Must-see attractions in Western Central Highlands

Inside a 40m-high statue of independence hero José María Morelos on Isla Janitzio, you'll find this 'museum' where an ascending series of panels painted…

Light floods what is officially called the Basílica Menor Catedral de Colima from its circular dome windows on the northeast side of Plaza Principal. It…

Built in the 16th century, this church and college was the seat of the Jesuit order until 1767. The church is still in use and houses some Vasco de…

The Museo Regional de la Cerámica is set in a great old adobe building with stone arches and mature trees in the courtyard. It's a relatively small…

A ticket booth (9am to 7pm) at the pier’s entrance sells boat tickets to Isla de los Alacranes (Scorpion Island), 6km from Chapala, which has some…

This landmark church east of the cathedral and dedicated to Saint Catherine of Siena was built to house Dominican nuns in 1738. There's a celebrated…

Call ahead for tours at this fine tequila distillery in Atotonilco el Alto, a town about 110km northeast of Chapala. It's located in a large purple…

Local artist Jorge Chávez Carrillo painted the stairway murals in the Palacio de Gobierno to celebrate the 200th birthday in 1953 of independence hero…

This tiny museum, no larger than a room divided into various sections, does a decent job outlining the history of southern Jalisco state through various…

This strange and very small museum on the eastern side of the Bosque Cuauhtémoc park, displays fossils (including a mammoth's tusk) stuffed, dissected and…

The centerpiece of Plaza Villalongín, this iconic fountain erupts from a fruit tray held by three beautiful, topless Tarascan (now called Purépecha) women…

A block northeast of Plaza de la Liberación is the Templo de Santa María de Gracia, with a rather rough and austere interior; it was built as part of a…

On the north side of Plaza Guadalajara is the Palacio Municipal, which was built between 1949 and 1952 but looks much older. Above its interior stairway…

On the north side of the Plaza de la Liberación, near the Museo Regional de Guadalajara, is the Palacio Legislativo. Distinguished by thick stone columns…

Pátzcuaro’s leafy main plaza is watched over by a serene statue of Vasco de Quiroga which rises from the central fountain. It was erected in 1965 to mark…

Some 3km south of the city center and near the convention center is the Orchid House, which exhibits nearly 3000 species of wild and hybrid orchids. Best…

This church has a striking neoclassical facade and dates from the early 19th century. In the tower's face are four statues of the Seven virtues: Faith,…

Built as a monastery in 1761, the Ex Convento de San Diego now houses the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences of the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás…

Paracho’s cultural center is in the heart of town opposite the main square. It contains the small Museo de la Guitarra.

This church was built in the mid-17th century and remodeled in 1841, mixing both baroque and neoclassical styles. Impressive chandeliers.