North of Zapopan, on the old road to Colotlán, stands a hacienda that more than three centuries ago welcomed the stagecoaches of the Silver Route. Today Hacienda La Magdalena is a boutique hotel with four hectares of gardens, an open-air chapel beside a stream and a kitchen that was known across Jalisco long before the hacienda opened its rooms. It is about 15 minutes from the center of Zapopan and 45 minutes from downtown Guadalajara.
It’s worth clearing up a common mix-up: La Madalena, without a g, is something else, a contemporary Mexican restaurant in the Puerta de Hierro area. This guide is about the historic hacienda, with a g, and covers its history, what it offers today, its breakfasts and services with prices, how to get there from Guadalajara and what else to see in Zapopan on the same day.
History of Hacienda La Magdalena
According to the hacienda’s own official history, La Magdalena dates back to the late 17th century. Because it was close to the Silver Route, the road that linked Guadalajara with the mines of Zacatecas, it was a mandatory stop for stagecoaches heading to Hacienda de Copala, the first leg of the journey.
In the late 20th century, the new highway to Zacatecas, which ran through San Cristóbal de la Barranca and Colotlán, cut across ranches, haciendas and pastures and opened the way for new housing developments. The main hacienda building ended up at the edge of the highway, and the old calpanerías, the laborers’ houses, grew into the villages of La Magdalena and San José and neighborhoods such as Haciendas de Zapopan and Residencial Tesistán.
In the last decade of the 20th century, La Magdalena once again provided work for the region, no longer in crops or livestock, but in crafts and the making of hacienda-style replica furniture. The factory operated inside the main building but kept the original fountains, urns and ceramic planters with majolica finishes. Where the washing areas and orchards once stood, in the spots called Los Verdes and Los Sauces, there are now event gardens, entered through the rebuilt arch that was once the facade of the 17th-century chapel.
Since 1990, almost 300 years after its founding, the hacienda has hosted baptisms, weddings, graduations, photo shoots, commercial filming, fashion shows and concerts. In September 2007 it also opened as a hotel, when its cuisine, architecture and open-air chapel were already known throughout Jalisco.
What the Hacienda Offers Today
La Magdalena combines a hotel, a spa and an event venue in one place. The atmosphere is more retreat than museum: what visitors explore are the gardens, the chapel and the corners of the old house, and almost all services work by reservation.
Gardens, Chapel and Event Spaces
The four hectares of gardens have paths and springs, a small stream, a pond, a lake with goldfish and terraces for watching the plants and wildlife. The gem of the estate is the Chapel of the Virgen del Rosario, a consecrated open-air Catholic chapel with pews on the bank of the stream, next to a secret garden of cypresses and fountains carved from old quarry stone.
For celebrations there are several spaces with their own kitchens and restrooms. The Salón Virreinal, with a neoclassical facade and an old screen door, holds up to 480 guests and is surrounded by the Jardín Chapultepec with its kiosk. The Terraza Emperadores, which recalls the time Maximilian and Carlota spent in Mexico, holds up to 350 people, the Veranda Porfiriana up to 180, and the Terraza Jazmines, with a stone oven and grill, is designed for small groups. The design of the gardens takes visitors through the different periods of Mexican history.
Rooms, Spa and Pool
The hotel has bedrooms with a bathtub and balcony, a ground-floor bedroom adapted for people with disabilities and older adults, 10 ground-floor suites with a jacuzzi, two master suites and a presidential suite with a private terrace and a large jacuzzi, the most requested for wedding nights. The rooms are named after people who lived in the house: the doña Jovita bedroom remembers the owner’s paternal grandmother, who lived there in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Facilities include a spa with an outdoor jacuzzi, a Moorish-style pool, a bar and café, a wine cellar, a dining room, a game room with billiards and a meeting room. The parking lot has controlled access, and valet parking can be booked for events at an extra cost. For business meetings and corporate events there is a meeting and conference room, and the hacienda team prepares custom quotes.
