The Sunday Traveler ~ Tapalpa, Mexico

Tapalpa, a town deemed one of the Pueblos Magicos by the Mexican Tourism Board (Magic Town), recognized as notable for their cultural and historical importance; akin to a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Sunday Traveler was in Guadalajara, Mexico last month with local relatives willing to be my drivers to take me exploring and revisiting old haunts. It’s like I won the lottery, and as I mentioned last week, trips within trips are the way to get your travel on. I had been here years ago with my parents when we lived in Guadalajara. The trip is only two hours (easy for me to say easy, I wasn’t driving), and about 82 miles up into the mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental. Tapalpa sits at an elevation of 6,769 feet. Days here can be cool in summer, but we were lucky with a wonderfully warm day that was perfect for walking up and down the hills and streets.

The tiled roofs and white washed walls with red are part of the charm of this town, making it feel magical and somewhat like a movie set. I’ll continue on here with mostly a photo view of the day’s exploring

Walking through the streets and also wandering into courtyards and building entryways made for some great little bits of beauty caught by serendipity

The main plaza is bordered by covered verandas and sidewalks that front the shops, and host street vendors selling delicious foods. These women were selling tamales that we took home for the next morning’s breakfast that were delicious. Tapalpa is also well known for a cheese made there called Panela; if you have a Mexican market in your city, give it a try.

Everyone here was friendly and welcoming; this little boy came over and gave me his bag of chips.

Tapalpa is a wonderful day trip from Guadalajara, and one hotel on the main square is gorgeously Mexican if you care to spend a couple of days or more in this area.

Next week I’ll take you inside the church in Tapalpa.

Hasta entonces.