Tequila is a town in Jalisco, Mexico, near Guadalajara, that is famous for being the birthplace of the eponymous tequila liquor. Its distilleries offer tours of the fabrication process and into the fields where the agave plant, from which it is made, is grown.
Understand
[edit]
The beverage called tequila is really a variety of mezcal, made wholly or mostly from the blue agave plant. This plant is native to the Tequila area so this version of mescal was named after the town.
Tequila is made from the blue agave plant, native to this area. The heart of the plant contains sugars and had been used by native peoples here to make a fermented drink. After the Spanish arrived, they took this fermented beverage and distilled it, producing the tequila known today. The "Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila" has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
.jpeg)
A surprising tradition is the nightly blessing of the town by the parish priest. At 21:00 every night, the priest offers blessings by ringing a bell three times, and directing the holy of holyest cross with the sacraments towards all 4 cardinal points. At this moment, everyone in the town stops what they are doing, including turning off things like the television or radio and stands for the blessing.
The town was home to about 30,000 people in 2020.
History
[edit]The Tequila Valley has been inhabited for thousands of years. The indigenous culture that is best known to have inhabited the region were the Teuchitlán who are known to have built settlements dating back to 350 BC, though there are archaeological sites nearby that pre-date the Teuchitlán. The most significant nearby archaeological site is Guachimontones, known for its circular pyramid temples.
The modern town of Tequila was founded in 1530 by Franciscan missionaries.
The establishment of Tequila's distilling industry is credited to Pedro Sánchez de Tagle, who in 1600, began distilling the pulque being fermented by native populations. Sanchez was the first Spaniard to recognize the potential for cultivating the blue agave, and he planted hectares of the stuff to provide raw material for his young business. Agave plantations and distilleries proliferated in the valley as well as the highland towns (Los Altos) in the mountains surrounding the valley. While some ruins of the early distilleries and agave processing facilities can be found, none of the early distilleries now exist. The oldest operating distillery is Herradura's La Rojena distillery, which was built in 1870.
Get around
[edit]On foot
[edit]Tequila is a small town, so you can visit most distilleries and locations within a 15-minute walk from the town square.
By taxi
[edit]If you need to get anywhere farther (e.g., the Balnearo La Toma or the Cascadas Los Azules), it's possible to take a taxi. Taxis pick up from the corner of Gorjón and Santos Degollado
Get in
[edit]By bus
[edit]- 1 Terminal de Autobuses de Tequila, C. Francisco I. Madero 156.
The bus from Guadalajara leaves regularly from the Central Camionera Vieja (Old Bus Station) near the center of that city. MX$140 one-way and MX$260 round-trip (Jan 2026) with Tequila Plus. From the bus station, it's a short walk from there to the town center.
By car
[edit]From Guadalajara, take the main autopista towards Puerto Vallarta and turn towards Tequila once outside Guadalajara. Travel time should be no more than an hour.
By train
[edit]Two trains are available from Guadalajara to Tequila. Every Saturday, the Tequila Express departs from the train station in Guadalajara en route to Tequila, taking weekend day trippers to see the famous agave fields and distilleries that make Mexico's most famous liquor. Along the way, tequila samples are tasted, mariachis play soulful tunes, and the crowd arrives in Tequila ready to tour the Sauza distillery and take a deep dive into tomorrow's hangover. Another train, the Jose Cuervo Express is a bit more luxurious and goes to the Cuervo distillery. There is also a train that goes to the Herradura distillery in the nearby town of Amatitán.
Get around
[edit]
The town is small enough to walk around. All the major attractions (town square, church, distilleries) are within spitting distance of each other. Taxis are available to take you beyond the town center.
See
[edit]
The big attraction here is the drink which shares the town's name. All the tourist shops are full of Tequila souvenirs, bottles, shot glasses, etc. There are a number of distilleries and tours about the tequila-making process. Apart from that, there are two churches in the centre and the central plaza, which also has a monument to a revolutionary hero. A small tianguis (street market) also operates.
- Our Lady of the Purísima Concepción (in the centre of the town). Open every day. It was built in the 18th century by Martín Casillas. The church has a stone facade, a bell tower and inverted truncated pyramid (estipite) pilasters that flank the main portal. The portal has two levels and a crown. The first level contains the door arch with has moulding and a seal and is supported by two Doric columns. The upper portion contains a window with moulding with Doric columns in each side, decorated with curves and vegetable motifs. The crown at the top contains a sculpture of the Archangel Michael in a niche flanked by Doric columns. The side portal is an arched entrance with Tuscan columns and cornice and a cross in relief at the midpoint. Inside are one nave and a Neoclassical main altar.
- 1 Parroquia Santiago Apostol, Sixto Gorjón 16. Beautiful historic church next to the main plaza. rugged stone facade outside belies the gracefully elegant white and gold interior. This church houses the remains of St. Toribio Romo Gonzalez who is known as the patron saint of immigrants.
- Main Plaza, has a bandstand and monuments to Mexican heroes.
- 2 José Cuervo Distillery, San Martin 169. First tequila manufacturer. Offers a range of tours, from the 'Clásico' which is about M$100 (pesos), up to M$380. The more expensive ones generally just include extra tasting sessions, except for the most expensive one which also has a tour of the fields where the agave plant is grown.
