Tequila Has it All, Except the Mexican Riviera Beaches
Story and Photos by John
and Doreen Berg
When Mexican tourists mention Tequila, numerous images
spring to mind. Certainly, one thought
that is often overlooked is to consider Tequila as a multifaceted tourist
destination. The majority of tourists
visiting Tequila simply tour a distillery and partake of its famous drink then immediately
return to the Puerto Vallarta coastal area or to the Guadalajara region. Tequila and the surrounding countryside has
much more to offer. The inquisitive
tourist is able to plan excursions to visit exceptional museums, historical sites,
natural springs, concentrical pyramids, spherical boulders and photographical
landscapes as well as taste-testing tequila, and all at a reasonable price. What more could the intrepid tourist wish for?
Each winter season, Doreen and I abandon the damp chilling
British Columbia rains to enjoy the warm dazzling sun and clear sparkling waters
of the Mexican Riviera, Nayarit. Basking
on the beach with warm sands trickling between our toes, with pristine waters
washing against the shore, and with frequent fitness hikes continue to be our
Mexican activities. However, after a
month or so we require an alternative to enjoying our beach paradise and our
decadent lifestyle and must seek different destinations. Last season we visited Tequila and enjoyed
the town's ambiance so we decided to revisit Tequila and expand our travel
plans to include excursions to two nearby archaeological sites: Los Guachimontones and Piedras Bola. The interior destinations seemed the ideal
region for us to visit as we both enjoy exploring Mexican ruins and learning
more about the regional history.
An 8:30 a.m. start, saw us loading our one suitcase
into the back of our rented Jeep Cherokee.
We drove from Rincón de Guayabitos, stopping at Las Varas to enjoy a
breakfast in our favorite restaurant, La Birra de Angelita. After hueves rancheros and a Mexican omelette
washed down with numerous cups of coffee, we headed toward Compostela, where we
switched to the toll road (cuota) and continued driving to Chapalilla and here
changed back to the free road (libra). Along
the roadside many small pottery stalls can be found. It's a great place to pause to purchase
pottery gift items. Our purchase was
four different shaped and coloured coffee mug sets for family Christmas
gifts! Nice when you luck out as the
four kids loved the gift mugs!
Continuing along Highway 15 the next major town
encountered is Ahaucatlán. On this
year's trip we elected not to turn off to again visit the wonderful hot springs
at Burranca de Oro. The springs are
located deep in a narrow canyon with sturdy access walkways, adequate change
rooms, and a variety of swimming pools.
Located at the canyon's rim is a restaurant and accommodations. Last year our group of four spent an
enjoyable few hours swimming, exploring and consuming a poolside lunch. Barranca de Oro would be a convenient
overnight stop. However, we elected to
push on to Tequila. Attempt to find time
to enjoy Barranca de Oro as it is a fascinating spot and will be a complete
surprise.
We returned to Highway 27 driving to Etzatlán junction
where we turned north to Magdalena to join the toll road to Tequila. The secondary road is satisfactory but expect
rough sections. If in no hurry, Highway
15 is a scenic drive passing through farmlands and small villages. An alternate to consider is to drive back to
Ahaucatlán and take the faster toll highway directly to Tequila. From the elevated Tequila approach highway
you can enjoy sweeping views of the agave fields. The area was declared a World Heritage site
in 2006!
This trip we managed an earlier mid-afternoon arrival
at Hotel La Rienda Mision Tequillan's enclosed parking area. The hotel is centrally located in Tequila's
historic downtown area. Once checked in
it was a short walk to visit the 17th Century Santiago Apostol Church and a few
meters away is the Plaza de Arms, complete with a colourful bandstand. Located just off the square is the Sauza
Family Grandparent's Museum. The museum
is certainly worth a visit! Here you'll
find personal artifacts that once belonged to the Sauze family, as well as
displays depicting the traditional tequila-making process. After our museum visit we noticed tequila
keg-shaped vehicles parked nearby. Couldn't miss them! After inquiring we booked a distillery tour
for the following morning. Next was a
search for an evening meal. After
checking out several restaurants we decided to dine at Cafe Rossy and later
watch the social interactions in the plaza.
