WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO DO?
Ruta
del tequila (tequila route)
From the city of Guadalajara, in the state of
Jalisco, exists the possibility of taking a trip through the neighboring towns
of Amatitán and Tequila. These are
places of grand tradition where the agave plant is cultivated, from which the
juice is extracted and fermented and results in the beverage known
internationally as tequila. The itinerary will take you from the city of Guadalajara to the town of Amatitán, 58 km (36 mi) northeast of the capital of Jalisco, to board the tourist train known
as "Tequila Express," which departs on Saturdays. On board this train you will
receive pleasant, first class service that includes snacks, beverages and
mariachi music. Moreover, there is a narration about the history of the Hacienda
de San José del Refugio, one of the few tequila haciendas (ranch estates) from the end of the 19th
century which maintains active equipment, combining distillation methods of
that era with technological innovations of our times. When you visit this site
you will have the opportunity to tour its museum, where the beverage?s
production is explained step by step and you can try each one of the different
types produced here. When you are finished, board the train again for just 15 minutes
to arrive at the city of Tequila,
11
km (6.8 mi) northeast of
Amatitán. Here you will have the opportunity to get to know the fittings of the
six oldest tequila factories in the country. Do not miss visiting the Museo
Nacional del Tequila (National
Tequila
Museum)
where, through its collections, you will gain understanding regarding the
cultural values of the tequila region ? recently declared a "World Heritage Site" by UNESCO.
Before returning to Guadalajara, enter a restaurant in this town and order a
bowl of the typical pozole (a
broth-based hominy soup with chicken or pork and condiments) or birria de chivo (goat meat soup) along
with a cold beer, or of course, a shot of tequila.
