Summer in Mexico: Spanish Language & Culture
Host Country and City
Lying south of the United States and just north of Central America, Mexico is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world and its capital, the lively Mexico City, is one of the world’s most populous cities. There is no official national religion, but Mexico has the second largest Catholic population in the world.
At one time in its very long history, Mexico served as the cradle of American civilization. The Olmec, Maya and Aztec empires ruled its vast territory and built beautiful ornate temples and cities that can be visited today throughout the country.
These civilizations collapsed with the arrival of the Spanish colonizers in the 16th century but Mexico’s indigenous roots can still be felt, be it from visiting Uxmul in the Yucatan or walking up the hundreds of steps to the top of the Temple of the Sun, in Teotihuacán.
Family traditions and entertainment are also a huge force driving everyday life. Family reunions often include singing and dancing with music such as mariachi, salsa, merengue, or banda. There are movie theaters, shopping malls, restaurants serving local and international cuisines, bars and discos. If it is sports that you are interested in, Mexicans enjoy football, baseball, professional wrestling, and bullfighting. From the rich indigenous heritage to its lively popular culture, Mexico is packed with history and entertainment for all tastes.
Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city, is cosmopolitan yet surprisingly welcoming given its population of approximately 4 million. Founded in 1542, Guadalajara boasts a beautiful colonial downtown marked by its twin-towered cathedral, western Mexico’s most important industrial center, and a plethora of top-notch museums, restaurants, nightlife, shopping and cultural activities. Visitors may also benefit from the small-town feel of picturesque suburbs such as Zapopan, Tlaquepaque, and Tonalá, lined with pleasant plazas, cafés, art galleries and shops selling traditional Mexican art crafts.
Guadalajara is also centrally-located, allowing visitors to explore central Mexico or catch a flight at the city’s international airport to dozens of destinations in Mexico or Central
America. Wonderful cities such as Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Puerto Vallarta and Pátzcuaro are only a few hours away by bus from Guadalajara.
The city is also known for many of Mexico’s most iconic traditions. Mexico can thank Guadalajara for the creation of tequila, mariachi music, the jarabe tapatÃo dance, charreadas or Mexican rodeos, and the sombrero, among others. Likewise, the Instituto Cultural de Cabañas, a former 19th century orphanage in downtown Guadalajara, is home to several majestic murals by acclaimed muralist José Clemente Orozco, including his gorgeous El Hombre de Fuego (Man on Fire) in
the main dome.
All in all, Guadalajara combines the best that a modern and vibrant city has to offer with the old-time charm, friendliness, and calm of traditional Mexico.
