Tequila can be explored through several aspects of the agave theme: museums tell the story of its history and uses, guided distillery tours explain how it is made, and the tourist Tequila Express showcases the agave landscape along the way. Anyone looking for a hotel in Tequila can choose to focus on culture, food and drink, or scenery. This lets you tailor your choices to your interests: collections, production, the town center, or the surrounding area.
Agave, collections, and regional history
The Museo Nacional del Tequila presents the history and uses of agave in Mexico, from pre-Hispanic times to the present day. Its five permanent exhibition rooms offer a range of perspectives: exhibits include replicas of archaeological objects, a dwelling built from agave leaves, and information about Mayáguel. Tools used to grow and harvest agave are displayed alongside photographs of agave fields and the Sauza family. Stamps, bottles, coins, paintings, and documents about tequila production complete the collection. The exhibits span everything from working with the plant to objects and images associated with the drink.
The Museo Juan Beckmann Gallardo focuses on something different: it displays 19th- and 20th-century carriages associated with Jalisco and Tequila. While the Museo Nacional del Tequila traces agave history from pre-Hispanic times to the present, the carriage collection offers a different perspective on the region through historical modes of transport.
The archaeological history also broadens the view beyond the town. In the wider area around Tequila, evidence of the Teuchitlán cultures dating from 200 to 900 AD attests to agricultural terraces, dwellings, temples, ceremonial mounds, and ball courts. These finds offer a regional counterpoint to the collections in Tequila: here, the focus is on a broader archaeological setting.
Town center and insights into production
A central walking tour of Tequila can take you across the Plaza Principal, past the Parroquia de Santiago ApĂłstol, and along the portales, with their bars, restaurants, and tequila shops. The Parroquia is also worth visiting. This route brings together the plaza, church, and offerings along the portales, making it easy to combine a cultural stop with a meal or a visit to the shops.
If you are more interested in production, you can consider guided tours of local distilleries. These tours are available in Tequila: the production process is explained, and a tasting is included. Unlike the objects on display in the museum, the focus here is on the process. This offers another way to explore the agave theme, this time through explanations of production and a tasting.
Agave landscape, train ride, and hiking
The Tequila Express is a tourist train from Guadalajara to Tequila that showcases the agave landscape along the way. If you plan to take the train, check the schedule in advance. Hiking toward Volcán de Tequila is also recommended from Tequila; from higher elevations, views extend across the valley. The train ride and hike therefore offer different perspectives on the landscape: agave scenery along the way by train and valley views from higher points on foot.
Regional cuisine and Batangas
Birria is one of the regional dishes you should try in Tequila. A typical drink is Batangas: invented in La Capilla in 1980, it is made with tequila, cola, lime, and salt. Together, the dish and drink offer two specific ways to experience regional cuisine and drinking traditions. The different themes—museum visits, production, scenery, and food—can help you decide what to focus on during your stay in Tequila, based on your own interests.
Discover more destinations: Melaque, Tesistan, Municipio Zapotlanejo, Sayula, La Barra De Navidad, Tomatlán, Ipala, San Nicolás
For the main travel overview: Jalisco.
