This place truly is the magical city. It is a must stop if in the Guadalajara area. Plan to spend…read moreat least one of your days looking, shopping, and eating great Mexican food. The people are the friendliest and really do wanna take care of you. It's a quick Uber away from Guadalajara.

Tlaquepaque is a must-do for tourists to the Guadalajara area, especially if you're looking for…read morelocal arts and crafts. Pasaje Independencia is basically the main shopping street that cuts through the old village. The street is closed off to cars and has arts and craft shops, restaurants, musicians and local artisans set up to cater to visitors in a safe area away from traffic. They usually have the street decorated based on holiday or artist theme so the decor is always rotating (they had giant ceramic pics the last time I was there). The rotating decor makes it a selfie takers paradise and there's something for just about everyone; shoppers, photographers, foodies people watchers, art aficionados. There's an old cathedral at the town square and sometimes there are dancers, voladores de papantla (aerialist religious ceremony that's protected by UNESCO), festivals, food and lots of things going on all the time. Tip: It's fun to look at all the Frida Kahlo stuff, but remember there are many indigenous artisans making beautiful things that are unique to this specific area. You can buy a Frida shirt anywhere but you can't buy hand beaded Huichol art in other parts of Mexico. What you spend your money determines whether places like this stay unique or end up looking exactly the same.

We really just went to look around but we found so many great things to bring home to the states…read moreand share with friends and family. The staff was welcoming and friendly. In general, it's a wonderful place to find something for everyone.

Arte Huichol is less a storefront than it is a card table with beaded artworks on it. Located in…read morethe walking street (Calle Independencia) of Tlaquepaque in Guadalajara, along with many other street vendors, this brother and sister run business creates some of the most beautiful beaded artworks (mostly necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings). There are other Huichol artists creating similar works on the Calle, but the Lopez siblings are doing it better. Tlaquepaque is a must-see destination for anyone visiting Guadalajara, and there are many upscale shops along the walking route as well as vendors set up on tables in the street, like the Lopez sibs. The Huichol natives are known for this kind of beadwork, which can be found throughout the city, but the greatest selection is right here on Calle Independencia. With an exquisite eye for detail, their pieces come in all shapes, sizes, and colours. I got a hummingbird necklace as a gift for a bird-loving friend, something I didn't see at any of the other beaded tables on the Calle. It only cost $12US and with all the work that obviously went into creating it, I asked them how they can sell for such a low price. They just smiled. Everything they had for sale was handmade and the sister was actively working on her latest piece as I perused the colourful table of their wares. They also had a few wooden sculptures that were covered in beadwork as well, the intense handwork combined with the bright colours make these little sculptures a stand-out. There was an especially beautiful Jaguar's head made in this fashion, as well as the traditional Day of the Dead type skulls. This brother and sister team are definitely worth a look see when you get to Calle Independencia in Tlaquepaque.