
Mural in the officially magical Tequila village
The Tequila Trail between Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara rises into the hills past volcanic fields of tumbled boulders. With trucks and bus traffic it can be slow going but looking out the window and ruminating as the landscape shifts is a fine pastime. Soon neat rows of spiked Agave cactus cover the hills. You’ve entered the land where Tequila was born.

Photo courtesy of Visit Mexico
All of the Tequila in the world, about sixty million gallons a year, is produced in this region. In 1978 the “Appellation of Origin Tequila” was instituted. By decree no other agave-based drinks may be labeled as Tequila unless they come from the Mexcian states of Guanajuato, Nayarit, Micoacan and Tamulipas. If you love Margaritas or the sophisticated pleasures of sipping a fine vintage straight up, visiting the Unesco World Heritage Tequila region is a natural fit.

In homage to the agave field workers
Long ago the native Natua would cook agave bulbs in stone ovens and ferment the liquid. The liquor was called Mexicalli. When the Spanish arrived they added a distillation process and eventually the drink was called Tequila, the name of the area where the best of the best agave was grown.
Everything about making tequila is intense. Some would admit drinking it can be too, but I learned just how important process, aging and color are to the experience. My education began along the “Ruta del Tequila,” in the town at the heart of it all, less than an hour from Guadalajara.
Spanish-colonial architecture dominates the central plaza with its modest church. An arched colonnade shades shops, bars and restaurants featuring all manners of tequila but my visit focused on Jose Cuervo and the oldest distillery in the Americas, Mundo Cuervo.
Inside the gracious entry way, patios and sculpture-lined arcades spun off in several directions. There were tasting rooms, banquet rooms, a shop and a media center where we stopped to sit on church-style benches and watch a short film about the process and history of making Tequila. Then it was into the distillery itself. There was no mistaking it for anything but a working factory. The sweet, thick smell of roasting agave permeated everything. Dark corridors opened to stacks of giant agave bulbs waiting for pulping.

Graded agave bulbs wait roasting
Luckily my small group were led down into the recesses where ancient casks sat behind locked gates. One cask was tapped and soon we were sipping the finest, the ‘Reserva de Familia.’ I’ll be looking for that smooth, sensuous liquid in any Tequila I sip for the rest of my life!

Casks in the basement of Mundo Cuervo
Next we walked a walled pathway to a pair of tall wooden doors. Our host asked me to knock three times and the heavy doors swung open as Mariachis sprang into song simultaneously. Such a sense of drama!

One of the many sculptures in the Jose Cuervo Mundo Garden
it was the entrance to a private park where tall trees offered shelter from the hot afternoon sun. Tall sculptures dotted the grounds and on the far side of the expanse a table was set for lunch. It was elegant, delicious and hard to leave. We had a train to catch so napping in that gracious space wasn’t an option. Into the town we strolled.
Soon we joined locals in line at the train station. In a few moments the crowd broke into groups to board the different cars. My ticket was for the premier coach. Instead of benches, we sat at small tables and were invited to sip more tequila. As the steam train sprang to life, we toasted and played drinking games, even a version of bingo with dried corn kernels. On we rolled, past more hills full of the blue-green agave and finally into the grand city of Guadalajara.

Diversions on the Jose Cuervo Tequila Trail train.
There are several ways to enjoy the Tequila Trail. If you can’t make it to the train or village, step into Guadalajara’s Te Quiero Tequila Museum. It’s packed with artwork inspired by the liquor and a gift shop full of temptations. Don’t miss the upstairs gallery. It’s not the Tequila Trail but there, from floor to ceiling, is a another world of Tequila.

Bottles in the Te Quiero Tequila Museum
Exploring the Tequila Trail:
- Mundo Cuervo: The visitors and event center of the Jose Cuervo Distillery and Museum
- La Rojena: Tours of the flagship distillery, which continues to produce artisainal tequilas after 250 years.
- La Casa Sauza: Casa Sauza distillery tour centers onthe three Sauza family patriarchs who fought to make tequila what it is today.
- Central Plaza and the Church of Santiago Pastol: Claim a seat on a bench in the town’s main plaza. It lights up at night and locals lounge with friends.
- The National Museum of Tequila: Savor the history and the culture of the region
- Tequila Express Train: Departs from Guadalajara for a guided tour of the Herradura distillery, lunch at a Mexican hacienda, live mariachis and folk dancing, and of course, tequila.
- Jose Cuervo Express: Since 2012, the Jose Cuervo Express travels across the agave landscape with the magic of yesteryear. Departures are Saturdays and from the station in Guadalajara to the Tequila Pueblo Mágico.
- The Te Quiero Tequila Museum in Guadalajara at:Av. La Paz 2402 esq. Fco. Javier Gamboa Col. Lafayette
Looking for other things to do in the magical town of Tequila? Check out these Itineraries and activities. Here’s a post about more magic in Guadalajara too.
Thank you, NATJA, Secretaria de Turismo Estado de Jalisco, the team at Guadalajara Destino , Jose Cuervo, GDL Tours and especially, Sofia Velasquez of the Procesa Group for making this a chance of a lifetime experience.
Thank you also, Visit Mexico for pictures, where noted, and references.
I hope you enjoyed the tour! Please share. Pinables:



