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Tequila is a small town in the highlands west of Guadalajara that gave its name to Mexico's most famous spirit. Blue agave has been cultivated and distilled around here for centuries, and the surrounding agave landscape, along with old distilleries in Tequila and neighboring towns, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006. The extinct Volcán de Tequila rises above the town.
Around the main plaza stand the Parroquia de Santiago Apóstol and the Templo de Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción, and the streets nearby are lined with tasting rooms and shops. Distillery tours are the main event: José Cuervo's La Rojeña, one of the oldest working distilleries in the Americas, sits in the center of town, and La Perseverancia, home of Sauza, offers its own tours and gardens. The National Museum of Tequila covers the drink's history and production. Many trips include time in the blue-green agave landscape, where jimadores demonstrate how the plants are harvested. Neighboring Amatitán has additional historic distilleries, and the Cascada Los Azules offers a natural break. The circular pyramids of the Guachimontones archaeological zone lie farther south.
Tequila suits food and drink travelers and anyone curious about Mexican culture. Many visit on a day trip from Guadalajara, sometimes by tourist train, but staying overnight allows quieter evenings.
WiserMap travel guideTequila Mexico Agave Fields and Distillery ToursPlan a trip to Tequila in Jalisco with the best places to visit, from distillery tours and agave fields to Los Azules waterfall, the volcano and Guachimontones.Read the guide
The stone parish church of Tequila faces the main square and dates from the 17th and 18th centuries, with a simple baroque facade and a calm interior. It is the heart of town life and the Santiago fiesta in late July. Step inside quietly, as services are held through the day.
The main square of Tequila has a bandstand, shady benches and stalls selling cantaritos, the clay-cup tequila cocktail served with citrus and soda. Distillery tours, the church and the museum are all a short walk away. Come in the evening, when local families fill the plaza.
La Rojeña, right in the centre of Tequila, is the oldest working distillery in Latin America and the home of José Cuervo. Guided tours show the brick ovens, crushers, fermentation tanks and barrel rooms, and end with a tasting. Book ahead on weekends, when tour groups and train passengers arrive.
Casa Sauza's La Perseverancia distillery has made tequila in town since the 1870s. Tours walk through the production halls and the Quinta Sauza gardens, often with a visit to the nearby agave fields to watch a jimador cut the plants. Wear closed shoes for the field part of the tour.
In neighbouring Amatitán, this hacienda distillery of Casa Herradura keeps an old colonial-era factory, a chapel and working production lines. Tours show cooking, fermentation and ageing, followed by a tasting of blanco to añejo. It lies about 15 minutes from Tequila on the highway toward Guadalajara.
The Museo Nacional del Tequila, a block from the plaza, tells the story of the drink from pre-Hispanic times to modern production. Rooms show old stills, tools of the jimadores, bottles and labels, and the craft of agave cultivation. It is small, so an hour is enough before or after a distillery tour.
This small museum, run by the Sauza family, sits in an old house near the plaza and shows family photographs, early bottles, tools and documents from generations of tequila making in town. It gives good context for the Sauza distillery tour. Check opening days in advance, as hours can be limited.
Rolling fields of blue agave around Tequila form a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape, together with old haciendas and taverns. Many tours stop in the fields to see jimadores harvest the piñas with a coa blade. The light is best in the late afternoon, and a hat and water help in the open sun.
A waterfall in the barranca below Tequila, reached by a steep trail down the canyon from the edge of town. The pools at the base are a popular cooling-off spot for locals. The walk back up is tiring, so go early in the day with good shoes, water and ideally a local guide.
The extinct Tequila volcano rises to about 2,900 metres behind the town and dominates the views across the agave fields. A rough road climbs through pine and oak forest toward the summit area, with wide views over the valley. Go with a guide or a high-clearance vehicle, and bring warm layers.
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