Catedral Basílica de Zapopan

The Basílica de Zapopan, completed in the late 18th century in the municipality of Zapopan on Guadalajara's northwestern edge, houses the small wooden statue known as the Virgin of Zapopan, one of the most venerated religious images in Mexico and credited locally with ending epidemics and calming storms since the colonial era. The church's ornate Churrigueresque baroque facade and tiled dome stand out against the pedestrian plaza in front, which fills with vendors and visitors year-round but especially so around October 12, when millions of people accompany the image on a procession from Guadalajara's cathedral back to the basilica in the Romería, one of Mexico's largest annual religious gatherings. A standard visit to see the interior and the ornate main altar takes 30 to 60 minutes, and the adjacent Huichol Art Museum, displaying beadwork and yarn paintings from the indigenous Huichol people, is a worthwhile addition. Regular mornings and weekday afternoons are calm and suitable for a quiet visit, while the church and surrounding plaza become extremely crowded during the October 12 festival and other major religious dates through the year.