As the famous Mexican song “Guadalajara, Guadalajara” puts it, Tlaquepaque is a pueblito, a little town full of charm, color, flavor and art. Although it is just a few kilometers from downtown Guadalajara and part of the metro area, Tlaquepaque has none of the noise and rush of its big sister. Along its cobblestone streets and pedestrian areas there is still a sense of calm, and life moves at a different pace, slower and more pleasant.
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Tlaquepaque, a pottery town then and now
Tlaquepaque was already a pottery-making town before the Spanish arrived. During the colonial period, European techniques merged with pre-Hispanic ones, creating a unique style of pottery that made the town one of the most important pottery centers in New Spain.
In modern Mexico, Tlaquepaque’s craft production has expanded well beyond its famous jarritos (small clay cups). Today the town produces not only ceramics but also furniture, jewelry, wood carvings and textiles, among many other crafts from different regions of the country.
The recognition some Tlaquepaque artisans have earned has led to their work being sold successfully in other parts of the world. This has created a creative environment in the town, where new generations of artisans continue to make pieces of high quality in both design and craftsmanship.
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Shopping for Mexican crafts in Tlaquepaque
If you appreciate fine craftsmanship and enjoy shopping, Tlaquepaque is the ideal place to spend at least a full day, since every piece displayed in its workshops and galleries is for sale. Along its main pedestrian street, Calle Independencia, you will find workshops and stores of leading artists such as Rodo Padilla and Sergio Bustamante, where they show their collections and where you can learn more about how the pieces are made and about the artists’ backgrounds.
On the same street, at number 237, you can visit the Museo Regional de la Cerámica (Regional Ceramics Museum), which displays some of the winning pieces of the national ceramics award and shows the different techniques used with clay. Continuing east, you reach Jardín Hidalgo, next to the Parroquia de San Pedro Apóstol and the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, where the Voladores de Papantla perform (a ritual in which men swing down from a tall pole on ropes). It is a great place to rest on a shady bench with one of Tlaquepaque’s traditional helados de garrafa (hand-churned ice cream).
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El Parián de Tlaquepaque
Continuing west to east, you finally reach the famous Parián, a building that was once a market, with a large inner courtyard surrounded by arcades and a bandstand in the middle. Today it is home to 19 cantinas. These are family-friendly places where, besides a good tequila, you can enjoy the most representative dishes of regional cooking while mariachis play from the bandstand.
Tlaquepaque is a must on any visit to Guadalajara, especially for foreign visitors, since this place gives you a good picture of life in a typical Mexican town.
Make the most of your visit to the Pueblo Mágico of Tlaquepaque with our list of the top 7 things to do in Tlaquepaque