A mesa north of the city hosts a curious monument to the Spanish colonials’ third attempt to found a version of Jalisco’s capital today.
Stories by John Pint
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20 years after its discovery, mysterious Naica Crystal Cave still astonishes
Despite 50-degree Celsius conditions, scientists were fascinated by the site’s giant crystals and microbes unlike any others known on Earth.
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Beautiful beaches, curious customs and magical mangroves await in San Blas
This idyllic coastal Nayarit community offers sand, surfing and boat rides through an extraordinary jungle-like estuary with exotic wildlife.
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Artist’s eye-catching murals a dramatic addition to Jalisco’s public spaces
Jorge Monroy, whose pieces hang in government buildings throughout the state, just unveiled new work at the Guadalajara Chamber of Commerce.
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In Guadalajara, civilians step in to create needed wildlife rescue centers
Area advocates are giving injured, trafficked and abandoned wild animals a place to go after federal shelters were closed down.
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An 1800s mechanic who ‘could fix anything’ left his mark on a Jalisco city
He was so renowned in his city that the street where a grateful textile manufacturer once gave him a free home is named after him.
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Let your imagination run wild at Villa Felicidad’s stone fairyland
Ancient volcanic ash flow likely gave Villa Felicidad fascinating fumaroles — rock structures that look like columns, tree stumps, and more.
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An 1800s mansion once for Mexico’s elites now endures time’s ravages
Jalisco’s La Florida, a wealthy family’s 1800s vacation home, once hosted President Porfirio Díaz and was the site of Mexico’s first movies.
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Mexico’s popular homeopathic remedies: are they placebo powered?
After his conventional doctor gave up on a recurring salmonella infection, John Pint, tried chochos pills. The results were surprising.
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Was one of the world’s longest-lasting obsidian workshops in Jalisco?
The ancient island of Atitlán is now dried-out farmland, but artifacts at the prehistoric site suggest people worked the natural glass there.
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The real find in this caving area turns out to be the paradise around it
John Pint went to Las Cuevas in search of a fascinating cave but concluded that its real treasure is the enchanting landscape around it.
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A hacienda lost in a Jalisco canyon provides a link to Guadalajara’s history
In the 1800s, Hacienda de Ibarra provided crucial ferry services to get goods across the Santiago River so they could then reach Guadalajara.
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From mammoth bones to ziplines, this trail has something for everyone
El Río de la Pasión forms part of the border between the states of Jalisco and Michoacán. Check it out with a 4×4 and a spirit of adventure.
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Pioneering archaeologist made waves studying Mexico’s prehistory on foot
Mexican archaeologist Otto Schöndube, who passed away December 30, believed strongly in doing field work, unlike some of his colleagues.
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Loose dogs pose an unexpected threat to a reserve’s wildlife
Cameras set up in Jalisco’s Primavera Forest show that escaped or abandoned family dogs from nearby neighborhoods are a problem for wildlife.
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Beer in the Woods: a new approach to appreciation of craft beers
Guadalajara entrepreneurs design craft beers for restaurants, bars and hotels, tailored to their menus and to their clients.
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Enjoy Mexico’s sixth-highest mountain — and live to tell the tale
Not an experienced hiker? Well, you don’t need to conquer El Nevado de Colima’s peak to enjoy its scenery and maybe see a bit of rare snow.
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Caroline Durston’s death ended an era in Jalisco’s Primavera Forest
Caroline Durston’s death ended the story of Jalisco’s beloved Rancho Río Caliente, a spa that attracted visitors from around the world.
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Where to exercise when the pandemic has closed gyms? A skatepark!
Skateboarding, as Luis Medina discovered in his 40s, is for all ages and abilities. It offers not only germ-free exercise but also friendship.
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Some of Mexico’s caves harbor an invisible enemy: histoplasmosis
Histoplasmosis, the illness that beset writer John Pint’s Mexican spelunking group 35 years ago, still threatens cavers in western Mexico.
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Lookout points provide Covid-safe picnicking with a gorgeous view
In these socially distanced times, Mexico’s miradors, or lookout points, offer open-air locales with only a few other visitors around.
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Colima’s El Salto de Peña Colorada waterfall park rewards the intrepid
With caving, swimming, and picnicking, El Salto de Peña Colorada’s tiny nature park is worth the extra time and effort it takes to find it.
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Black beaches and 2,000 turtles: just two of Cuyutlán’s many surprises
The town of Cuyutlán was greatly damaged in 2003 by an earthquake, but it’s a haven for nature lovers, with 2,000 turtle nests each year.
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Forgotten Guadalajara botanical garden boasts four climates and 500 species
The Jalisco Botanical Garden, a treasure trove for botany enthusiasts, who can view 500 species from around the world.
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Beautiful Mascota, between Guadalajara and PV, awes and enraptures
Mascota is a charming little town whose history goes back for countless centuries, long before the Spaniards arrived.
