After more than a year in Mexico, the country has become an absolute favorite for me when it comes to road trips. The fuel is cheaper than in many other countries and no matter where you go, the landscape always takes your breath away. One of my favourite trips was still a two-week trip through Jalisco. No matter if you are a mountaineer, beach lover or jungle fan - here everybody gets his money's worth. Planning your trip to Mexico? Guadalajara and its surroundings are a must. I have listed the most beautiful places for you!

Start in Guadalajara

Guadalajara is Mexico's second largest city and therefore has a lot to offer. But most of all, it is one of the most traditional cities in the country, which is why it is worth just strolling through the colorful streets, listening to the mariachi and letting yourself drift. In the centre you will surely come across the Palacio del Gobierno and the cathedral of Guadalajara, both of which are very beautiful to look at, from the inside and the outside. For dinner I recommend a trip to Tlaquepaque, which is ten minutes away. A small, colorful town with beautiful alleys, cafes and shops. Here you will find many typical restaurants, with mariachi music and great Mexican food.

In the centre of the city there are some excellent hotels and hostels. If you would like to live more individually, there is a wide range of couchsurfing in Guadalajara. Most hosts, however, live in the wealthier Zapopán district, a bit off the beaten track.

Next stop: Tapalpa

In Tapalpa, which is only two hours away, one has the feeling to have landed at least in another state. The climate is different, the people, the environment. It all reminds you of a small, cosy mountain village. In Tapalpa there are only few tourists and if there are, then it is Mexicans who come here for the weekend. Instead of hotels, you rent cabañas. With up to ten people you can then live in a cabin, drink in the evening, have a barbecue and sit around the campfire. Even though Mexicans like to officially call many of their villages "Pueblo mágico" (magic village), Tapalpa deserves it. This place is truly magical.

During the day you can either explore the surroundings on horseback or visit the Piedrotas, a rock formation just outside the city and climb through the beautiful landscape.

Way to the coast: Sayulita & Puerto Vallarta

The next section of the route takes at least six hours, so you should plan some exciting stops along the way. For example the Salto de Nogal, a waterfall where you can either just swim or practice cliff diving.

The route to Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita leads right through the rainforest and is beautiful as long as you don't have to drive it in the middle of the night when the road is flooded. During my first trip to Sayulita, I didn't start in Guadalajara until late afternoon and unfortunately underestimated the distance, so that we didn't arrive until four in the morning, thanks to flooded roads and closing eyes. It makes more sense to start very early in the morning in order to be already in the sun at noon.

Even though Sayulita is now quite touristy and especially popular with American tourists - it still remains a hippie village to fall in love with. Colorful houses directly at the beach, slow life and party at night in the small center. If you get bored after a few days, you will find offers on the beach for surfing, jet skiing or paragliding. On almost every house there is a sign "Rooms for rent". There you can live cheaply for a few days. Like almost everywhere you can also rent small beach huts, hammock included. Welcome to the good life!

Puerto Vallarta, on the other hand, seemed like a big retirement home to me. Even though the city is very popular especially at spring break and has a lot of clubs, bars and restaurants to offer, neither the beach nor the city itself impressed me. There are many older tourists, mainly from the USA and Canada, which also pushes up the prices.

The way back: Tequila

The way back to Guadalajara passes the city that gave its name to the famous liquor. For the route from the coast to Tequila you should definitely take the so-called libre routes , roads, that are free of charge, and not stay on the highway. On the winding roads, across the agave fields, you will hardly ever meet another car.

In Tequila, of course, everything revolves around Tequila. Be sure to visit one of the distilleries to see how it is made - tasting at the end included! Every shop in the small main street of the town sells countless different sorts and tastes of Tequila. Here you are guaranteed to find one or the other souvenir. Before I came to Mexico, I was used to cheap Sierra Tequila and was not a fan of this liquor at all. In Mexico you will find out that it really tastes good, even without salt and lemon.

Driving in Mexico

Our rental car cost us the equivalent of 160 Euros per week, including unlimited mileage and fully comprehensive insurance. We only paid extra for the navigation system, which is worth every cent in Mexico. The fuel price is currently 14 pesos per liter, which is about 70 cents.

Driving itself can get very adventurous in Mexico. While the streets of the Yucatán peninsula are close to European standards, it can happen that you suddenly find yourself in the middle of the night on the motorway in front of a deep pothole that has neither been announced nor illuminated. Also the traffic is a bit crazy now and then, but not as bad as in some other countries where I was driving.

Depending on how much time you have, you should always consider the "free" roads as well, even if this is often discouraged due to safety concerns. Especially during the day there are no problems and you save a lot of money at the toll stations. There are also less police there, which is positive as it is mainly tourists who are stopped and get arbitrary fines for imaginary offences.

A tip for refuelling: Use every opportunity. Especially on the country roads, filling stations are rare, often hundreds of kilometres apart. When we ran out of fuel in the middle of the wilderness, we were dependent on a nice gentleman on the bike after a few hours of waiting, who thank God actually came back with a full canister.