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    Ahualulco de Mercado, Jalisco

    Photo by José González Peña, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Ahualulco de Mercado

    Town Ahualulco de Mercado, Jalisco

    Municipal seat in the Valles region with a clock-tower parish, at the foot of the Sierra de Ameca where the Piedras Bola stand.

    From Guadalajara: 1 h 15 min by car (75 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Tours to Ahualulco de Mercado

    Day trips around Tequila sometimes stop in Ahualulco de Mercado; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.

    Tours from Guadalajara Full Day Tour to Tequila and Amatitán with Fun and Culture ★ 4.9 (750) · From US$44
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Ahualulco de Mercado

    • From Guadalajara: about 1 h 15 min by road (~75 km)
    • Nearest airport: Guadalajara (GDL), 1 h 16 min by car to Tequila
    Rent a car at GDL Flights to GDL

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Tours from Guadalajara, near Ahualulco de Mercado

    Full Day Tour to Tequila and Amatitán with Fun and Culture ★ 4.9 (750) 9 h 30 min From US$44
    Luxury Tequila Experience: VIP Tastings & Boutique Distilleries ★ 5.0 (551) 10 h From US$149
    Tour to Lake Chapala, MAGIC TOWN of Ajijic from Guadalajara ★ 4.6 (518) 8 h 30 min From US$44
    Full Day in Tequila with Tasting and party in Cantaritos ★ 4.9 (435) 10–11 h From US$72
    The Fire TOUR - Pyramids, Volcanoes, Agaves & Tequila ★ 4.9 (397) 8–10 h From US$96

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    About Ahualulco de Mercado

    Ahualulco de Mercado is the seat of the municipality of the same name, in Jalisco's Valles region, at about 1,320 metres above sea level. The 2020 census counted 17,000 people in the town. The name comes from Nahuatl and is read as place surrounded by water. Before the conquest the territory belonged to the chiefdom of Etzatlán, and the Spanish founding is credited to Juan de Escárcena around 1531, with settlers from Etzatlán.

    The town's surname recalls José María Mercado, the local priest who joined Miguel Hidalgo's cause on 13 November 1810. The municipality was created on 8 April 1844, and in 1846 the seat took the name Ahualulco de Mercado in the insurgent's honour. The parish church, with its clock tower and needle-shaped spire, was built between 1688 and 1760 and dominates the main plaza.

    The draw in the area is the Sierra de Ameca: the Piedras Bola, a field of stone spheres one to two metres across, some close to three, scattered through the forest. In the spot known as Las Torrecillas several spheres rest on columns of earth left by erosion. Studies attribute them to volcanic ash crystallised in concentric layers about 40 million years ago. In town there are leather workshops making huaraches, saddles and seat covers, along with leather and wood furniture, wool blankets and embroidery.

    How to get to Ahualulco de Mercado

    Drive from Guadalajara: 1 h 15 min, 75 km

    Ahualulco de Mercado is about 70 km from Guadalajara by road, around an hour and ten minutes by car. The route leaves along Avenida Vallarta, takes the MEX 15, continues on the MEX 70 and enters town on the state road JAL 4. The town lies on the El Refugio–San Marcos road. To the north, Tequila (Pueblo Mágico) is about 49 km and a little over an hour away.

    By bus, Autotransportes Etzatlán (ATE) serves the town from the Guadalajara metro area, with departures roughly every 30 minutes and a trip of one to one and a half hours; departures are listed from the Central de Autobuses de Zapopan. Times are approximate: confirm with the line before leaving. No public transport to the Piedras Bola is published; visitors go by their own vehicle or on foot.

    Directions to Ahualulco de Mercado on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Where to stay Hotels in Ahualulco de Mercado Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Ahualulco de Mercado. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Ahualulco de Mercado

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Ahualulco de Mercado: hours, prices and tips

    Guide or tour
    The Piedras Bola have no wardens or visitor information; carry a map and water. From town it is about two hours on foot. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Ahualulco de Mercado: what to see and do

    Parish church with a clock tower, built between 1688 and 1760, on the main plaza
    Piedras Bola, stone spheres in the Sierra de Ameca: drive along the Ameca–Ahualulco road to about kilometre 14, then walk about 5 km
    Las Torrecillas, where the spheres rest on columns of earth
    Leather workshops: huaraches, saddles, seat covers and leather furniture

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    Places to stay in Ahualulco de Mercado

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    Tours & activities

    Day trips around Tequila sometimes stop in Ahualulco de Mercado; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at GDL (Guadalajara): about 1 h 16 min by road to Tequila, then 25 km more to Ahualulco de Mercado, on your own schedule.

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    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Guadalajara (GDL), about 1 h 16 min by road from Tequila, the base for Ahualulco de Mercado.

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    Travel insurance

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    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Tequila: download a map of the way to Ahualulco de Mercado before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

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    When to go to Ahualulco de Mercado mild

    Ahualulco de Mercado shares the climate of Tequila, 25 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Tequila

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Tequila

    Rows of blue agave on the hills below the Tequila volcano, Jalisco mild
    Jalisco Tequila

    Tequila is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Ahualulco de Mercado, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Near Ahualulco de Mercado

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.