A Pueblo Mágico with the Soul of a Metropolis

Tlaquepaque reveals itself gradually — in the creak of its cobblestones, the scent of damp clay, the clink of glasses on a terrace along Andador Independencia. Since earning its Pueblo Mágico designation, the flow of visitors has grown, yet the town’s rhythm remains unchanged: a place that works, creates, and receives without theatrics.

Andador Independencia is the town’s spine. Pedestrian, shaded by trees and colorful awnings, it concentrates everything essential: colonial churches, artisan shops, galleries, and restaurants housed within centuries-old casas. There are no cold storefronts here — doors stand open, and inside, someone is always carving wood, shaping glass, or weaving an equipal chair.

Beyond the clay, there is contemporary art. The galleries of Sergio Bustamante — with their fantastical creatures rendered in papier-mâché, bronze, and ceramic — offer a playful, surrealist counterpoint. His pieces, sold the world over, are displayed here as if at home: without excessive pedestals, with the ease of someone who understands that art is also craft, commerce, and play.

Galería Sergio Bustamante, located in the heart of Tlaquepaque

The food sustains that balance between tradition and the contemporary. At Casa Luna, dishes are rooted in Jalisco recipes yet executed with the precision of chef-driven cuisine. The cantarito — tequila, fresh citrus juice, and a salt-rimmed clay cup — arrives as a signal that one has fully entered Tlaquepaque mode. For those who prefer the sweeter register, Chocolatería Cristina Taylor hosts tasting sessions pairing cacao with tequila, raicilla, or coffee. Reservations are required, but the wait is justified: it is one of the few truly structured sensory experiences the region has to offer.

Discover everything this Pueblo Mágico has to offer — gastronomy, art, history, and far more — in the latest edition of Elite Business.