Introduction
It may seem redundant to describe Guadalajara as the most Mexican of Mexico's cities, but the characterization contains a large degree of truth. After all, some of the country's most cherished traditions originated here—the staccato-stepping jarabe, or Mexican hat dance, the fancy horsemanship of charros (rodeo riders) and the soulful music of the mariachis. There's even a word to describe something that is quintessentially Guadalajaran: tapatío.
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This is Mexico's second largest metropolis and a hustling, sprawling business center. General Electric, Hitachi, IBM and other major technology companies all have facilities in Guadalajara, a leading producer of software and electronics. And perhaps it is this explosive modern-day growth that drives the city's painstaking preservation of a history that spans nearly 5 centuries. Nowhere is Guadalajara's past more evident than in its historic center, where four separate plazas forming the shape of a cross surround the Cathedral, a building notable not only for is size but for its twin yellow and blue-tiled towers. For travelers, among the city’s best things to do is to stroll past the monuments and burbling fountains along cobblestoned, seven-block-long Plaza Tapatía; buy some ice cream from a street vendor and then relax on a shady bench and watch the city go by.
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For more local flavor, immerse yourself in the Liberty Market (Mercado Libertad), a shopping destination with three floors and innumerable rows of vendor stalls selling everything from inexpensive electronics to animal parts to decorated candy skulls. Performances of a spectacular nature take place at the Degollado Theater on Sundays, when the city's celebrated Ballet Folklórico presents shows that are a feast of music, dance and vibrantly colorful costumes.