In Depth

Guadalajara's (gwah-dah-lah-HAH-rah) history dates to 1530, just 38 years after Christopher Columbus first reached North America and 9 years after the conquest of Mexico by Hernando Cortés. Another Spanish explorer, Nuño de Guzmán, founded the settlement that today is Mexico's second largest city.

Guzmán was a cruel conqueror; he and his soldiers slaughtered entire Indian communities in the course of exploring the lands west and north of Mexico City. The settlement was relocated several times in the aftermath of Indian attacks and finally ended up in the Valley of Atemajac in 1542. The move was a wise choice, as the valley offered room for unimpeded expansion.

Spanish expeditions left from Guadalajara to gain control of such far-flung lands as the Philippine and Molucca Islands and the island of Guam, and to establish missions in northern Mexico and present-day California. Wealth from the region's farms and silver mines was channeled into the construction of lavish churches, mansions and monuments.

In the late 1850s and early 1860s the city withstood army attacks led alternately by Archduke Maximilian and Benito Juárez; the latter made the city the capital of his reform government for a few months during his forced exile from Mexico City. Today it's a sprawling metropolis, surrounded by high plains noted for horse, cattle and grain ranches.

Guadalajara, a mile above sea level, enjoys abundant sunshine most of the year. High temperatures are normally in the 70s and 80s; uncomfortably humid days are rare. In April and May, the warmest months, it can creep into the low 90s, but always cools off in the evening. The rainy season is June through September. Air pollution is a problem, although not as severe as in Mexico City. In the evenings bring a sweater or light jacket if you’re concerned about what to do if you get chilly.

Guadalajara even has its own word: tapatío. Reputedly derived from tlapatiotl, a term used to denote cacao or other small objects frequently used as units of exchange in Indian marketplaces, it now refers to any person, thing or quality that is indisputably Guadalajaran, like the jarabe, or Mexican hat dance, and mariachi music.