Zapopan Travel Guide — Best Time, Things to Do & Where to Stay

Why Zapopan

Zapopan is a major city and municipality located in the state of Jalisco, forming part of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area. Holding the distinction of being the most populous municipality in Jalisco, its name originates from a Nahuatl word meaning among the sapote trees. Historically referred to as the former corn village owing to its agricultural past, the municipality features a founding seal created in 1941 to commemorate its four-hundredth anniversary.

Prior to the arrival of Spanish forces, the area experienced migrations from Zapotec, Nahua, Maya, and Tecuex groups, who constructed small sun-worship shrines and cultivated maize. Conquered around 1530 by Nuño de Guzmán, the settlement was officially repopulated in 1541 following the Mixtón War. Franciscan friars introduced a small 16th-century statue of the Virgin Mary crafted from corn stalks to the local community. Over time, Zapopan developed into a major regional center of worship, securing state department status in 1824 and official city designation in 1994.

The city's central landmark is the Basilica of Our Lady of Zapopan, whose construction began in 1689 and finished in 1892. Featuring a Plateresque facade, Ionic columns, and a main altar crafted from Carrara and Cyprus marble, the basilica houses the venerated statue alongside an 1832 Holy Family sculpture by Victoriano Acuña. Outside, the large atrium displays bronze statues of Pope John Paul II and friar Antonio de Segovia. Within the sanctuary complex, visitors can explore the Huichol Museum, which showcases indigenous Cora, Tepehuán, and Huichol artwork, as well as the Museum of the Virgin of Zapopan.

Every October 12, Zapopan hosts a famous procession that carries the revered statue from the Guadalajara Cathedral to the Basilica. The surrounding avenues fill with traditional dance groups, mariachi bands, street vendors selling local food and crafts, and nighttime fireworks. Beyond its religious heritage, the municipality features notable modern athletic and cultural venues, including the Estadio Akron stadium—the home field of C.D. Guadalajara—and the Centro Cultural Universitario.

Visitors exploring the urban center can view the twenty-meter-high Entrance Arch along Paseo Teopiltzintli, constructed from stone and topped with decorative jars and an eagle. This thoroughfare passes the Civic Plaza toward the Plaza de las Américas, a pink stone square featuring a kiosk, four fountains, and bronze sculptures of corn deities. The nearby pedestrian corridor, Andador 20 de Noviembre, offers galleries, bars, restaurants, and Saturday art markets, while the 1942 Municipal Palace displays a 1970 mural by Guillermo Chávez Vega depicting global historical revolutions.