Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara

Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara is at Avenida Beethoven 5800 in Colonia La Estancia, Zapopan, bounded by Piotr Tchaikovski, Independencia and Beethoven itself, with the Universidad Panamericana behind it. At 113 hectares it is the largest public green space in the metropolitan area, and it is run as a decentralised agency of the Jalisco state government. The expropriation decree dates from 1989 and the agency was set up on 18 July 1990, but the federal government could not hand over the land until October 1992, and the state only took possession in 1994. It opened on 14 February 1997, as part of the celebrations for the 455th anniversary of Guadalajara's founding.

Most of the park is open green space with nothing built on it: about three quarters is young woodland of ash, ficus, galeana and casuarina trees that gives good shade. For exercise there are three tracks: a 5 km dirt jogging track, the 3.285 km Black track for bikes and the 3.7 km Red footpath. There is also a BMX track, a skating rink on the Paseo de Jacarandas, artificial-turf football pitches plus a full-size one for hire, CODE aquatic and tennis complexes, an educational nature trail and a plant nursery.

The two main entrances are plazas, each with a pair of 17 m towers: the Plaza Roja at Independencia and Beethoven, and the Plaza Amarilla at Independencia and Sebastian Bach, both with toilets and kiosks. For eating outdoors there are 12 family areas, each with six barbecue units and a playground, and beside the lake, opened in 2016 after more than twenty years of delays, there are covered picnic areas and a fountain in the middle. The park has a dog area (MetroCan) and pitches (MetroGol), hosts concerts, open-air film screenings and food festivals, and bikes, tandems included, can be hired near the main plazas by leaving an ID.