A few night photos and it was back to the hotel to tuck in.
Probably the most popular distillery tour is the José
Cuervo Distillery as its within easy walking distance from the plaza. Having visited three distilleries over the
seasons, José Cuervo, La Cofradia and Romo, we recommend the Romo Distillery
Tour. The tour provided a visit to the
original distillery area where we were able to view the old washing stands
where once ladies chatted as they washed their clothing. Did these ancient wash stands evolve into our
present day laundromats? Next stop was a
visit to Distillery Reyes, an older equipped factory which only operates part
of the year. After a brief tour and a
few sample drinks we felt an obligation to purchase an almond tequila drink
which, I'm sure, pleased everyone.
Back on the Tequila bus to visit a blue-tinted agave
field followed by a tour of the Romo Distillery. At the time of our visit the plant was in
full operation enabling us to enjoy the sweet smell of cooked agave nectar
wafting through the spotlessly clean distillery. I was surprised, for safety reasons, at how
near the tour guide brought us to moving tractors and operational
machinery. The keg tour bus returned us
to Plaza de Arms where a visit to an obsidian (volcanic rock) stall led to a
home factory visit! As we chatted and
admired the curved obsidian shapes the owner invited us to his home workshop to
view how the beautiful obsidian pieces were made. A short taxi ride brought us to his abode.
We entered the living quarters and passed through to
the rear factory area. Not a large workshop
where four or five workers were busy working at various machines cutting,
shaping and polishing obsidian pieces.
Out of all the designs the ever-popular heart shape was the favourite as
it allows one to appreciate the beautiful colours of the rainbow obsidian and
it sells well too! Doreen fell in love
with a beautiful 20 -25 cm tall female statue of silver sheen obsidian. At the time, the price caused us to
reconsider its purchase. However, in hindsight,
Doreen wishes she had purchased the lovely lady. Over time the price would be forgotten but
the statue's beauty would continue to be enjoyed in our living room. Or this is what I'm being led to believe! The
final event of the day was a dinner at El Palmolar Restaurant on the church
square.
The next day after a breakfast at the market we
visited, Nunat, the National Museum of Tequila.
The museum depicted the history of tequila making complete with tequila
bottles from three generations of Sauza production. We returned to Hotel La Rienda to collect our
baggage and check out. We retraced our
drive back to Magdalena but before turning off to Etzatlán we browsed the local
shops selling opal and obsidian handicrafts.
I'm sure their beautiful store displays will tempt a purchase or two.
From Etzatlán we drove Highway 27 to Teuchitlán
watching for the turnoff to Los Guachimontones, the archaeological site of the
round step pyramids. The site is easily
located with highway signage to keep you on track and a paved road into the
site's parking lot.
Los Guachimontones was discovered some fifty years
ago, quite by accident. Apparently, Dr. Phil
Weigand and a teacher Acelia Garcia stumbled upon some skilfully crafted
obsidian objects in the town of Teuchitlán.
Further investigation led the pair to present-day Los Guachimontones. The site continues to be excavated and
present literature states there are 10 pyramids and the main round step pyramid
is named "La Iguana." It is
approximately 10 meters high and has a diameter of 29 meters. La Iguana is an impressive mass and quite different
structurally as compared to the East Coast Mayan pyramids.
We observed a tour guide and his student group
performing ancient chants. Later we spoke with the tour guide and he informed
us that each year previous to March 21st, people come to Los Guachimontones and
for two days, dressed in white, they take part in indigenous rituals which
includes native dances and concerts with pre-Hispanic music.
Climbing a hill behind the main pyramid presented us
with an excellent overview of the site with La Iguana in the foreground and
Teuchitlán combined with Lake Presa de la Vega in the background. A great photo opportunity! Los Guachimontones is a splendid
archaeological site to visit, and is especially important to the Jalisco region
which only a few years ago was thought to contain few if any archaeological finds.
