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La Perla Tapatia

Guadalajara

Visitors enjoy an evening concert at the gazebo near the city's cathedral

Mexico's Distrito Federal may be its head, but Guadalajara is the country's heart. And to no one's surprise, celebrations here are fueled by tequila.

The neoclassical Teatro Degollado is downtown's high-profile arts performance venue, a nearly 150-year-old building with a frieze depicting Apollo. Negotiations are under way to return the traditional Sunday folklorico show, which tourists love, to the theater. (According to a March story in the Guadalajara Reporter, the Secretary of Culture was afraid the stamping of 48 dancers would damage the new stage floor.) Near the Degollado is the Palacio del Gobierno with its 1937 José Clemente Orozco mural. Across the city, with its outstanding architecture and wide, landscaped boulevards, are dozens of museums, cultural centers and libraries. And the train tour known as the Tequila Express takes visitors to nearby Tequila, where the liquor is made.

Among the most interesting cultural attractions is the Ex-Convento del Carmen (Avenida Juarez 638, 33 3614-7184), which offers classical music performances, literature readings and theater shows on the weekends.

This Perla Tapatia (Pearl of the West) also has nightlife. Check out the disco called Nuts (Avenida Chapalita 120-A, Guadalajara, +52 33 3121 0921), which provides contemporary dance music in English and Spanish, as well as pool and foosball.

Those interested in old-school dancing should get over to Salon Veracruz, a dance club in Centro Historico (Calle Manzano 486, behind the Hotel Misión Carlton; 33 3613-4422). The retro-style hall boasts a 15-piece band that pumps out cumbias, meringues and danzones. Open late Wednesday through Sunday, it's an inexpensive ($5 per person) evening.

About a half-hour away in Lake Chapala, couples dance at Posada Ajijic, a hacienda-style restaurant and bar with a view of the water (Calle Morelos, Ajijic; 376 3766 0744 or 376 3766 0430). Ajijic is home to the largest enclave of North American retirees (estimated at 40,000) and annual visitors from the United States and Canada, according to Mexican government figures.

Soccer matches rule. There are three main teams (Club Deportivo Guadalajara, also called Chivas; Los Zorros de Atlas; and La Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, or Tecos for short). Fans can cheer at two different venues: Estadio Jalisco, located Siete Colinas 1772 Colonia Independencia, C.P., and El Tres de Marzo (at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara). Chivas and Atlas kick at the former site, while Tecos plays at the latter. Check weekend game schedules in local newspaper sports sections for times.