Tequila, Jalisco
“Tequila is a fun spot to visit especially if you want to sip the beverage of the Gods. We have been here many times over the years and have seen the face of Tequila change from an agricultural spot that sold an alcoholic beverage roadside to a gentrified tourist attraction with upscale beverage rooms and restaurants.
They still sell tequila and tequila products at roadside stands…”
Dorothy Bell
Name: Tequila means “Place of Tribute” in the Nahuatl language. The official name of the city is Santiago de Tequila.
Location: Located just west of the center of the state of Jalisco on the Santiago and Chico Rivers. The inactive Tequila Volcano dominates the rugged landscape.
Weather: Semi-arid.Rainy and warm/hot in the summer
<!-Weather in Tequila, Mexico on your site – HTML code – weatherforecastmap.com –>
<!-end of code–>
January Average Highs 26.9C (80.4F) Lows 9.9C (49.8F)
July Average Highs 30.5C (86.9F) Lows 17.7C (63.9F)
Population: 39,000
Elevation: 1,180 m (3,870 ft)
Founded: Santiago de Tequila was founded by the Spanish in 1530 by Franciscan monks
Medical: Hospital, clinics, doctors, dentists
Money: Banks, ATMs
History:
Pre-hispanic
Over time various indigenous groups occupied the area around Tequila. The earliest people 300 BCE and 400 BC. Belonged to a group called the “shaft tomb culture” – little is known about these people. They were a highly stratified group and the elite made elaborate burial structures for their family; often 3 to 6 meter deep shafts lead to a chamber (or multiple chambers) that contain multiple burials. The shafts and tombs had a structure built above ground.
Unlike the Maya or Olmec, there are no drawings, religious or symbolic writing inside the shaft or tombs. The tombs are rich in artifacts however, and those tell stories about the people and their culture and artistic expressions: Obsidian jewelry, pottery, precious stones, ceramic figures, foods. Tools included spindles, grinding stones, conch trumpets.
Teuchitlan Culture
The next group to emerge in the area (as early as 300 BC and peaking around 200 AD) were those of the Teuchitlan culture – considered an outgrowth of the previous shaft tomb peoples. This developed society saw smaller centers merge into larger groups. The Teuchitlan architectural tradition is unique world-wide; circular plazas and stepped cone pyramids.
Two ancient complexes close to Tequila are Huitzilapa (in Magdalena) and Amatitan (between Tequila and Guadalajara). Only 55 KMs from Tequila near the city of Teuchitlan, the Guachimontones archaeological site is the most complex site made by this cultural group. By 900 AD the society suffered a complete collapse – generally attributed to the Tarascan State.
After 900AD various cultures from Mexico’s central plateau (Guanajuato, Querétaro, Aguascalientes and other parts of Jalisco) and a number of indigenous ethnic groups, Huichol, Cora and Caxcan, settled in the area.
After the Conquest
After the invasion and conquest of Mexico, the Spanish moved to the area and called it Nueva Galicia after province in Spain. It included the present day Mexican states of Aguascalientes, Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit and Zacatecas.
In 1530 Franciscan monks moved people from the Tequila Volcano (Chiquihuitillo Mountain) to Tequila. By 1941 the indigenous people throughout the new state began to rebel against the Spanish and 2 monks were killed. Later that same year The Spanish captured the major rebel chief and would not release him until he converted to Christianity and end the rebellion.
Cultivation of the agave plant and mass was introduced to the area by Pedro Sánchez de Tagle in the 1600’s.
Another rebellion and suppression by the Spanish marked the beginning of the 1800’s followed by the Mexican War of Independence. Rafael Pérez and 200 men took over Tequila from royalist forces.
Today:
Tequila is both an agricultural production area as well as a tourist region called the Tequila Route (Ruta de Tequila).
.
Getting there: From Tepic drive Highway 15 or 15D and get off at the Tequila exit.
From Guadalajara drive Highway 15 or 15D for approximately 60 kms and take the Tequila exit.
Accommodation:
HOTELS
No RV Parks