At the day's end was a
return drive to Etzatlán where Hotel El Centenario, our hotel choice for the
night, is centrally located. The hotel
can be found just off the corner of the town's main plaza. The hotel has great ambiance with an airy
courtyard ringed with antique furniture plus our room was spacious and well
appointed. The courtyard was a great spot to relax and enjoy a card game before
our rumbling stomachs encouraged us to venture out for an evening dinner. Unfortunately, we found it difficult to
locate a suitable restaurant. The one
that was recommended turned out to be mainly for lunch or breakfast
dining. Finally finding a restaurant, we
consumed an "okay" meal and after watching dancers in the plaza and
enjoying an ice-cream we returned to our hotel for a well-earned sleep.
After our morning
breakfast we visited the Oaxicar Museum with its recreations of shaft tombs,
clay pottery and many more artifacts. Next
on our agenda and our main goal for the day found us enroute on Highway 27
driving toward Ahualulco de Mercado to find the protected area of Piedras Bola
(round boulders). Just before Ahualulco
we turned onto Highway 608 driving towards Ameca for 14 km. The highway climbs from the valley floor into
the mountains. Just past the 14 km
marker is a pullout area complete with a clearly illustrated park map. Well worth taking time to study the map to
obtain an understanding of the parks layout and the location of the round boulders. Unfortunately, we failed to notice the
pullout and signage on our journey into the park. As a result we missed the park's signature
display of tall compacted soil mounds each supporting a single round stone
ball. Apparently they're located about
1.5 km from the amphitheatre and behind the main boulder find! The 5 km single lane dirt/gravel road was in
good condition and while we navigated it slowly we encountered no difficulties
or other vehicles. It would appear that
the park was an ecotourism project that is either seasonal, or didn't gain
popularity, or monetary funds were withdrawn.
We passed camping spots, hiking trails and zip lines in disrepair and without
seeing a soul. The park seemed deserted. And what a shame as there appeared to be much
potential for a variety of outdoor recreational activities.
At the Piedras Bola site we found an amphitheatre with
benches, an administrative building and numerous toilets with their doors
flapping in the breeze. We followed a
path past here and soon encountered the first of many round boulders. What an amazing sight! We wandered the area taking numerous photos,
in complete awe of the huge perfectly formed spherical stones. Some approximately two meters in diameter,
numerous smaller boulders scattered here and there and many partially buried
with their round tops poking above the ground's surface.
Naturally questions sprinkled our discussions as we
asked ourselves how were these many perfectly round boulders formed and how did
they get here? As you can imagine there
are many theories and legends to explain the phenomena. After much "intellectual"
speculation our theory is that centuries ago gigantic giants occupied the park
area and the Piedras Bola site was their outdoor bowling alley! Visit and research the site to formulate your
own theory! Our return drive back to the
main highway was quicker and more comfortable as local road conditions were now
known to us.
Once we rejoined the highway our focus was to return
to our coastal hotel before night fall, for us avoiding Mexican night driving
is a cardinal safety rule. Since we knew
the route it wasn't long before we reached the Magdalena junction , switching
to the pay highway brought us quickly to Compostela. The next driving segment found us arriving at
Rincón de Guayabitos late afternoon. A
brief visit to the shops to purchase dinner items and we soon found ourselves
safe and sound in our bungalow preparing our evening meal.
The three-day road trip exceeded our
expectations. With a variety of Mexican
towns, archaeological sites, informative museums and active tours we were
exposed to a great host of experiences to recall and share. For us the trip was not only a learning experience
but also provided an alternative to our beach life. One thing for sure- this was a journey to
remember and one we encourage others to travel and to expand the time frame to
include visits to other interesting nearby spots.
