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    Guachinango 2, Jalisco

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

    Guachinango

    Village Guachinango, Jalisco

    Former silver-mining town in the sierra, with a church facade covered in broken crockery, mill ruins and guava candies.

    From Guadalajara: 2 h 5 min by car (131 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Guachinango

    Where to stay near Guachinango

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Guachinango.

    Hotels in Guachinango Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Guachinango

    Day trips and guided outings from San Sebastián del Oeste often include Guachinango; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Puerto Vallarta Winner 2026 Downtown Vallarta Food Tour with Vallarta Food Tours ★ 5.0 (3,971) · From US$59
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Guachinango

    • From Guadalajara: about 2 h 5 min by road (~131 km)
    • Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 3 h 12 min by car to San Sebastián del Oeste
    Rent a car at PVR Flights to PVR

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Tours from Puerto Vallarta, near Guachinango

    Winner 2026 Downtown Vallarta Food Tour with Vallarta Food Tours ★ 5.0 (3,971) 3 h 30 min From US$59
    Puerto Vallarta Extreme Adventure: Wildest Bridge, ATV & Ziplines ★ 4.9 (3,357) 6 h From US$69
    Puerto Vallarta Zipline, Rappel, Water Slide & Speedboat tour ★ 4.9 (2,144) 6 h 30 min From US$69
    Food & Mixology Tour:Tequila,Tacos, Mezcal and Agave Cocktails ★ 5.0 (1,949) 4 h From US$98
    Puerto Vallarta Rhythms of the Night, Dinner Cruise and Alma Show ★ 4.5 (2,093) 5 h From US$119

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Guachinango

    Guachinango is the seat of the municipality of the same name, in Jalisco's Sierra Occidental, at 1,479 metres above sea level. The name comes from Nahuatl and is read as 'place surrounded by trees'. It began as a mining camp: the Spanish founding is placed around 1544 or 1545, and the colonial Alcaldía del Real y Minas de Guachinango covered what are now Mixtlán, Atenguillo, Talpa and Mascota, plus Amatlán de Cañas in Nayarit. It was one of the most important silver producers of Nueva Galicia, and became a municipality on 7 May 1885. The 2020 census counted 2,124 people.

    The church is the town's most striking building, its facade covered in pieces of broken plates and cups, with an altar covered in gold from the nearby mines. A narrow 19th-century spiral staircase leads up the bell tower. The plaza has flower gardens and kiosks, the Casa de Cultura keeps a museum upstairs, and on the edge of town are the ruins of an ore mill and the El Aguacero mine, where in 1952 the miner Salomé Hernández spent seven days trapped before being rescued. Old mines are dangerous and should not be entered without a guide.

    Shops sell bolitas de guayaba, a chewy guava candy made from family recipes, and leatherwork and embroidery are local crafts. The fiesta of the Virgen de la Candelaria runs from 24 January to 2 February.

    How to get to Guachinango

    Drive from Guadalajara: 2 h 5 min, 131 km

    Guachinango is about 125 km from Guadalajara, nearly two hours by car, along the Ramal a Ameca road (MEX 70) and then the road up into the sierra; the road is in good condition and any vehicle can make it. To reach the centre, look for the kiosk of the plaza cívica. There is no direct bus from Guadalajara: take a bus to Ameca, either Rojo de los Altos from the Central de Autobuses de Zapopan or Flecha Amarilla from the Central Vieja, or Autotransportes Etzatlán to Etzatlán, then a taxi of about an hour. Confirm schedules before you go.

    Directions to Guachinango on Google Maps

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

    Best with a guide Tours to Guachinango on Viator With transport and a guide, leaving from nearby towns and cities. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Guachinango

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

    Before you go to Guachinango: hours, prices and tips

    Best season
    Fiesta of the Virgen de la Candelaria, 24 January to 2 February. Wikipedia (Municipio de Guachinango) · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    Old mines are dangerous; visit with a local guide and ask permission at the nearest house. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide Mexico News Daily · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting Guachinango: what to see and do

    The church with its facade of broken crockery and its gold altar.
    The bell tower, with its 19th-century spiral staircase.
    The plaza with gardens and kiosks, and the Casa de Cultura museum.
    The ruins of the ore mill and the El Aguacero mine (with a guide).
    Cerro La Catarina, with views over the sierra, and bolitas de guayaba.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Guachinango

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Guachinango.

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    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from San Sebastián del Oeste often include Guachinango; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at PVR (Puerto Vallarta): about 3 h 12 min by road to San Sebastián del Oeste, then 23 km more to Guachinango, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puerto Vallarta (PVR), about 3 h 12 min by road from San Sebastián del Oeste, the base for Guachinango.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from San Sebastián del Oeste: download a map of the way to Guachinango before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    When to go to Guachinango mild

    Guachinango shares the climate of San Sebastián del Oeste, 23 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and November.

    See the month-by-month climate of San Sebastián del Oeste

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: San Sebastián del Oeste

    Tiled roofs and white church of San Sebastián del Oeste in a forested valley, Jalisco mild
    Jalisco San Sebastián del Oeste

    San Sebastián del Oeste is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Guachinango, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Guachinango

    Near Guachinango

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

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.