Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico – The TravelSquire editorial team recently announced their Top 28 destinations for 2020 zeroing in on unique destinations with intriguing sites and experiences. The list, which includes both domestic and international destinations, is divided into four categories: Newsworthy, Nature & Culture, Urban and Rising Stars.
Realizing travelers have varied preferences, TravelSquire’s editorial team spends hours debating which destinations should make their Top 28 list each year.
From bustling urban locales to natural wonders providing rejuvenating escapes, they’ve listed something for every traveler, but this article focuses on their picks for Nature & Culture travel, and the Mexican State of Jalisco tops their list of 7 International Nature & Culture Travel Destination for 2020.
The sensational nature surrounding each of these places contributes to each one’s cultural roots. And, since Jalisco is not only home to both mountains and beaches, but also brings us Mariachi and Tequila, do you even need to ask how this treasured region of Mexico landed a spot on TravelSquire’s Top 28?
At its western edge, popular Puerto Vallarta’s 12 block Malecón provides gorgeous views of the blue waters of Banderas Bay which opens into the Pacific Ocean. Awarded the designation of Cultural Heritage of the State of Jalisco, downtown Puerto Vallarta’s cobbled streets, colorful murals and cultural events delight locals and tourists.
Heading east towards the capital city of Guadalajara, the landscape rises from the foot of the Rio Grande Canyon. Fields of blue agave surround the magical town of Tequila. Named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2006, the agave cultural landscape celebrates the relationship of the people and nature – each sustaining the other.
Cowboys ride into the fields each day on horseback tending and cutting the agave crops by hand. These centuries-old traditions continue to produce Jalisco’s liquid treasure – tequila. Raise a glass aboard the black and gold vintage Jose Cuervo Express train running between Guadalajara and Tequila every Saturday. Yes, that’s right, a tequila train!
Declared the “American Capital of Culture” in 2005, few cities reflect the spirit of Mexico as well as Guadalajara, where the country’s oldest and dearest traditions live on. It is also a modern metropolis, with extensive hotel capacity as well as connectivity to the rest of the world, enabling the city to host some 350 international events annually.
Finally, the state is continuing the promotion of Mexico’s Magic Towns, a program that was started by the federal government and that officials hope to continue even in the absence of funding for the national Mexico Tourism Board.
There are eight Magic Towns in Jalisco, the newest of which is Tlaquepaque. Part of the Guadalajara metro area, approximately 20 minutes from downtown, it maintains a small town feel, with a great variety of historic, colonial architecture.
The state of Jalisco is aiming to broaden its tourism product with new developments on Mexico’s Pacific Coast and a continuation of the federal government’s Magic Towns program.
To learn more about Jalisco, go to VisitMexico.com. To see the complete list of TravelSquire’s Top 28 destinations for 2020, click HERE.
Source: The Ladders