Helpful Facts: Jalisco, Mexico
Tequila
Hotel
Hotel La Rienda Mision Tequillan
Abasolo #47 Centro
www.tequillan.com.mx
Phone:
374 742-3232
Great location with secured
parking. Rooms well appointed 450 pesos ($37.50)
Restaurants
Real Marinera- Seafood Restaurant
Juarez # 92 Atrás de Parriquia Cáfe
Rossy and Pasteleria
Two restaurants located
beside each other on the square in front of the church. Great spot late evening for eating and people
watching.
Local Market -located beside church plaza
*Many small restaurants
* Great for breakfast
Tours
Tranvias Turisticos de
Tequila -Look for tequila keg van
Tour time - two hours approximately every 30 minutes
Mon - Fri 10:00
a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Sat. - Sun. 10:00
a.m.- 5:30 p.m.
100 pesos ( $10 approx. )
www.vistandojalisco.com.mx Phone: 045-33-12-99 7536
Museums
Sauza Family Museum
Vicente Albino Rojas #22
Central Plaza behind the bandstand
Features family memorabilia. 10
pesos ($1 approximately)
National Museum of Tequila
Ramón Corona # 34
Well designed displays of
photos and artifacts detailing the history of Tequila.
Water
Park
Parque Acuatico La Toma
La Toma
water park is an often a missed destination .
Cascading natural spring water, swimming pools, panoramic views and much
more. La Toma is located approximately
two kilometres on the right hand side of the highway driving towards
Magdalena. While we didn't partake of
the swimming it was enjoyable to visit and wander the walkways and take
advantage of an opportune photo shoot.
Take a few hours to kick back and enjoy La Toma water park.
Barranca de Oro
Located a
short drive from Ahaucatlán off Highway 15.The canyon development is a man's
life time dream project and he has done a wonderful job of developing the
location. There are a variety of
swimming pools to enjoy and paths to follow providing an opportunity for the
camera buffs to photograph the steep colourful canyon walls. Great spot to spend a day swimming and
relaxing.
Etzatlán
Hotel
Hotel
El Centenario
Escobedo 290, Etzatlán 500
pesos ($50)
Rooms are well -appointed,
secure parking , splendid courtyard
Museum
Oaxicar Archaeological Museum
housed in the House of Culture has a collection of pre-Hispanic artefacts. A short walk from the main plaza
Escobedo # 359 Centro,
Monday to Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Sunday
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Telephone: 386 753 3052
Teuchitlán
Hotel
Hacienda El Carmen described
in James and Sonia's TTS September 2011
article is nearby.
Museum
Museum of Archaeology: Located in Teuchitlán's cultural center. The museum exhibits artifacts, obsidian
objects, and stone utensils.
16 de Septiembre 10, Monday
to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday
to Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Amatitán
You will find
the Inmaculada Concepción Church with a beautiful plaza and picturesque
surrounding area approximately 11 kilometres from Tequila on Highway 15.
Other Road Trip Opportunities reported in TTS:
1) "The
Hidden Gems Close to P.V." by James and Sonia Symes, vol. 29, No. 7,
September 2011
James and Sonia's article stimulated us to share our
similar driving adventure. An intriguing
happening is that Sonia and I had connected soon after completing our
respective road trips. Experiencing a
"similar moment" I was unable to recall where or how we met, but
somehow we compared our experiences. In
fact I've Sonia's first draft on my desk!
Small world!
2) " The Mexican Riviera Beyond the
Beautiful Beaches" by John and Doreen Berg, vol. 20, No. 9, November 2010.
Outlines an
exploratory drive to a small interior silver town, San Sebastian. Provides driving directions, restaurant selections
and a great hotel. Drive is on a very
good paved highway!
3) "Visiting the Sierra-Madre Silver Towns
Beyond Puerto Vallarta" by John and Doreen Berg, Vol. 25, No. 7, September
2011. The article re-traces our steps to
San Sebastián del Oeste and Mascota, with the main focus to tell about our
exploration of Talpa de Allende, another easy, but rewarding road trip from
Puerto Vallarta.
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