- 3 National Museum of Tequila (MUNAT), Jose Cuervo 33. 10:00 - 17:30. This is an eclectic cross between a historical museum about the production of tequila with an art museum featuring temporary exhibits of mostly modern art. The tequila exhibits show how tequila is made, processed, marketed, and consumed. One gallery showcases bottles, labels and advertising pieces. An old agave mill is in the patio area.
- 4 Guachimontones Archaeological Zone, Guachimontontones, Teuchitlan, ☏ +52 384 109 0388. 09:00 - 17:00 (closed M). Ceremonial site of the Teuchitlán culture dating from about 300 BC. The site includes some unusual round structures that are often described as "bulls eye" temples. The culture was known for digging deep shafts to bury their dead. Large site, lots of walking. Site museum contains some interpretive exhibits. Private guides can be hired for about M$200. M$30.
- 5 Destileria La Perseverancia, Francisco Javier Sauza Mora 80, La Villa. 09:30 - 15:00 (closed Sun). This is the home of Sauza tequilas. Canned tour showing how agave is grown, harvested, and turned into Mexico's favorite elixir. Enjoy a cantarita with your tour.
Do
[edit]- The National Tequila Fair is held every year from the end of November to the middle of December. During this event, a Tequila Queen is crowned and the main distillers in the area all have a presence with samples of their tequila. There are also charreada events and a parade with floats, cockfights, mariachis, fireworks and rides. This festival coincides with the feast of Tequila's patron saint, Our Lady of the Purisíma Concepción.
- Take a walk, The countryside outside the town is lovely to walk through and you can visit the agave plants without having to take a tour.
- You can rappel in seasonal waterfalls, hike to the Cascade of the Azules, and watch birds.
- Tequila is a primary destination on the Tequila Trail, an itinerary that explores towns in the Tequila Valley with stops in small towns, distilleries, and agave fields. Tours often include horseback rides in the agave fields, ATV excursions or other activities.
- Volcán de Tequila is a 2920-meter-high stratovolcano that is a popular hiking area, rewarding visitors who make it to the top with panoramic vistas of the sprawling agave fields that fill the valley. There are two trails to the topː the main trail is a 19 km (11.8 miles) out and back route that is not technically difficult and is partially on a semi-paved road. The main trail typically takes 3-4 hours each way (allow about 8 hours total). The other trail, known as the Pico (peak) trail is a difficult trail with steep ascents that goes directly up the side of the mountain. It's only about 2.1 km each way and can be done in a couple hours by a fit person.
Buy
[edit]Tequila obviously, there are a number of shops on the way to and from the bus station which have various selections. Generally the tourist shops all carry the same things, shot glasses, tequila sets (bottle of tequila and five or so glasses), souvenir barrels and t-shirts. Most of which can be found in other places including Guadalajara.
In Tequila, almost all the t-shirts contain the word 'Tequila, Puebla Mágica'(magic village) or a variation, even if the picture on the image is unrelated to tequila, e.g. a picture of Che Guevara or Mexican film legend Pedro Infante.
Eat
[edit]There are plenty of restaurants and food stands around the centre. Most will only have typical Mexican food, but many have a wider selection. Almost the ones where you can sit down will have a wide variety of tequila and other alcoholic drinks. Typical Mexican prices.
There is a great variety of seasonal fruits such as ovo, which is a fruit that only grows in this place.
Street food
[edit]- 1 Callejon del Hambre, Agustina Ramírez 16.
Food markets
[edit]- 2 Mercado de Comidas "Cleofas Mota", José María Morelos.
Budget
[edit]- 3 Cenaduria "La Chata", Gral. Arteaga 98.
- 4 Tacos Pelliscadas y Quesadillas Boti La Capilla, Hidalgo 34.
- 5 Gorditas "La Mata", López Mateos.
- 6 Fonda Mago, C. Luis Navarro 21.
- 7 Fonda La Martina, C. Albino Rojas 16.
- 8 Rosticería Rico el Pollo, Niños Heroes 55.
Mid-range
[edit]- 9 El Palomar, Vallarta 2.
- 10 Pizzería El Tejaban, Jesús Rodríguez de Hijar 25.
- 11 La molleteria, Abasolo 59.
Splurge
[edit]- 12 La Antigua Casona, C. Albino Rojas #14.
Drink
[edit]If you're here, you're here to drink tequila. It's sold everywhere. Any place that doesn't sell it is probably giving away free samples.
Sleep
[edit]Number of hotels in the centre.
- 1 Nueve Agaves, Francisco Javier Sauza Mora 21, Tequila, ☏ +52 374 688 03 96, [email protected]. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Comfortable boutique hotel with affordable rates. M$1200.
- 2 Casa Salles, C. la Villa 3, ☏ +52 3746880388. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Modern brick building on outskirts of town. Clean, modern. Swimming pool available. Next to El Tequilino distillery, a 10-minute walk to town center.
- 3 Hotel Plaza Jardin, José Cuervo 13, La Villa, ☏ +52 3747420061. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Small, colonial-style hotel overlooking the Plaza Principal (town square). 1 minute walk to Tequila Museum.
- 4 Hotel Plaza Rubio, Hidalgo 100, ☏ +52 3747423399. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Modest hotel, a 5-minute walk to town center.
- 5 Casa Hotel la Gran Senora, Nicolás Bravo No. 72, ☏ +52 3747423300. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Traditional hotel with comfortable rooms surrounding a tranquil central courtyard.
Connect
[edit]Go next
[edit]| Routes through Tequila |
| Tepic ← Ixtán del Río ← | W  E
|
→ Guadalajara → Zamora de Hidalgo |