Zona Arqueológica Teuchitlán o Guachimontones — Attraction in Jalisco

We had to decide--Tequila or Guachimontones. There was no time for both. We have no regrets that we opted for the ancient ruins of Guachimontones. Extraordinary. The site is perfectly maintained, the interpretive museum is informative and engaging. The short film is well worth watching.

When you arrive and pay, local guides may try the get you to hire them. This is unnecessary. The site provides excellent, well informed, and enthusiastic guides. Our guide walked with us up to the Guachimontones and provided us with a full lesson on the culture. He also had lots of props including a replica of a ball they might have used for the games they played on the site. He also taught us a ritual dance and gave us instruments to play.

Normally I would resist these types of group activities, but there is something about the place that encouraged group encounters. Give yourself time to walk around and enjoy the site. Try to get there early to...

Absolutely stunning! This Pre-Classic site is about an hour's drive out of Guadalajara and is well worth it. There's a carpark, toilets and a museum, which is very interesting. Had an artist go through some of the interactive elements in the museum, which was fascinating. Then I had a guide, which I don't normally do, but thought it useful. There is a walk up the hill to the site, so be ready. It is quite steep at parts but is paved. Once you reach the top, prepare to be amazed. The ages of the tombs/temples increase as you go round and there could still be more to be found, as the largest one remains unexcavated. There are signs and maps so you can figure out where to go if you are on your own. The views from here are stunning too and in the background lies the Tequila volcano. Can be done with a visit to Tequila and highly recommend stopping in Teuchitlan for...

If you are in the Guadalajara area and have an interest in history and archeology, COME HERE. It is so worth the drive...and the drive is beautiful and scenic, FYI.

It’s about 1.5 hours outside Guadalajara, and reasonably priced. I think I paid 3 USD admission. If you are either a teacher or a student and you have an ID card to prove it, it’s half-price.

There’s a pretty good museum/interpretive Center that explains the history, geology, and anthropology of not just the Guachimontones site, but the surrounding area. (Note: most of it is in Spanish. Maybe use Google Translate, if needed?)

The walk up to the archeological site is a steep hike up a paved road, maybe 10-15 minutes. I like hiking, so it was totally fine, but lots of people were struggling a bit. Plan on taking several breaks,...