The Flavors of the Hacienda
La Magdalena’s fame began in the kitchen. Service is led by a mayora, the head cook of the house, who prepares fine Mexican and international dishes, banquets for events and food festivals throughout the year.
The easiest way to experience the hacienda without staying overnight is the Sunday breakfast buffet, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. It is a served buffet with a menu the mayora chooses each week based on Mexican food festivals, served in the gardens of a 17th-century hacienda. On Saturdays, at the same hours, there is an à la carte breakfast, and in both cases the hacienda recommends booking ahead.
For special occasions, the hacienda arranges romantic dinners, marriage proposals and picnics in its gardens. The picnic for two lasts three hours and includes setup, decoration with music, and a basket with snacks, paninis, agua fresca and dessert.
How Much It Costs to Visit and Stay
The prices published on the hacienda’s official website include VAT. Since the website may be slow to update, it’s best to confirm rates and availability when booking.
| Experience | Published Price | Hours | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday breakfast buffet | $295 MXN adult / $200 MXN child | Sunday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Served buffet with the mayora’s weekly menu |
| Hacienda breakfast | $230 MXN adult / $190 MXN child | Saturday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. | À la carte breakfast |
| Sunset picnic (2 people) | $2,500 MXN | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | 3 hours, setup, basket, paninis, agua fresca and dessert |
| Photo shoot in the gardens | $3,200 MXN | Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | 2 hours, up to 5 people; drones at extra cost |
| Wedding Night package | From $5,080 MXN per couple per night | Sunday to Thursday; weekends $5,840 | Decorated suite with jacuzzi, wine, fruit, flowers and breakfast |
| Presidential suite package | From $9,400 MXN per couple per night | Sunday to Thursday; weekends $10,590 | 4-course dinner, 2 massages, wine and breakfast |
For longer stays, the hacienda advertises a 20% discount from four nights and a four-nights-for-the-price-of-three deal.
How to Get There and What to See Nearby in Zapopan
The hacienda’s address is Carretera Colotlán No. 1701, km 1.7, colonia La Magdalena, Zapopan, in the north of the municipality, on the way to Tesistán. The drive takes about 15 minutes from the center of Zapopan and about 45 from downtown Guadalajara, so the most practical way to get there is by car or ride-hailing taxi. The hacienda has a parking lot with controlled access.
Travelers who arrive in the city at Guadalajara Airport or by bus at the ETN Bus Terminal often have a few free hours before hotel check-in, just enough time for a Sunday breakfast at the hacienda. So you don’t have to carry your suitcase, the Qeepl luggage storage service helps you find a verified location near the airport, the bus terminals or the tourist areas from MX$73.90 per day per bag, including next to Mercado San Juan de Dios in downtown Guadalajara.
A walk around Zapopan is complete with the Basilica of Our Lady of Zapopan, which dates back to the 17th century and is open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., with free admission. Every October 12, the image of the Virgin of Zapopan returns to the basilica in the traditional Romería, which draws thousands of pilgrims. In front of the basilica is the Plaza de las Américas.
Also in the center of Zapopan is the Zapopan Art Museum (MAZ), with free admission Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Thursdays until 10 p.m. For a quiet outdoor walk, Bosque Los Colomos is open every day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. free of charge.
Tips for Your Visit
The hacienda works as a hotel and event venue, not as a place you can visit freely, so it’s best to plan ahead. These tips will help you make the most of the day:
- book the Sunday or Saturday breakfast, especially if you’re going as a group;
- call ahead to make sure there’s no private event limiting access to the gardens;
- arrive by car or taxi, because the hacienda is on the outskirts of Zapopan, on the way to Tesistán;
- book the photo shoot or picnic in advance, since both require a prior reservation;
- combine the visit with the Basilica of Zapopan and the Zapopan Art Museum in the center of the municipality;
- keep in mind that on October 12, the day of the Romería, the center of Zapopan is packed with pilgrims.
