The Agave Fields of Tequila.

Guadalajara & Tequila Country

In the highlands of Jalisco, near Guadalajara, lies the town that gave the world its most famous spirit. Tequila sits amid a sea of spiky blue agave, the UNESCO-listed landscape of rolling fields that has produced the drink for centuries.

Here you tour the distilleries, from historic names to small artisanal palenques, watching the jimadores harvest the heavy agave hearts and learning how they are roasted, crushed and distilled, with tastings that reveal tequila as a refined, complex spirit far beyond the party shot.

The charming colonial town, the Jose Cuervo and Sauza estates, and a scenic ride on the Tequila Express train through the agave fields make this one of Mexico's most distinctive cultural escapes, easily paired with lively Guadalajara, the home of mariachi.

Where: Jalisco, near Guadalajara
Best time: Year-round; dry season Nov-May
Good for: Food, drink & culture
Pair it with: Guadalajara or Mexico City

Where it is

On the map.

The town of Tequila and its agave fields lie about an hour northwest of Guadalajara in the Jalisco highlands.

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What you'll see

On the route.

Stop 01

The blue agave fields

A sea of spiky blue agave rolling across the Jalisco highlands, the UNESCO-listed landscape that has produced tequila for centuries.

Stop 02

The distilleries

Cellars and copper stills where the roasted agave hearts are crushed, fermented and distilled, with oak barrels aging the spirit to an amber glow.

Stop 03

A tequila tasting

Sample tequila as a refined, complex spirit, from crisp blancos to barrel-aged reposados and anejos, far beyond the party shot.

Stop 04

The jimadores at work

Skilled field hands strip and harvest the heavy agave hearts, or pinas, with a sharp coa, the craft at the very root of every bottle.

Know before you go

The practical details.

Good to know

The distilleries

These range from the big historic houses like Jose Cuervo and Sauza to tiny artisanal producers. A guided tour walks you from the agave fields through roasting, fermentation and distillation to a tasting. Book ahead, and since you will be sampling, take a tour or a driver rather than driving yourself.

Good to know

Getting there

Tequila is an easy day trip from Guadalajara by car or tour, or by the festive Tequila Express or Jose Cuervo Express train that rolls through the agave fields with tastings and mariachi on board. The town itself is a designated Pueblo Magico worth a wander.

Good to know

Pair it with Guadalajara

Mexico's second city is the cradle of mariachi music, tequila and the broad-brimmed charro tradition. Enjoy its colonial center, the Hospicio Cabanas murals, and the craft town of Tlaquepaque before or after your time in agave country.

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The Agave Fields of Tequila.

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