Country Article / Postcards

Pueblo Magico

Date: 06/06/2006

International Living Postcards-- your daily escape

Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Tapalpa, Mexico

Dear International Living Reader,

Mornings, we wake up to the smell of wood fires, the calling of the roosters, the gentle ringing of the bells from the Parroquia...

In the evening we sometimes walk to the plaza, where we can buy sweet hot atole (a drink made locally out of corn and condensed milk), birria de borrego (roasted goat), tacos, tamales de acelga (tamales with Swiss chard, covered with cream sauce)...

As the sun goes down, the colors change over the land, and in the receding light, the Volcán Nevado de Colima, the taller of the two volcanoes at Colima to the southeast, glows purple.

Tapalpa, about 70 miles south of Guadalajara, is a pueblo magico, designated by the Mexican government as having historical and architectural interest and worthy of funding for development as an international tourist destination. There are currently 23 pueblos magicos in Mexico. Tapalpa is a particular gem in that it is well kept, and many of the older commercial buildings in the town center are actively being renovated.

This is a small town, but one with colonial charm.

In the main plaza or jardin principal, there are benches where you can sit and watch local life unfold. Cowboys strut by on horseback and children bump by atop donkeys. Around the plaza, wooden signs with old-fashioned script announce crafts, candies, and cajetas--milk and sugar desserts served in small wooden boxes.

Pine resin and wood smoke scent the air. The nights can be cool here. Tapalpa, like much of Mexico, receives most of its rain during the summer months. But it's green here all year and the spring-fed creeks have water in them all year round. It doesn't snow here, but occasionally gets frost at night in the wintertime. Even December days can be balmy and gentle.

Tapalpa is a favorite weekend getaway destination for Guadalajarans (we don’t see many visitors from the U.S. yet), and you may find an art show, a symphony concert in the Templo San Antonio, a wedding in the same church and a fireworks display in the evening (we perform every weekend at Olé Olá, a restaurant in the historic centro serving delicious Spanish tapas and Mediterranean specialties.)

Tapalpa is a great location if you love mountain living, don't want to live in a gringo community, and want to be 90 minutes from a major city and just a few hours from beautiful Pacific Coast beach.

Jack Stillwater and Frances Zelenka

For International Living