Seniors Stop In Colorful Tonalá

 I discovered a family heirloom yesterday, an ashtray. I turned it over to discover that someone brought it home from Tonalá, Mexico. This senior has been all over Mexico but have never heard of Tonalá… population of over 400,000. Tonalá is a city and municipality within the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area in the state of Jalisco in Mexico.

Seniors, come along with TripAdvisor and check out the world famous Tonalá Craft Market. Tonalá is best known as a major handcrafts center for Jalisco, in particular its pottery, as well as its very large Thursday and Sunday street market that is dedicated to handcrafts.

Seniors Find Ceramics Center In Tonalá

It is said that Tonalá is where the professionals shop for quality purchases. From the pre-Hispanic period, the “Tianguis” on Thursdays was the traditional meeting on the square of Tonalá.

Early ceramics in the area were rough and utilitarian, for such purposes as cooking, carrying water or storing seeds. Some of these were multicolored, but the decoration faded because the pieces were not fired after painting. Not so today. It is all quality and well done.

Tonalá has been a ceramics center since the  preHispanic period. The “municipal palace” or local government building is distinguished by its clock tower and arches, which are decorated in ceramic tiles in traditional motifs.

Fodors notes that among the region’s oldest pueblos in Mexico is bustling Tonalá, a unique place filled with artisan workshops small and large. Although it’s been swallowed by ever-expanding Guadalajara, Tonalá remains independent and industrious.

Tonalá, A Working Village

More geared to business than pleasure, Tonalá doesn’t have the folksy character of nearby Tlaquepaque. There’s a concentration of stores on Tonalá Avenue and Avenida de los Tonaltecas, the main street into town.

Many more shops and factories can be found spread throughout Tonalá’s narrow streets. And for what its worth, Fodors suggests that since the town has unusually long blocks, wear your most comfortable walking shoes.

Now part of the Guadalajara metropolitan area, it is a working village where senior visitors will find hundreds of craft workshops producing blown glass, forged iron, paper mache and rustic wooden furniture, as well as clay in a variety of techniques.

Industrious artisans go about their work, but seniors can also visit their studios. On Thursdays and Sundays in Tonalá, a huge street market extends over several blocks, with vendors offering all kinds of handcrafted items and novelties from throughout Mexico.

So when you are in Guadalajara, make a visit to this exciting city.  Put it on your travel bucket list like I have and enjoy. -jeb