Here's Why Creatives Are Flocking To Guadalajara

For many years, Guadalajara was called The City of Roses, for the hundreds of rose bushes in the streets – it was a reference to the beauty, romanticism, and the good weather that the city possesses. Over the years, the city grew and became a commercial and industrial center, and the flowers disappeared. But now it is blooming again with new artists and projects that are bringing the life back to the second biggest and most important city in Mexico.

An inspiring place

One characteristic of a great city is its level of spontaneity. Go out for a walk and expect everything. Guadalajara is a place where you can look for a normal dinner and get an extraordinary buffet, search for a regular coffee and find and incredible library with a coffee shop owned by the grandson of one of the most important painters in Mexico, or ask for a book and suddenly be talking with the author. Where a rainy day ends with an incredible shimmering sunset. These kinds of things make this city a great place for those willing to have that experience.

Guadalajara made a huge leap in the ’60s, when it reached one million inhabitants. Since then, like many other cities, it has been designed for cars. But recently, the people have again taken to the streets. Every Sunday, thousands of cyclists, skaters, runners, and regular citizens take a walk along the main avenues of the metropolis. Along the sidewalks, there are cultural and social activities. It has given the people a fresh perspective of the public spaces, and coffee shops, bookshops, restaurants, and new galleries have emerged.

Art galleries and festivals

A great art gallery whose reputation continues to grow is the Museo Raúl Anguiano (MURA), a venue where local and international artists exhibit their work. Open for the past 15 years, this is the newest museum in the city, and on its walls great masterpieces have been exhibited.

Each May, the streets and the downtown area become the art galleries and the stage for many cultural events in the Festival Cultural de Mayo (May Cultural Festival) where the musicians, painters, and artists of an invited country of honor can show their talents to the people of Guadalajara, and the city can breathe new air.

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Of course, the cinema plays an important role in the life of Guadalajara. For the past 32 years, the Guadalajara International Film Festival has been a window for artists to share their filmmaking talents with the city. Many actors, directors, and cinematographers gather elbow to elbow in the armchairs of the Auditorio Telmex or the Teatro Diana.

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Undoubtedly, the most important cultural event of the year in Guadalajara is the International Book Fair. 800,000 visitors get a ticket to enter into a sea of books and magazines, where they can attend conferences and talks with the writers and many other personalities. And every night for ten days in November, there is a free music concert. If you love books, art, and music, this is the perfect moment to visit Guadalajara.

Dread Mar-I at the Guadalajara Book Fair

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

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