must30
Español
Rows of blue agave in the fields around Tequila, Jalisco
Aerial view of the Ajijic malecón and lakeside park on Lake Chapala at sunset
The ruins of Guachimontones in the hills above Teuchitlán

Things to do in Jalisco: Guadalajara, coast and lake

Updated Leer en español

Up next

Photo: T2O media México, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ajijic, Lake Chapala

Walk the malecón at Ajijic on Lake Chapala

Check dates and prices

Photo: SimonVelazquez, CC BY-SA 4.0

Teuchitlán, Jalisco

Stand among the round pyramids of Guachimontones

Check dates and prices

Photo: Esteban Tucci, CC BY-SA 3.0

Jalisco, on Mexico's Pacific coast, gave the country many of the things it is known for: mariachi, ranchera music, birria, tequila and the jaripeo, which is why its motto is Jalisco es México. Inland is Guadalajara, Mexico's second city, with the agave valleys of Tequila to the west and Lake Chapala to the south. On the coast, Puerto Vallarta sits on Banderas Bay, with the quiet Costalegre running south towards Manzanillo.

This page helps you choose and combine. Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta each have their own page. Below are two trips from Guadalajara, Lake Chapala with Ajijic and the round pyramids of Guachimontones. The Tequila distillery tour is on the Mexico page.

Places in this region

2 things to do in Jalisco

We earn a commission when you book through our GetYourGuide links, at no extra cost to you.

Aerial view of the Ajijic malecón and lakeside park on Lake Chapala at sunset

Walk the malecón at Ajijic on Lake Chapala

Ajijic, Lake Chapala

A full day from GuadalajaraGo alone or with a tour

Mexico's largest freshwater lake, south of Guadalajara, with a lakeside town of cobbled lanes and murals.

Check dates and pricesLake Chapala and Ajijic day trip with boat ride
Been there?
The ruins of Guachimontones in the hills above Teuchitlán

Stand among the round pyramids of Guachimontones

Teuchitlán, Jalisco

Half a day from GuadalajaraGo alone or with a tour

A pre-Hispanic site of circular, bullseye-shaped temples, unlike the square pyramids found elsewhere in Mexico.

Check dates and pricesGuachimontones pyramids and museum tour
Been there?

Traveller picks

Hidden gems suggested by travellers. We check each one before it goes up; the words are theirs, not ours.

No traveller picks for Jalisco yet. Know a place most visitors miss?

Plan your trip

  • Which places for what

    Guadalajara is for murals, markets, mariachi and food. Tequila and the Guachimontones are a day west of it, Lake Chapala a day south. Puerto Vallarta is for the sea: whales in winter, snorkelling, boat trips to beaches without roads. San Sebastián del Oeste and Mazamitla are small colonial and mountain towns.

  • Combining them

    In must30's view, three days in Guadalajara with day trips to Tequila and Chapala, then four days in Puerto Vallarta. Fly between them or take the bus over the mountains.

  • Getting around

    Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta both have international airports. Second-class buses from Guadalajara's Central Vieja serve Tequila and Chapala; long-distance buses leave from the main terminal in Tlaquepaque.

  • When to go

    On the coast the rains fall from mid June to mid October, and December to March brings the whales. Guadalajara hosts its mariachi festival in late August and early September.

Questions travellers ask

How far is Puerto Vallarta from Guadalajara?

A long way: plan it as a separate stay, not a day trip. Both cities have airports, and buses cross the mountains via Mascota, Ameca and Talpa.

What are the Guachimontones?

A pre-Hispanic site above Teuchitlán with round, bullseye-shaped pyramids built between about 300 BCE and 500 CE, about 50 km west of Guadalajara.

Is Lake Chapala worth a day trip from Guadalajara?

Yes, for the lakeside walk at Ajijic, its murals and birds such as white pelicans. Buses leave the Central Vieja every hour.

Other places to go

Things to do in Mexico

Photo credits (3)