Tapalpa is a long, windy bus ride to the mountains from Guadalajara's central camionera, interjected with local street vendors stepping on and off at various stops throughout the villages trying to earn a few pesos by selling their fresh fruit and grilled corn or else playing a few sunny tunes on a guitar.
Tapalpa itself is the last in line of the quaint little towns up to the mountains. It's gorgeous plaza boasts a grande church and the cobblestone streets are littered with cafés and taco stalls. Although I've been warned that Tapalpa can get extremely cold due to its triumphant location in the mountains, today is blistering hot. Aside from the main village area, Tapalpa has two main attractions; las Piedrotas, the giant rock formations, and El Salto, a stunning waterfall just 18km from town. Unfortunately we didn't have time to visit El Salto for on top of the 25 minute drive, it's a 40 minute trek down to the waterfall. We did, however, rent bikes and head up to Las Piedrotas where we clambered up onto the giant boulders and took photos of the gorgeous landscape.
For lunch I was invited to join my friend Gerado and his family in their house in Tapalpa and was treated to yummy homemade tacos. Mexicans are amongst the most hospitable people in the world, always welcoming you into their house with open arms and a plate full of freshly cooked food. After a gorgeous day we head back to the plaza to grab an ice cream in the still warm light of the setting sun before the long journey back to GDL.