Jon and I have talked for years about visiting San Sebastián del Oeste, a 400 to 500-year-old Pueblo Mágico (a Mexican Magic Town) in the
Sierra Madre mountains of Jalisco state. We decided it was a good time to go now that
the rains have stopped and before the weather turns too cool in the mountains. I
convinced Jon to take an all-day, all-inclusive tour for our first visit to this charming town and we
were glad we did.
San Sebastián del Oeste's Plaza and Cathedral's Bell Tower
Our first stop was Panadería Carmen’s Bakery. Jon and I shared one pastry, a flaky jam-filled empanada,
and it was delicious. We wished we would have shared one more! The courtyard
and gardens there were beautiful and relaxing.
Jon Talking to the Birds at Panadería Carmen's Bakery
I was amazed at the mature banana tree and its 2-foot long bunch
of bananas, some of the fruit from the bottom already harvested. Jon talked to
the pair of parrots for a while but they were busy building a nest inside a gourd
so weren’t too interested in talking. We’d like to go back to Carmen’s bakery
again.
How did this Banana Tree NOT Fall Down!
La Quinta Mary (The Fifth Mary in the family) coffee roaster
was our second rest stop. We had a tour of the edge
of the plantation where our guide gave us an education on café de altura
(coffee of the highlands), coffee roasting, and the family history. It was very
interesting to learn that the citrus trees planted interspersed with the coffee
plants provide a natural insect repellant for the coffee berries—organic farming.
Coffee Roaster at La Quinta Mary
Beautiful Macaws in the Aviary at La Quinta Mary
The four macaws were screeching furiously when the group of
tourists passed by, possibly looking for attention or hoping someone would feed
them. Jon came up to their aviary and started “talking” to them in macaw
language and they settled down immediately. Jon is a “bird whisperer”. As he
continued to mimic them, they looked at him, stretched, and nonchalantly
started to preen. One even closed her eyes and took a nap, hypnotized by Jon’s crooning.
Blue Agave Plants, Years from Maturity
We stopped at a blue agave field for a look and education on
growing the plants and making tequila, raicilla, and mezcal, distilled products
of agave in the state of Jalisco. Our tour guide smilingly promised tequila
tasting later in the day.
After we arrived in the village, once a thriving silver and
gold mining town established in 1605, we toured the Casa Museo Doña Conchita
Encarnación museum, the beautiful cathedral which was constructed starting
in 1608, and the Casa de La Cultura (House of Culture). Then we were
free to wander around the plaza and along cobblestone roads to admire the old
adobe and brick buildings and to shop. I enjoyed the cooler, dry mountain
air in San Sebastian del Oeste while Jon admired the old architecture.
Touring Casa Museo de Doña Conchita Encarnación
Town and Family History Inside the Museum
Inside the Beautiful San Sebastian Cathedral
Casa de La Cultura Courtyard and Mural
Quaint Architecture and Cobblestone
Very Old Adobe and Stone Architecture
The San Sebastian del Oeste plaza was beautiful and peaceful,
a complete contrast to Sayulita’s, the Pueblo Mágico where we lived for
six years. We wondered what it would be like on a Saturday evening with live
music and lovers strolling hand in hand.
San Sebastian del Oeste's Peaceful, Pretty Plaza
Our last stop was for lunch and tequila tasting at Hacienda Don Lalin, a
small distillery and brewery. The multi-course, freshly prepared lunch was traditional Mexican food served family-style with six to eight people sharing a table. We enjoyed getting to know travelers from Britain and Michigan while we dined. Finally, it was time for tequila tasting. We loved the almond tequila and chocolate-coffee
flavored tequila, which would be delicious over ice cream or ice with milk for
a dessert.
Hacienda Don Lalin Tequila Tasting
We booked our tour with Vallarta Adventures and recommend
them. Having a friendly, knowledgeable guide who is bilingual and a good driver
to expertly handle those windy mountain roads made it worth the price. One note
for future tours—the instructions did not mention using insect repellent
against the no-see-ums, but we had itchy, red evidence of their bites the next
day. We were glad we had worn long pants, socks, and shoes as our legs and feet
were spared the invisible insect attacks.
It was a worthwhile day-tour. Even Jon agreed.
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Happy reading and traveling! Stay
safe and healthy.
Terry