I’ve never been a tequila girl but this is still pretty interesting. 🙂
Jessica, truth be told neither have I but I learned so much about the process and how to enjoy truly great, 100% agave, tequila that it’s become a favorite.
Reading this reminds me of so many of the things that make me love Mexico. I have been to PV but yet to make my way across to Guadalajara. It will happen one day, for sure.
PV is wonderful and Guadaljara holds so much to explore. The village of Tequila lies about 1/3rd of the way between the two. It’s definitely worth a visit.
This is really interesting. I never really thought about tequila much before, or that it was all from one part of the world. And, your photos are really interesting.
Thanks so much, Rhonda. It was enlightening to discover too that the Tequila Trail is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Lots to see in the region whether you drink tequila or not.
What a great post! That is such a pretty area of Mexico. Never been on the Jose Cuervo Express, though – sounds like a fun time! Of course, with some good Tequila, everything can be a fun time! 😉 #WeekendWanderlust
Thanks Rob. I wasn’t a big fan of Tequila but a little education changed that. The good stuff, 100% agave and aged well is high on my list of favorite spirits now.
I shouldn’t be surprised that there is a tequila trail. There are beer trails, wine trails, coffee trails…
Great write up, and beautiful photography. Love the train idea too.
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Glad to see you here, Vanessa. I appreciate your kind words. The pictures and words are my passion.
I cannot stop looking at the top picture, the wall feature, so many stories happening in one. Fascinating. I am not much of a tequila fan, seems my earlier years were spent living large and now my body says no. But tours like this are always interesting, especially learning about the people about these world famous drinks.
Seems that our younger selves could handle a lot more abuse! I like to think we’re just wiser and realize we’re in it for the long haul, especially with travel. You’d love the artwork in Tequila.
What a fantastic place! So much vibrant colour and architecture, and I never knew that to be called Tequila, it has to originate from here. A bit of learning on a Monday morning!
Glad you liked it, Rachel. I learned something too in researching this.
Never thought of how Tequila comes about, but so glad I do now! That mural is fantastic.
I’m always on the lookout for cool street art. You never know where it’ll pop up.
Given I have done the Whiskey trail and the Bourdon Trail, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised there is a Tequila Trail. I will have to add this as a trail I want to go do.
Sounds like this is just your thing!
Loved your post! Guadalajara and its surroundings area are high on my list of places to visit in Mexico. I have a lot of friends from the area. That fact makes me want to visit even more.
Wonderful to have friends from the area. Knowing locals always makes a trip come alive.
Those neat rows of agave are mesmerizing to look at.
I’m not a big tequila drinker but I would definitely do this trail, especially for the colonial architecture.
The hillsides and that blue green agave are amazing to see. I hope you get a chance to view them for yourself one day.
Wow! That is so cool. I would love to do the Tequila trail. It’s my favourite mixer (and straight shots).
Glad to hear that you’re a Tequila connoisseur!
Very interesting post, Elaine! As a Margarita lover, I certainly can appreciate a good Tequila. I never visited Guadalajara, but if I ever get there the Tequila trail will definitely be on my list.
I think that the old world charm of Guadalajara plus it’s newer side would delight you. So much to see, taste, do.
I’d never heard of the Tequila trail and I really knew nothing of how it was made. The train with the distillery tour is definitely something I’d love to do to learn more and experience the culture.
You’d love exploring the area. I’d like to return and tour some of the other distilleries in the area too.
60 million gallons a year..wow that is a lot of alcohol. I don’t drink, but I am sure this was a lot of fun.
It is a lot of anything!! I don’t drink much hard liquor myself but it was fun to learn what can make Tequila great or not so.
You had me at tequila! What an awesome time and experience getting to know the ins and outs of producing tequila. Honestly, something I never thought that much about before but very interesting to read.
Thanks and I’m so glad you found this interesting. I had a blast doing the ‘research.’
