Zapopan is the most visited city in Jalisco and the eighth most populated municipality in Mexico. Its tourist attraction is focused on the value of religious culture, the impetus for history and gastronomy.
If Zapopan is one of your next tourist destinations, this article is for you. Here are the 12 best things to do in Zapopan so you don't miss a thing. Here we go!
1. Zapopan Art Museum
Even with its modest infrastructure, the Zapopan Art Museum, next to the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Zapopan, brings together works by great artists such as Picasso, Toledo and Soriano, plus a significant handful of works of Mexican art.
The entrance to this museum of modern art inaugurated in 2002 has a cost of 13 dollars, except on Tuesdays, free admission day.
Learn more here.
2. Walk Teopitzintli
On the Teopitzintli walk you will get to know the culture of Jalisco. It is a pedestrian zone of restaurants, bars, music establishments and souvenir shops, with local musicians animating the place. It is a nice experience.
Music and parties are the protagonists at night.
3. Entry Arch
The Arco de Ingreso was built by the Spanish during colonial times. It is an obligatory stop when it comes to what to do in Zapopan.
Its 20 meters high are in what used to be the main street of the town. Passing through it marks the true entrance to the city.
4. Benito Albarrán Hunting Museum
The Benito Albarrán Hunting Museum is possibly the only one in Mexico with its characteristics. It is a museum with exhibits of taxidermy, animals perfectly preserved after being hunted in Europe, Asia, Africa and of course, America.
All the work belongs to Don Benito Albarrán, responsible for having accumulated and formed this collection of more than 270 pieces of a variety of species. Without a doubt, the museum has to be on the list of what to do in Zapopan.
It opens on Sundays from 11 am to 3 pm. Check here, on its official website, if it has already opened after its remodeling.
5.Temple of St. Peter the Apostle
With a neoclassical style and a stone façade, the Temple of San Pedro Apóstol has a painting about the baptism of Jesus Christ, by the painter Juan Correa.
Locals and tourists consider it a chapel of deep spirituality, also used to celebrate weddings of couples from all over the state.
6. Archaeological Zone of Ixtépete
The Ixtépete Archaeological Zone has one of the most important archaeological attractions in Mexico, a 44-meter-high pyramid with 5 stages and 2 extensions.
The area has a stream known as El Garabato, which accompanies the vestiges of a humble artisan town, together with a city strongly divided by social class.
The archaeological area of Ixtépete, discovered in 1955, is available to be visited from Tuesday to Sunday.
7. Climb
If you want to know what to do in Zapopan to live an adventure, Trepa is the place to visit. It is perfect for an excursion and especially to learn to climb, as it is an area to practice climbing. It is available all week.
8. The Magic Top
El Trompo Mágico is a must stop for young and old, a park and science museum oriented to learning through fun. It has attractions and games about different phenomena of nature, culture and the arts. He works from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Learn more about the Magic Top here.
9. Palace of Culture and Communication
The Palace of Culture and Communication is the answer if you wonder what to do in Zapopan to discover and enjoy art. It was created as a cultural window in the municipality that has 3 spaces: The Chamber Music Room, the José Pablo Moncayo Theater and the Sidral Aga Forum.
In addition to the School of Music and Dance, in this enclosure plays and presentations of the municipal and national symphony are held.
You can enjoy the Museum of Radio and Television that summarizes the journey of both media in the world, especially in Mexico, as a communication window and a reflection of the country's progress.
10. Charros de Jalisco Baseball Stadium
Attend and enjoy the pleasant atmosphere that the Charros de Jalisco baseball stadium has. Have fun during a ball game and at the end, in the same stadium, you can eat fast food or stay to drink in its sports bars.
The best part is that from any location in the stadium you will enjoy the view of the field very well.
11. Andares Shopping Center
In the Andares Shopping Center you will find food outlets and shops of various brands, including garments from local artisans.
Its privileged location near other shopping establishments such as Walmart, gives you the opportunity to make the most of your visit.
The Andares usually holds musical events. Learn more about this shopping center here.
12. Telmex Auditorium
The Telmex Auditorium is one of the most important concert venues in the state and the country, with capacity for 8 thousand people. Bands like 30 Seconds to Mars have performed in it.
The auditorium has food fair levels, a full nursing service, a large parking lot and promoter offices. Learn more here.
Basilica of Zapopan
A place to get closer to God and spirituality. A seventeenth century sanctuary of the most visited in Mexico, because it keeps the image of the Virgin of Zapopan, a religious icon of great cultural relevance.
The basilica also has a museum with works of indigenous Huichol art, a piece of the region's culture.
The Virgin of Zapopan is a figure made during the 16th century in corn stalks and wood, by the hands of the Michoacan Indians.
It is carried throughout Jalisco between June and October to protect the state from natural disasters, being kept in churches and parishes in the region.
Hundreds of people from the interior of the country and abroad visit the church to pray to her for being the patron of the onslaught of nature.
When its journey ends in mid-October, a pilgrimage known as the Romería is celebrated, led by hundreds of people with typical dances and color. At the end, when the virgin returns to her place in the basilica, a fireworks show is offered.
Conclusion
Zapopan is another of the incredible places in Mexico that we invite you to visit, so that you can taste the flavor of its food, enjoy its people and above all, meet its virgin.
If you are preparing your bags and you liked our account of what to do in Zapopan, do not hesitate to leave it in the comments!
