Back | Lake Chapala

Under an hour south of Guadalajara is Mexico’s largest freshwater lake, with a surface area of 1,100 kilometres.

The shore has consistently mild temperatures, around 22°C in any season, and this has drawn lots of American and Canadian expats to lakeside communities like Ajijic.

In this town there’s a superb market on Wednesdays, and a gorgeous waterfront park and palm-fringed promenade looking towards the mountains on the south shore.

Something to taste at Lake Chapala are charalitos, which are deep-fried minnows like Spanish pescaditos fritos, topped with chilli and lemon. From the town of Chapala you can catch a boat out to Scorpion Island, which has food and drink stands, a couple of chapels and paths traced by lush vegetation and flowers.

Cathedral

  • The main church for the Archdiocese of Guadalajara, the cathedral is edged by four plazas that form a cross shape.

    This monument has come through a

Hospicio Cabañas

  • A World Heritage Site, this immense complex was established in 1791 as a hospital, almshouse, orphanage and workhouse. With a large rectangular footprint, it

Guadalajara Zoo

  • A swift taxi ride from the Historic Centre, the Guadalajara Zoo is rated as one of the best in Latin America and has a higher variety of species than any in