Oh, I love Mexico! I didn’t realize that they made all of the tequila in this region. The city looks beautiful, and it looks like a great destination to go and relax and try some tequila!
It’s the official Tequila designation but like all good things, there are knock-offs. They just might not be as pure or traditional.
Oh, I love Mexico! I didn’t realize that they made all of the tequila in this region. The city looks beautiful, and it looks like a great destination to go and relax and try some tequila!
It’s a great area to visit sandwiched in between Puerta Vallarta and Guadalajara. Lots to do.
Wow 60 million gallons…what an impressive number! Great post-definitely something I would be interested in doing as well.
I know, it’s a big number! Glad you liked the post.
Such gorgeous architecture! I would love to visit someday.
The Spanish Colonial architecture is so graceful and ornate. I love how the Mexican people have made it their own with flair.
Wow, such another world. Love the art and sculptures around the place.
It’s definitely an area to explore and wander through for all the art. This is just a taste of what is there.
What a fascinating place to visit.
I love the sound of the tequila trail – so many unusual things to see
Definitely much to see and explore along the Tequila Trail. I hope you see it one day for yourself.
Incredible photos! My boyfriend loves tequila, so if I show him this he’s probably going to drag me there 🙂
And that might just be a good thing…!
Jose Cuervo may not be my favorite Tequila, but I am definitely doing this! Thanks for the great article and travel inspiration!
I know what you mean but their Mundo Cuervo was a great place to visit.
What an amazing tour! 60 million gallons of tequila – wow! I think that would result in a ‘1 tequila, 2 tequila, 3 tequila floor’ kind of experience for me! Do they frown upon the salt & lemon ritual that you would normally associate with tequila? And as for the Tequila Train – super cool! Thanks for sharing!
They have other drinking games. The very good stuff would be shared with very good friends. Set your own rules! Salud.
This looks like a dream! I love tequila. The tequila trail is definitely on my must do list!
Mags, there’s all kinds of trouble you could get into! You’d love it.
Wonderful post, Elaine! It reminds me of the amazing journey I had while visiting Tequila. I was on a different route than you, so my recollections are quite different. But equally intriguing. Thx for sharing.
We’ll have to compare notes one day, Doreen!
I knew the origin of Tequila is in Mexico but I had no idea they even had a town of tequila or let alone, the tequila trail. I never really knew the process of tequila so it’s interesting to learn that they used blue agrave. Anyway, I loved that they surprised you with the Mariachi band. I don’t know if I can do tequila tastings though, it’s quite strong for me haha but it still looks like a fun tour to do!
It was such a fun day. I definitely had to pace myself with the shots. All in the name of research, right?!
This made me miss Mexico! Growing up, I often visit Mexico to see my family (somewhat about 2-3 hours away from Guadalajara). I love visiting Mexico, and I still have a lot to explore! I didn’t think about visiting where tequila all started! Can’t believe how much they make per year! I can’t even handle tequila shots, haha. I’d gag and vomit, pretty much, but I can certainly take it with margaritas 😉
Nice that you have family in Mexico. I visit as often as possible. There are plenty of great Margaritas in the world.
sixty million gallons a year?!!! That’s insane! I can’t even imagine that amount of Tequilla in shots!
It’s an around the clock venture at many distilleries in the region!!
I love how Mexican towns look so bright and colourful. A visit to Tequila certainly sounds interesting – thanks for sharing.
Thanks for dropping by, Rebecca
Great post with some awesome pics.
Glad you enjoyed it, Amanda
The Tequila Trail would be an amazing experience. The landscapes are incredible, but the tequila tasting could get interesting
Thanks, Paula, you’re right about all the tasting. Had to pace myself or pass out!
I once took the Tequila Express train from Guadalajara to the town of Tequila. What fun to revisit the area and that big crow sculpture at Jose Cuervo! Looks like things have moved more upscale since I was there.
Sounds like it’s time to visit again and catch up with all the changes, Carole.
We’ve visited Guadalajara, but not Tequila (yet). The train trip certainly looks fun! (And we can tell you that very recently in Cabo, at a new hotel we stayed at, the tequila made specially for hotel guests as welcome amenities went down quite smoothly.)
Ahhh, you rebel you! That tequila sounds like a fine opportunity.