Semana Santa Escape

Want to go in the opposite direction from everyone else this Semana Santa?  Want to let others have the beach for a few days while you explore other parts of Jalisco.  Guachimontones ruins, Tequila, Magdalena opals, Guadalajara, Tonala, Tlaquepaque.  Pick up in Melaque or Manzanillo or call or email for options.   Tour with Mex-ECO Tours

Agavero Landscape and The Tequila Trail

The Ruta del Tequila Cuervo train from Guadalajara only delivers passengers to the distilleries of Jose Cuervo and Herradura.  "For those two companies the people and local producers are not important and there is no general support for the region, "explains the director of Tourism Amatitán, Azucena Torres Valencia, who along with representatives of Arenal, Tequila, Magdalena and Hostotipaquillo, have formed the new council called Agavero Landscape.

The goal of the project is to help increase the competitiveness of micro, small, and medium companies (MiPymes) in the selected area where Tequila originated as well as to develop the Tequila Trail to the Agavero Landscape, creating a business network for the promotion of cultural and rural tourism. With a common vision we will develop and market tourist based products and services according to demands of the market. 

This project is an opportunity for the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) or ´Fondo Multilateral de Inversiones´ (FOMIN) to closely collaborate with the private sector of Jalisco State, specifically with micro, small, and medium businesses (MiPymes) for the development of a specific region which is expected to produce a model capable of being copied- not only for other regions of Mexico but also other Latin American countries. 

The Tequila Regulatory Council is responsible for managing The Tequila Trail for the Agavero Landscape. Tourists will have the opportunity to explore archaeological sites, old style houses, opal and obsidian mines, distilleries and the magnificent Agavero Landscape. Familiarizing yourself with the route will show you what Jalisco tourism has to offer to world culture.

La Ruta del Tequila

Sauza Museum - Tequila

The Sauza Museum is less than a block off the plaza and across from Cuervo World which is basically an upscale, mall-like store.   I much preferred this museum which used to be the Sauza family home.  You can only take photos in the courtyard and the store so there is much more history to see.

The Sauza Museum is basically a collection of memorabilia, including paintings, old photos and ancient tools. The Sauzas sold their operation in 1988, although Guillermo Erickson Sauza, a fifth-generation family member, recently began producing his own brand, Los Abuelos, using traditional techniques.

Sauza courtyard

Those were the days

Sauza store

Cofradia distillery tour - Tequila

A distillery tour in Tequila was a first for both of us so early afternoon we stopped at the little bar "Arte en Juego" to ask for a suggested tour and to have a beer. That bar happened to be owned by Cofradia and the very cute bartender sold us two tickets (150 pesos) and called a van to pick us up.

The Cofradia distillery is on the edge of town where most of the larger ones are in town or on the highway. Cofradia is a boutique brand that is not mass marketed like the others. That generally means more  expensive products but their tour is first class and very personal.

We arrived about two miles out into the country and there were about 10 Mexicans waiting to start the tour. Our guide spoke both languages so took time for us gringos after she explained in Spanish. We saw the process from the raw "pinas" (peen-yas) (pineapple), cooking them, tasting how sweet after cooked and had the distilling process explained. Freshly distilled Tequila is illegal to sell because it's 100 proof and has to be deluded with water before it is aged. We did taste it and it was quite good.

Their aging room is also their store for some more tasting. They built the place around trees that protrude thru the roof to provide shade. There is also a large underground cavern that has been converted to a restaurant but must have originally been for aging. We ate there and about 2 1/2 hours total the van took us back to town.

Bar Arte en Juego

Cofradia van

Cofradia entrance bar

Raw pinas ready for the oven

Cooked pinas in the oven

Fermentation vats

Getting some 100 proof for us to try

Our guide

Beautiful grounds

Cofradia logo on the hill

Jose Cuervo train and theme park

Tequila giant Casa Cuervo will invest 25 million dollars in the next 18 months in its bid to turn the town of Tequila into one of Mexico’s leading tourist destinations.

Apart from operating the new Jose Cuervo Express tourist train, which made its inaugural journey from Guadalajara to Tequila last week, the company is building an 87-room hotel, four museums and a conference hall.

The new hotel will be operated by the upmarket Camino Real chain, while the museums will focus on contemporary art, folk art and the equestrian sport of charreria. Cuervo is also promoting the installation of small privately-owned liquor stores in the town in an effort to reduce sales of adulterated tequila.

Jose Cuervo's express train to Tequila The new seven-carriage tourist train has a capacity for 395 passengers and will make three weekly trips, on Fridays evenings, from 7 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The luxurious train is equipped with a full bar and restaurant.

Unlike its established rival the Tequila Express, the Cuervo Express travels into Tequila itself and takes visitors to the Cuervo distillery and its ancillary tourist development, Mundo Cuervo (the World of Cuervo). For more information on the Cuervo Express, visit www.josecuervoexpress.com or call 01-800 681 0442.

Guadaljara Reporter article

Fabrica de tequila Patron en Atotonilco

Except for all the promotional hype that the Patron brand of Tequila puts out there are very few good reviews. Mainly that it's way over priced for an average to below average Tequila. Most of their sales are in the US and what do Americans know about Tequila ... evidently very little.

Anyway .. this is a good video on the making of Tequila

Los Guachimontones

Los Guachimontones

One of the most spectacular archeological sites in the state of Jalisco is located close to the small town Teuchitlán and is named Los Guachimontones. The region is part of the World Heritage Site, listed by the Unesco, mainly around the municipality of Tequila due to its agave landscape and ancient industrial facilities related to the Tequila production. Los Guachimontones is an archeological site which was populated in pre-Columbian times. Featuring several shaft tombs , two ball courts and about 10 circular complexes together with 5 plazas. Most interesting are the circular stepped pyramids, which are unique among all known Mesoamerican pyramids. Archeologists have several theories about the origin and the usage of these pyramids, but most is still unknown. The culture, who build the Los Guachimontones actually is named Teuchitlan tradition.