Visiting Jalisco: when to go, budget and itinerary

Guadalajara is seen in two days. The historic centre lines up four squares around the yellow-spired cathedral, Orozco's murals in the UNESCO-listed Hospicio Cabanas, and the San Juan de Dios market, one of the largest in Latin America. The suburbs of Tlaquepaque and Tonala concentrate crafts and ceramics workshops; in the late afternoon, mariachis play on the plaza that bears their name.

An hour from Guadalajara, the town of Tequila gives the spirit its name and stands amid a sea of blue agave listed by UNESCO. You visit one big house and one small family distillery to compare methods, with a tasting, and climb towards the Tequila volcano for the view. The Jose Cuervo or Herradura tourist train runs a return trip from Guadalajara in a day.

Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest, is lined with villages that enjoy a mild microclimate all year. Ajijic, with its painted lanes, is home to a large North American retiree community, a malecon and a weekly market. Further northeast, the Los Altos region, a plateau of cattle and charreria, also produces tequila; some of its roads, however, are advised against and need planning.

On Banderas Bay, Puerto Vallarta keeps a cobbled centre, the malecon and its sculptures, and the lively Zona Romantica. From the marina, boats serve road-free beaches to the south, Yelapa and Las Animas, tucked into the jungle. The rainy season, June to October, soaks the coast and sometimes brushes it with a hurricane; high season runs November to April, drier and pricier.

Jalisco moves to the rhythm of its festivals: the International Mariachi Encounter in early September, Independence Day on the 15th, and Guadalajara's huge book fair in late November, which fills the city. On the table, birria, a goat or beef stew served in tacos dipped in their broth, and tortas ahogadas drowned in sauce. A charreada, the traditional rodeo, is mostly seen on Sundays.