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Municipality and town in Jalisco, Mexico
Photo: JelloSheriffBob, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
San Sebastián del Oeste is a small colonial town in the western part of Jalisco. It's a town whose history and mining tradition reaches back into the pre-Hispanic era and whose old homes and rolling cobblestone streets invite meandering explorations. The town has been designated one of Mexico's Pueblos Mágicos.
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San Sebastian Church
The town's main church is an unpretentious neoclassic structure built by the Franciscans in the 18th century. Although the exterior is rather plain, the interior is an impressive baroque style with an arched vaulted nave, renovated in 1897. A small museum behind the church preserves a number of antique objects from the parish's storied past.
The hacienda was built to house mining operations for precious metals. The building has been restored as a combination hotel and museum containing historic documents and artifacts from the mining era. The hotel preserves historic traditions and even uses oil lamps rather than electric lighting.
Follow the walking and you'll eventually reach the old mine, which is basically a dark hole in the side of the mountain. This was one of the mines that produced gold for the Hacienda Jalisco during colonial times. It's not a developed tourist site, and there are no tours or gift shop. If you are bold and have a flashlight, there's nothing stopping you from going in by yourself (other than common sense).
Hiking area with spectacular overlooks providing views of the town and adjacent forests. The trail is just over 5 km and will take about an hour to walk. Bring water. Good shoes and a walking stick are recommended.
Takes regional cooking up to the level of fine dining and beyond. Exquisitely prepared dishes, most using locally sourced ingredients and traditional Jalisence recipes. Cocktails prepared with local raicilla.
Home-cooked regional and traditional Mexican cuisine served in an inviting rustic colonial dining room. Hearty food, generous portions, reasonable prices.
Bright cheery dining room with colonial decor. Very family friendly. Regional and traditional Mexican cuisine. Does its own baking in-house and the sweetbreads for breakfast in the morning come out still warm.
Upscale chophouse with a beautiful outdoor patio dining area. They specialize in Angus beef and most steaks are M$500 and up, all the way to a huge Tomahawk cut that they say serves 2 (or maybe 1 very hungry carnivore). Range of house cocktails including several based on locally made raicilla.
Small, family-operated raicilla distillery that welcomes visitors to see their operation, sample their products, and learn more about raicilla and its many variations.
Rustic old-fashioned bar that's long on character. Feels like it was old 300 years ago. They serve up several of the locally made raicillas and have some tasty raicilla-based cocktails, like the Chavo del 8.
Bare bones budget hotel with quaint colonial decor and convenient location near town square, but rooms are not well maintained and lack amenities. Good for budget travelers.
Upscale boutique hotel for the demanding traveler with a fat wallet. Rustic mountain lodge feel. Breakfast served outdoors in a natural setting.
Upscale colonial-style hacienda with well-furnished, clean, spacious rooms that are inviting and comfortable. On-site restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Jacuzzi spa.
Upscale boutique hotel with well-appointed large, immaculate rooms. Manicured gardens with walking paths and outdoor seating areas. On-site restaurant serving French cuisine.
By bus
Autotransportes Talpa Mascota (ATM) operates five buses per day from Puerto Vallarta to the nearby town of Estancia. From there, it's a 10-minute taxi ride into San Sebastian.
The town is compact and walkable, and some of the best-known sites are best accessed via well-maintained, marked hiking trails (even when they're far enough that you might be tempted to drive or bike it).
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