of Guadalajara's huge appeal is that it has many of the attractions
of Mexico City - a vibrant culture, fine museums and galleries, handsome historic
buildings, exciting nightlife and good places to stay and eat - but few of the
capital's problems. It's a bright, modern, well-organised and unpolluted place,
with enough attractions to please even the pickiest visitor. Highlights include
the giant, twin-towered cathedral and the lovely plazas that surround it, the
Instituto Cultural de Cabañas and its frescoes by José Clemente Orozco, the
Plaza de los Mariachis if you're a masochist, and the twin handicraft-filled
suburbs of Tlaquepaque and Tonalá.
